Part of the Saronic archipelago in the Aegean, just off the Greek mainland, is the 31-square-mile island of Hydra. It is separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow strip of water.
Home to 2,000 residents, its numbers swell to 10,000 in the summer as tourists and seasonal workers arrive.
However, this is still nothing compared to the much, much busier islands of Mykonos or Santorini, with the latter being home to 20,000 people and welcoming some 3.4 million tourists last year alone.
To preserve Hydra’s traditional character and architecture and promote clean air, a presidential decree in the 1950s banned all wheeled vehicles from the island, including bicycles. Instead, inhabitants rely on donkeys, mules and horses to transport goods and people. The majority also get around the island by foot, as Hydra’s inhabited area is so compact. Rubbish trucks are the only vehicles allowed on the island.
The owner of a local business told CNN: “It’s an island that transports you back in time. All transportation on this island is done with horses or mules. Because there are no cars, life for absolutely everyone is noticeably quieter.”
The island depends on tourism, with Athenians accounting for a sizable proportion of its visitors. This is largely due to the fact that tourists reach the island by catching a 90-minute to two-hour ferry or high-speed hydrofoil from Athens’ port. The fact that the island has no airport really helps keep the number of tourists down.
Hydra has spent a long time undiscovered. In 1956, Italian actor Sophia Loren played a Hydriot sponge diver in Boy on a Dolphin, propelling the island onto the international stage. Picasso is also known to have spent much time there.
Hydra is home to several pebbly beaches with crystal clear water. Saint Nicholas is among the best-rated, and it can be reached by water taxi from the island’s main port. The most famous beaches are located in proximity to Hydra Town, and the majority can be accessed by a short walk.
The island is also known for its interesting architecture, with a number of luxury residences that were built by Italian craftsmen scattered throughout the island. For example, the stately home of Georgios Kountouriotis – one of the island’s most important shipowners and later one of the political leaders – built in the late 18th-century is surrounded by pine trees.
The island is also saturated with religious monuments, with some 300 churches and six monasteries available to visit. For panoramic views of the island, the Gulf and the Myrtoo Sea, climb Mount Eros, the highest mountain on Hydra at 600 metres.
The island has a semi-arid climate, with average daily maximum temperatures of around 33C in August.
However, the island is becoming somewhat of a sought-after destination, with increased visitor numbers putting pressure on local resources and infrastructure, according to the Hindustan Times. Hilda Eksian, manager of Phaedra Hotel, admitted the situation is now “a little out of control” and that the island “can’t take any more people”, complaining that it was almost impossible to find a deckchair on a beach or a free table at a restaurant last summer.
