Hydra Island

Hydra, also known historically as Hydrea, is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece, situated in the Aegean Sea between the Myrtoan Sea and the Argolic Gulf. A narrow channel separates the island from the eastern Peloponnese. In antiquity the name Hydrea referred to the island’s springs, drawing from the Greek word for water. Today, Hydra is part of the Islands regional unit of the Attica region, with the modern municipality comprising the islands of Hydra, Dokos and several smaller uninhabited islets.
Hydra is distinctive for its prohibition of wheeled vehicles; cars, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles and e-bikes are not permitted. Transport on the island relies on walking, horses, mules, donkeys and water taxis. With its striking crescent-shaped harbour, stone mansions and preserved architectural character, Hydra is a major tourist destination and a cherished retreat for many Athenians.

Name

The name Hydra derives from ancient Greek hydra, meaning “water”, a reference to the island’s springs. Among the local Arvanite community, traditional names include Nidhra and the rarer Nidhriza or Hydriza. These forms reflect the island’s linguistic and cultural history.

Transport, Tourism and Leisure

Hydra’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism. High-speed hydrofoils and catamarans connect the island with Piraeus, typically stopping at Poros before proceeding to Spetses. A passenger ferry operates between Hydra harbour and Metochi on the Peloponnese, providing an alternative for visitors who travel by car to the mainland port before crossing.
The compact nature of the inhabited area encourages walking. Since motor vehicles are nearly absent, rubbish trucks are the only exceptions permitted by law. Horses, mules, donkeys and water taxis supplement movement around the island. In 2007, a National Geographic Traveler panel rated Hydra the highest of all Greek islands for its preservation of a unique sense of place.

Captain’s Mansions

Hydra is renowned for its impressive eighteenth-century mansions built by wealthy sea captains. Many of these houses remain prominent landmarks:

• Tsamadou Mansion, situated at the entrance of the harbour, now houses the Maritime Academy following its donation by the Tsamados family.
• A second Tsamados family residence, once a weaving school, is today known as the Old Carpet Factory.
• Tombazis Mansion serves as a branch of the Athens School of Fine Arts.
• The mansions of Lazaros and Georgios Kountouriotis, Boudouris, Kriezis, Voulgaris, Sachinis and Miaoulis contain period furnishings and artefacts.

The Kountouriotis mansion, donated to the Historic–Ethnologic Institute of Greece, now operates as an extension of the National Museum of History.

Monasteries and the Cathedral

Hydra has numerous churches and six Eastern Orthodox monasteries. Two of the most prominent are:

• Profitis Ilias, founded in the tenth century,
• Ayia Efpraxia,

both located on a hill with views over the main harbour. The island’s cathedral, the former Monastery of the Dormition of the Virgin, stands on the waterfront and contains the tomb of Lazaros Kountouriotis, a major benefactor of the Greek War of Independence.

History

Prehistory to Antiquity

Archaeological evidence indicates that Hydra had small farming and herding communities from the late third millennium BCE. Obsidian artefacts from Milos and Helladic-period remains suggest that Hydra served as a maritime base for mainland settlements. Mycenaean-era aqueducts also point to early water management on the island.
The Dorian invasion of the twelfth century BCE appears to have caused depopulation. The island was resettled in the eighth century BCE by people from Ermioni. Herodotus notes that Hydra belonged to Ermioni before it was sold to Samos and later transferred to Troezen. Despite these political connections, Hydra remained marginal in classical history due to its small population.

Byzantine and Venetian Periods

Hydra was repopulated during the Byzantine era, as evidenced by coins and pottery at Episkopi. During the Latin Empire period, however, it suffered depopulation from pirate attacks. The island’s rugged, coastal geography made inland flight difficult.

Arvanite Community

The island’s early modern community included significant numbers of Arvanites, Albanian-speaking settlers. Local accounts suggest a migration in the late fifteenth century, but historians indicate a more accurate timeframe in the early sixteenth century, when Albanians from the Peloponnese—rather than directly from Albania—arrived due to regional instability involving the Ottomans and Venetians.
Further settlement in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries reinforced the community. The Hydriot Arvanites formed cohesive clans, founded the port town and solidified their presence well into the twentieth century. Arvanitika, their language, was widely spoken and maintained prestige among local elites such as the Kountouriotis family. Hydra is notable for having held church liturgies in Arvanitika, a rare practice among Orthodox Albanian communities. Although fully assimilated today, the Arvanite heritage remains an important part of Hydra’s identity.

Ottoman Era and Maritime Power

Hydra was relatively minor under early Ottoman rule. Migration in the late sixteenth century increased the population, and, due to the island’s infertile land, residents turned to seafaring. Its first maritime school was founded in 1645.
Hydra’s transformative period began in the eighteenth century. After the Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718, restrictions eased and maritime trade expanded. By mid-century Hydriots had progressed from small coastal vessels to large merchant ships, enabling profitable commerce throughout the eastern Mediterranean and beyond. This maritime strength later contributed significantly to the Greek War of Independence.