By Nicolas Bard

Hydra is a picturesque and historical island of Argosaronic, which today has about 1,950 permanent residents. The relief of the island, the lack of water resources and its small area have contributed to the Hydraians early with shipping and trade, activities that brought money to the place. In the years before the revolution of 1821, Hydra became one of the richest and most populous naval centers of Greece, and due to its large fleet it also played an important role in the liberation struggle. The island, however, declined with the appearance of steamships and the rise of Piraeus and Ermoupolis, resulting in many residents migrating. Today the economy of Hydra is basically based on tourism, and less on fishing.

The city of Hydra is built amphitheatrically in the middle of the northern coast of the island, on the other of a closed bay, surrounded by bare and rocky mountains. The imposing mansions and traditional houses, built amphitheatrically on the two slopes of the settlement, combined with the picturesque cobbled streets, historical churches and the well -groomed port, compose a picture like a true postcard, which travels you to other times.

The coastal road, Pavlos Koudouriotis, extends from the statue of Miaouli to the Petalo area. Its cobblestone was completed in 1912 and end up with all the vertical alleys, starting from above on the mountain and ending in the sea. To the right and left at the entrance to the port of Hydra are the cannons, which used to protect the island from the pirates. On the left side of the harbor, above the bastion, it dominates the statue of Admiral Andreas Miaoulis, on the basis of which his bones are buried, which came to the island in 1985.

Arriving at the port, your eyes will certainly focus on the Cathedral of Hydra, dedicated to the Assumption. It was built in 1648 and was rebuilt in 1774. It is a three -aisled basilica with a dome and two imposing marble bells, while inside it has two silver chandeliers and a golden eradication, which has the heads of the France of the Louis. In the past, the temple served as the Monastery of the Dormition of the Virgin. Today in the courtyard of the temple there are the busts of Lazaros Kundouriotis and Andrea Miaoulis, as well as the tomb of the first. In some of the buildings of the monastery, the town hall is housed, while in the old cells the ecclesiastical and Byzantine museum of Hydra.
To the right of the monastery begins a narrow, paved and uphill, but undoubtedly picturesque road, leading to the old town, the so -called “Kiafa”. From there you will enjoy a panoramic view, which reaches the Peloponnese. The road to the right passes through the nursing home and then leads to Kamini. A little further down we come across the mansion of Lazaros Kountouriotis, built in the late 18th century and operates today as a branch of the National Historical Museum. The road from there continues, reaching the kiosk, the western bastion of the port, which is one of the most beautiful locations in Hydra. Just below the booth there is the rocky coast of the cave, while at the top of the hill you will see the ruined windmills. But the road does not stop there. It continues and arrives in Avlaki, a picturesque beach beneath the steep slope of the mountain, to end up in picturesque Kaminia.

In this beautiful and historic island, cars, motorbikes and even bikes are banned! And that is why a 1950 law is responsible for maintaining the island unchanged, without losing its particular identity from the dictates of modern life. The morphology of the soil contributed decisively to this, and that was why most work on the island was done with the valuable help of mules, as they could only pass through the labyrinthine and narrow alleys of the island. So if you are on the island is a good opportunity to explore the place on foot, and if you want to go to a more remote beach, then you will take a boat from the port. The only sure thing is that the island will enchant you from side to side!