Hydra
is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Aegean Sea between the
Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf. It is separated from the Peloponnese
by a narrow strait called on some maps the Hydra Gulf. It is also a
municipality and was one of the few provinces in Greece that have only
two municipalities and fewer than five communes. In ancient times, the
island was known as Hydrea. The uninhabited island of Dokos is included
in the municipality. Hydra is the only inhabited island in the municipality.
Ferries arrive regularly from Piraeus and Napflion on the Peloponnese.
No motor vehicles are allowed on this island, so the public transportation
is provided by taxi-donkeys. The inhabited area is so compact that most
people walk everywhere. There is one main town, known simply as Hydra
port. It consists of a crescent-shaped harbor, around which is a strand
of commercial establishments restaurants, shops, markets, and galleries
catering to tourists and locals called Hydriots. Leading up from the
harbor are steep stone streets containing most of the houses in which
the Hydriots live, along with hostelries that range from luxurious to
humble. The island is practically waterless it had some wells that were
closed by seismic activity in the mid-20th century, so water is imported
by boat from the mainland. Most of the island is dry, rocky hillside,
empty save for the occasional farmhouse and one or two very isolated
Orthodox monasteries.
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