Hydra, one of the Saronic Islands in the Aegean Sea between the Saronic and Argolic Gulfs, is a beautiful island brimming with history and architecture, and the perfect destination for visitors seeking a quiet, more intimate destination for their holidays.
Separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow strip of water, the island was known in antiquity as Hydrea (derived from the Greek word for water), due to the islands numerous springs.
No cars, motorcycles or other motor vehicles are allowed to circulate on the island, by law, and thus the only means of public transportation are donkeys, bicycles and water taxis. But the inhabited area is so compact that most people walk wherever they want to go.
Hydra has a number of lovely bays and natural harbors, as well as a strong maritime culture, making it a popular yachting destination. It is also home to the international Kamini Yacht Club based in the port of Kamini.
The island also has 300 churches and six monasteries, the two most noteworthy being the 19th century Profitis Ilias Monastery and the monastery of Aghia Efpraxia, both on a hill overlooking the main harbor.
Further, the old Monastery of the Dormition of the Virgin, sitting on the quayside in the town, is now the island's Cathedral and contains the tomb of Lazaros Koundouriotis, the island's richest sea captain, who gave his entire fortune to support the 1821 War of Independence from Ottoman rule, to arm the Greek navy.
Hydra also brims with history, as it was the home of many 1821 revolution naval heroes, including Miaoulis, Tombazis, Voulgaris, Kountouriotis, Tsamados and Kriezis, some of whom also served as prime ministers of the new Greek state.
The Tsamados mansion on the left-hand side of the main harbor is now a Maritime Academy, while the Tombazis mansion is now part of the School of Fine Arts.
The mansions of Lazaros and George Kountouriotis, Kriezis, Voulgaris and Miaoulis all contain collections of 18th century island furniture, while the descendents of Lazaros Kountouriotis donated his mansion to the Historic-Ethnologic Institute of Greece and today operates as an extension of the National Museum of History.
Having developed into a strong maritime power, Hydra contributed some 150 ships, including supplies, when the War of Independence broke out, playing a crucial role in the fight against the Ottoman Turks.
According to archaeological finds, Hydra was populated during the Byzantine era, at attested by vases and coins discovered in the area of Episkopi, while there is evidence of farmers and herders from the second half of the third millennium BCE.
With the end of the Revolution and the creation of the Greek state, Hydra gradually lost its maritime position in the eastern Aegean, and the mainstay of the island's economy became sponge fishing.
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