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Argosaronikos Islands | Hydra

Hydra ...more on Hydra

This small, very well known cosmopolitan island is located 35 miles from Zea Port (Piraeus), and is one of the stops included on all of the one-day excursions departing from the mainland.  For day-trippers, the lovely waterfront town is the main attraction, with a multitude of fine mansions from the 18th Century, legacies of the many ship owning families and sea captains who have made Hydra their home.  For those interested in a longer stay, the other important attraction is that you are guaranteed a very good level of peace and quiet, as no motorized transport is allowed on the island!  Here you travel on foot, ride a donkey, or take a sea taxi; even bicycles are not allowed (there are just a few municipal vehicles used to transport goods and haul away garbage).  Together, these two major attractions have been the most appealing to the thousands of painters and writers who have visited the island throughout the last fifty years, seeking and finding inspiration for their works.
 
A long rocky island with a spine of sharp gray ridges, Hydra rises from the sea beneath the southeast coast of the Peloponnesian Peninsula.  The island has no natural resources to speak of, and its inhabitants have always looked to the sea for their livelihood.  Hydra has a long history of producing successful merchants, shipbuilders, pirates, sea captains, and naval admirals.  This tradition continues with a small fishing fleet and a Merchant Marine Academy; but by far the island's largest industry today is tourism.  This too carries on Hydra's maritime history, since all tourists arrive by ferries and hydrofoils that dock in Hydra's tiny harbor.  Hydra has no airstrip and probably never will, given its mountainous nature.  Hydrans use boats to reach the more distant parts of the island; and they undertake shorter journeys on foot, or on the backs of donkeys, mules, and horses.
 
Hydra’s long association with the sea dates back to the 15th Century, when it was first settled and inhabited by Greeks and Albanians who fled from the region of Epirus, which was then under Turkish rule.  Since the island’s terrain was inhospitable to farming, its inhabitants evolved into shipbuilders, sailors, sea merchants, and pirates.  The merchant fleet continued to prosper until after the Greek War of Independence, during which it played a critical role.  Thereafter, the island continued its fishing industry and concentrated on sponge fishing until the demand for sponges declined.  The island then endured a relatively brief period of stagnation until the early 1950s, when it was “discovered” by painters, and tourism then became its number one industry.
 
From an artist’s point of view, it is easy to understand the attraction of Hydra.  Set against a rather barren backdrop, the magnificent houses and mansions spill down the hillside and surround the horseshoe-shaped harbor.  With pretty red-tiled roofs, colorfully painted window shutters and doors, and accents of colorful flowers, the austere and stately gray and white mansions seem to spring to life.  Lovely small back streets and lanes show glimpses into small courtyards, many with flowers, and some with fountains.  

There are many beautiful places for swimming, fishing, snorkeling, diving, windsurfing, and water skiing, though all of Hydra’s beaches, with the exception of one, are either pebbly or rocky.  The only sand beach is located on the island’s north coast at Mandraki, about a 20-minute walk east of the town.  A resort hotel occupies most of that beach, but its windsurfing center is open to the public.  Walking is a great activity on the island, not only due to the lack of motor transportation, but because there are some very interesting convents and monasteries to explore in the interior of the island.  Remember that you can combine walking with water taxis that can take you to a variety of beaches on the southern coast.
 
With the exception of the Historical Archives Museum at the eastern end of the waterfront, the town does not have an archaeological museum or other museums of particular interest.  The Athens School of Fine Arts does have a branch here, and there are exhibits of students’ work from time to time.  Along the waterfront and on some side streets branching off from it, you can find art galleries, jewelry shops, and a variety of souvenir shops.  Most of the waterfront is devoted to cafes and restaurants.  For celebrations and festivals, the best on the island are the annual Easter celebrations, and the annual celebration commemorating Hydra’s role in the Greek War of Independence.  This festival usually takes place during the second or third weekend of June.  For children of all ages, there is an International Puppet Festival that takes place at the end of July.