Reaching the port, Hydra island looks attractive like an art-paint, with grey, white and blue colours above the blue of the sea, an exemplar of architectonics and aesthetics. The town of Hydra island, which is the centre of the whole island, is developed amphitheatrically around the port, integrating nature and architecture.
From your extremely first see, a magic feeling surrounds you. Perhaps it remains in the unique architecture and graphic scenes throughout the Island, or maybe it remains in its long history and abundant heritage, and even - a combination of all. A walk through the town's attractive cobble stone streets, will convince you of its uniqueness. The visitor, coming for the very first time, is amazed from the view of the high buildings and Manors, which exist in the port.
Right and left from the entrance of the port, there are the Parapets with the Canons, which protected the town. Today, the port of Hydra is filled with little and huge private yachts, boats and cruisers. You can stroll to the port, the heart of the town, take a walk at the tourist shops, admire the old Manors and check out the Museum of Hydra island.
Also you can walk the stunning narrow cobble stone streets and reach the old Settlement of the town, to the middle ages fortress town of Kiafa and from there to delight in the view towards the Peloponnese. Main attribute of Hydra is that there are no wheeled lorries and the transportation of individuals is being made just by donkeys, a thing that makes the Island even more pictursque. For swimming in the town, there are provided the rocks of Spilia, Hydroneta, and a brief range from there, Avlaki, Kamini and cosmopolitan Mandraki.
The connection of the town with the other beautiful beaches, Vlycho, Saint Nicholas, Bisti ... is being done only from the sea with boats or sea taxis. Today the homeowners of Hydra do not go beyond 3,000 and nearly everybody involved with tourism.In Hydra is located the Cathedral of Hydra - Spetses - Poros -Aigina. The Cathedral of Hydra accommodates the Town Hall and the Ecclesiastic museum.
Hydra is well-known for the calm life is provides to the visitors in the day, however also for the intense, cosmopolitan night life. So the island each year gets a a great deal of Greek and foreign visitors.
Hydra, with its strange architecture and continuous supply of tourist and cultural life stays the gem of the Gulf Islands and among the best resorts in Greece.
In the start of the 15th century, Hydra was populated by a couple of shepherd families. From 1460, Orthodox Arvanites refugees, who battled to the side of the Venetians against the Turks, came to the island and ended up being fishermen. It is the time that the structure spree starts in Hydra and the very first town in the hill of the place Kiafa is produced.
Since of the hostile climate in greek cities in conjunction with the pirates in Mediterranean, immigration becomes more extensive.
Greek families immigrate to Hydra. Some of them were the Lazarou and Zerba family (from Hiperus), Mitarou household, Nega household, Gini household and Gouma family (from the island of Kythnos), Tompazi family (from Smirni), Tsamados family (from Kranidi), Oikonomou household (from Epidauros). More immigrants are coming to the small island of Hydra during the 18th century.
That period we had the Venetian - Turk War and the Russian - Tyerk war. That's why in the start of the Greek revolution the island of Hydra had a population of 27.000 people. That had actually got positive results, particularly in sea commerce and in shipping.
To the end of the 18th century Hydra ended up being a terrific nautical power with 150 hydra hotel ships. The island remains in its peak till this period.