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Hydra

A small cosmopolitan island located 35 miles from Zea port (Piraeus), where transportation is only by foot, donkeys or sea taxis, while cars, motorcycles or even bicycles are not allowed.

It is the favorite spot of many painters, authors and other artists who seek inspiration in these serene surroundings. The buildings are in traditional style, decorated with wooden painted ceilings, marble fountains and furniture that brings you far in the past.
There are beautiful places for swimming, fishing, snorkeling, diving, windsurfing, water skiing, as well as walking and climbing. Places to visit are old monasteries, old mansions, the Historical Archives Museum, the local branch of the school of fine arts and the merchant marine Academy. Hydra's role in the Greek War of Independence has earned it a secure place in the Greek history books. It's extraordinary harbour piled with tall elegant mansions of sea captains serves as a model to artists that inhabit the island these days.

Passenger ships connect Hydra with the other Saronic islands and Piraeus (Athens) several times a day. Frequent hydrofoil connections are also available to Poros, Spetses, Nafplion, Porto Heli and Ermioni, in the Peloponnese.

Hydra can be visited as part of a one day cruise starting from Piraeus, visiting Poros and Aegina on its way. 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, and naval generals. This tradition continues today with a small fishing fleet and a merchant marine academy, but by far the island's largest industry 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 have one, given its mountainous nature. Hydrans use boats to reach the more distant parts of the island; they undertake shorter journeys on foot, or on donkeys, mules, and horses. Today, Hydra is one of the most cosmopolitan points in the Mediterranean. The fact that Hydra has a unique beauty in its architecture and its landscape, taken together with its proximity to Athens and its important historical interest, it has gradually raised the island to the level of an international tourist center. Undoubtedly, Hydra is one of the most beautiful islands in Greece with a unique atmosphere. Here you can enjoy an unforgettable vacation.

A big festival takes place in Hydra, the weekend closest to the 21st of June under the name Miaoulia. On holy Friday though an old custom takes place in a location called Agia Paraskevi, where the Epitaph immerses into the sea to bless the water. Every year in July, the international puppet festival is held in Hydra.

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