Hydra island in Greece. Sights of Hydra - what to see. A complete guide to iconic places What attracted us to the island of Hydra in Greece

Hydra is one of the most picturesque islands in Greece; its hallmark is its incomparable architecture and nature, the beauty of which cannot be described in words. There is absolutely no car traffic on the amazing island; local residents travel exclusively on donkeys and horses, which makes these places even more interesting and attractive for travelers. Fans of excursions, beach holidays and hiking will certainly enjoy this place; the island is rich in historical monuments and natural attractions.

Despite the fact that the island of Hydra is relatively small in scale, there are about 300 churches on its territory, as well as 6 ancient monasteries, which served as fortifications during the war years and saved the lives of thousands of people. You should start your acquaintance with historical sights with a walk through the port area; the entrance to the port is crowned by beautiful bastions. For many years they defended the island from invaders and became its permanent symbol.

Near the port area there is a beautiful building with a facade made of rare marbles, today it is home to the Historical Archives and Museum. Within its walls are presented extensive collections of unique historical documents, hundreds of priceless finds of archaeologists and objects of art with a long history. Copyright www.site

Among religious attractions, one of the most beautiful is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is located in close proximity to the coast, in a beautiful rocky area. Since the most popular beach of Hydra is located next to the religious landmark, the church is visited by almost all guests of the island. An equally impressive religious monument is the Church of St. Constantine, which is one of the youngest churches on the island. The church was built near the center of Hydra, on a high hill from which a magnificent panoramic view of the surrounding area opens.

Hydra is the most famous of all the Argosaronic islands. Hydra is a unique Greek island - all mechanical means of transportation are completely prohibited here: cars, motorcycles and even bicycles!

Only two types of transport are available: sea - in the form of ferries and taxi ferries, ready to take you with the breeze to any shore of the island of Hydra in a matter of minutes; and a four-legged one - in the person of hard-working donkeys, ready to slowly deliver you on their backs so that you can enjoy the piercingly clean air of the island of Hydra!

The island of Hydra (Hydra) is a small rocky island - it is also the southernmost point of the globe, where I have visited so far and one of the most beautiful places in Greece. The distance to Piraeus is 37 nautical miles, the journey time by ship is 3 hours.

Lying between the Saronic and Argolid Gulfs, the island of Hydra has an area of 50 square meters. km, and the length of its coastline is 55 km. Hydra is a mountainous island. The highest mountain is Eros (593 m), the population is less than 3,000 inhabitants. Unlike the other islands of the Argosaronic Gulf, Hydra is mostly an island devoid of vegetation, with pine trees growing only in the southwest.

The oldest settlement discovered on the island dates back to the Mycenaean era. Hydra was subsequently captured by Ermioni, who then sold it to the Samians.

Hydra continued to eke out an inconspicuous existence until the 17th century, when the island gradually acquired a powerful merchant fleet, which later, during the Napoleonic wars, monopolized shipping throughout the Mediterranean Sea.

Hydra has been home to fishermen and sailors since the Middle Ages, becoming more and more professional sailors with each generation, which led to Hydra becoming known as “Little England” at the beginning of the nineteenth century, so large was the number of wealthy shipowners for such a small island . The population was then about 25,000 people, and the fleet consisted of about 120 modern and well-equipped ships, which made it possible to carry out maritime trade without fear of Ottoman ships and Mediterranean pirates.

From the harbor itself, up the mountainside, an amphitheater-like panorama of the city rises with dazzling white plastered houses and orange-brown roof tiles. Flowers on windows, balconies and patios, narrow stairs. Unlike other islands of the Saronic Gulf, Hydra is mostly devoid of vegetation, only in the southwest do pine trees grow.

The island's capital, Hydra, is built like an amphitheater around the island's port. The houses here are very beautiful - stone - captains' houses - they are a real decoration of the island. House museums were created on the basis of some of them. We also recommend visiting the monastery of Elijah the Prophet, built at an altitude of 500 m, from where a beautiful view opens. The beaches of Hydra are mostly rocky. Spilia Beach is recognized as the best - it has deep and clear waters.

Many people prefer the small beach in Awlaki, but the largest one is the beach in Bisti (it is surrounded by rocks, and there is a pine forest near it - why not paradise?). Mandraki has the most organized beach, where you can practice various sea sports. Hydra is also famous for its nightlife. Here everyone will find entertainment to suit their taste and, of course, enjoy the unique tastes of dishes from the endless variety of taverns on the island.

The island of Hydra (Hydra) became the first Greek island to which foreign tourists began to be allowed in in the 20th century. Today, tours to Greece offer a wide choice of holiday destinations, but Hydra still attracts vacationers with a unique atmosphere of peace and tranquility, stunning panoramas and the hospitality of the locals.

is a secluded island where those tourists who are looking for peace and quiet can spend their holidays.

The island of Hydra has very convenient bays, so the new inhabitants of the island took up maritime trade and piracy.

History of Hydra Island

In ancient times and the Middle Ages the island was empty. It was settled in the 18th century by Christian Albanians, who fled to this deserted and practically uninhabitable island from persecution by the Turks.

By the 19th century The island has reached the peak of its development. It was a real maritime power, practically independent of the Turks, with a population of more than 30 thousand people.

During the Greek War of Independence, the inhabitants of the island equipped their merchant ships with artillery at their own expense and created their own on their basis. naval squadron. This squadron fought with great success against the Turks, winning several important naval victories and making a significant contribution to the conquest of Greece's independence.

However, after the conclusion of peace, the pirate spirit affected the blood of the islanders. They did not want to obey the first official government of Greece, which was headed by Count Kapodistrias. Hydra, together with the Cyclades, raised a rebellion against the Greek government, which, however, was very quickly suppressed by the fleets of the Great Powers, under whose patronage the young Greek state grew.

After Greece gained independence, the ancient port of Piraeus was rebuilt. All important trade sea routes gradually moved to Piraeus, and Hydra lost its former importance.

Tourist information

The capital of the island is Hydra city. The city is a mixture of white houses and gray palaces, where Greek captains lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. These captain's houses today house tourist hotels.

You can get to Hydra through port of Piraeus. Vessels heading to Hydra depart 9 times a day. The cost of travel will be 15.5 euros; time - one and a half hours.

Hydra island on the map of Greece

To be honest, we had never heard of the island of Hydra in Greece (aka Hydra) before we started planning our travel itinerary. There is little information about it on the Internet; there are no attractions as such. Why did we still decide to go there, and for our fifth wedding anniversary?

What attracted us to the island of Hydra in Greece?

I love places with traditions. It is interesting to visit a place where the way of life is not similar to what you are used to (only we are not talking about Afghanistan, not about African primitive tribes, and not about expeditions to the North Pole). Let these traditions manifest themselves in one thing, that is enough. What is so unusual about the island of Hydra in Greece, what is its traditionality? We noted three things.

1. The island is very, very! - a lot of cats

More than once we have seen reviews from other travelers to Greece that the island of Hydra is the most cat-like island in the country. “The level of catness here is just off the charts!” - someone wrote in their LiveJournal report. We agree one hundred percent: it seems that you didn’t end up on an island, but in a cat cafe. Kitties of all colors meet you right on the pier and wait in every alley. And everyone is so well-groomed, healthy, affectionate - it’s clear that the locals and guests of Hydra treat the cats well and do not offend them.

On Hydra there are most of the red cats, so the gray ones turn their faces away from the camera in annoyance.

2. There is no motorized transport on the island of Hydra

Not 100%, of course - there is a garbage truck on the island, and we even got to see it. Information about bicycles varies: somewhere they say they exist, somewhere they say they don’t. We walked around the island all day and did not see any bicycles - neither saddled nor parked. In general, this ban on the island of Hydra was not introduced in order to look interesting in the eyes of tourists: transport traffic on Hydra is prohibited by law (sort of like a large nature reserve in which everything needs to be preserved as it is). But we still don’t understand how the ambulance works on Hydra :)

Hold on tight, girls, it's about to take off!

3. Despite the abundance of tourists, the appearance of Hydra has not changed for years

In 1957, the film "Boy on a Dolphin" with Sophia Loren was released. They filmed a movie on Hydra, and after that a string of all kinds of travelers came here. It has been dragging on all these decades, and so fortunately that real estate prices on Hydra have become prohibitively high: now only very wealthy people can buy housing here. They write on the Internet that some world and Greek celebrities have purchased houses on the island of Hydra in Greece, but which ones are not specified. 🙂

The island of Hydra in Greece cannot boast of huge villas and mansions, but such a house is already considered large.

Since traditionally the facades of all houses on the island should be made in white colors and with a minimum of finishing, the owners transfer all the beauty of the design to the front doors and fence.

So, despite the fact that the island of Hydra in Greece is especially loved among tourists, you really won’t feel it at all. Only on the embankment, where after the ships arrive, a crowd with cameras appears, and everyone starts taking pictures of the parked donkeys (and more often with a camera than for a walk). But then one day - and all these people disappeared somewhere, and you yourself already dived into the first street you came across, and that’s all - good-bye, noise and din. And inside the island, nothing at all will remind you of tourism: there are not many cafes here, there are no tour agencies, there are no catchy Hotel and Bar signs, there is no blaring music, and in general - at all! - there are no barkers.

This is how the street of that Greek island, where tourists are only known about on TV, could look so discreet.

Hydra was the last island of our 10-day sailing trip in the Aegean Sea.
And it must be said that it was not in vain that we left the most delicious for the end.
Hydra is an incredibly colorful island, completely different from the others we visited on this trip, sincere and completely devoid of cars...
No one is in a hurry here, there is always a forest of yacht masts in a small cozy marina, here is one of the most delicious cappuccinos in the world.
The famous film "Dolphin Boy" with Sophia Loren in the title role was filmed here and many celebrities like to visit here...

2. Hydra Island is located very close to the eastern coast of the Peloponnese Peninsula and is part of the Saronic Islands group.
The relative proximity to the major port of Piraeus has made this island one of the favorite holiday destinations for the residents of Athens.
During peak season, the permanent population of approximately 3,000 people simply gets lost among the numerous tourists.

3. In ancient times, Hydra was a sparsely populated island, Herodotus mentions it only briefly, and the first major settlement dates back only to the Mycenaean era.
But everything changed in the 16th century. At this time, Hydra became a refuge for those who were trying to hide from the constant clashes between the Venetian Republic and the Ottoman Empire. These were mainly refugees from the territory of modern Albania.
In the middle of the 18th century, the inhabitants of the island began to build ships and engaged in maritime trade. At the same time, without disdaining piracy.
They sailed to Egypt and the Black Sea, and during the Napoleonic Wars they transported goods to England, despite the ban stipulated by the law on the Continental Blockade.

4. Since the island paid taxes on time, the Ottoman Empire practically did not pay attention to it and by the 19th century Hydra had gained power and strength. The vast majority of stately mansions on the island were built with the money of local merchants. At the zenith of Hydra's power in 1821, the island's population was 28 thousand inhabitants (now about 3 thousand). During the Greek War of Independence, the island provided 150 ships to participate in the fighting.
Moreover, it was this island that gave Greece outstanding military leaders - Admiral Andreas Miaoulis and the commander of the Greek fleet Georg Kandouriotis.

5. After the liberation of the country, maritime and trade centers began to gradually move, initially to Ermoupolis, the island of Syros, and then to Piraeus. As steamships and steel shipbuilding were introduced into the navy, Hydra fell into decline by the beginning of the 20th century.
At the same time, the island gave Greece several famous artists and inspired the work of world-famous artists such as Picasso, Pablo and Chagall, Mark Zakharovich. Since 1936, a branch of the Athens School of Fine Arts has been operating here.
Today Hydra is an island for tourists, and in its small marina, even in the off-season, it is quite difficult to find a free place to moor a yacht

6. The main port of the island is the city of the same name Hydra.
This is far from an ordinary port. There is always a clear sense of how this place is connected to the past thanks to the rising amphitheater of cafes and mansions, creating the atmosphere of a performance in which the island itself is the main participant.

7. The history and entire existence of the island is inextricably linked with Athens. Now this is a vacation spot for representatives of the aristocracy and bohemians of the Greek capital, who are tired of the rhythms of life in the metropolis and want to change their daily routine as much as possible, enjoy the pristine beauty of the island, warm up on foot - and all this is an hour’s journey from the port of Piraeus. Therefore, this unique “island of the capital” attracts many famous people from Greece and from all over the world, among the fans of the island are: Brigitte Bardot, Audrey Hepburn, Anthony Quinn, Joan Collins, Arius Onassis, Maria Calas, Jackie Kennedy Onassi, fashion designer Valentino . Leonard Cohen, the owner of a charming timbre, lived on Hydra for a long time. The island is very popular among representatives of creative professions; during the six-month season, various creative exhibitions and meetings are constantly held on the island.

8. The tourist fame of the island was promoted by the film “Boy on a Dolphin,” filmed on the island in 1957 with Sophia Loren in the title role.
In 2006, a sculpture of the same name dedicated to the film was even installed here.

9. One important feature of Hydra is that it is the only island in Greece on which the use of motor vehicles is completely prohibited - from a car to the smallest scooter. There aren't even bicycles here.

10. The only means of transport and transportation around the island are motor boats, mules and donkeys (I will talk about this in a separate post)

11. The architecture of the island is very organic and thoroughly imbued with Mediterranean flavor and the spirit of history

12. Narrow streets with a huge number of cafes and taverns spread out from the harbor in different directions along the hills. Tables often stand right on the pavement, attracting tourists