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See links below for other web sites on this Island.
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 Location |
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Hydra is one of the Saronic islands, located close to Athens. Due to its close proximity, many Greeks make their home here and commute to Athens.
It has an area of 50 sq km and a shoreline of 55 km.
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 Population |
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Hydra has a population of fewer than 3000 inhabitants.
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 History |
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Hydra has been populated since pre-historic times, and is thought to have been home to the terrible monster, Hydra, whom Heracles killed in mythological times. (Hydra had nine heads and each time one was cut off, two more grew back. Heracles had his companion burn each stump each time he cut one off, and buried the body under a pile of rocks.)
The oldest settlement to have been found on Hydra is Mycenaean. At a later period Hydra was seized by Hermione, which subsequently sold it to Samos.
In the 1500’s, refugees started to flee to Hydra to flee Turkish occupation. Due to the barren grounds, they turned to the sea for their incomes, which made them master sailors. When the uprising against the Turks broke out in 1821, Hydra had a population of 30,000 (most of whom had sought refuge on the island) and 150 vessels, constituting 2/3 of the Greek fleet. The island’s wealthy seacaptains-the Kountouriotis brothers were asked to convert their fleet for war, and contributed greatly to the War of Independence against the Turks.
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 Religion |
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This topic is not island-specific. It applies to the nation of Greece.
Orthodox Christianity is the recognized dominant religion of Greece and it is legally protected by the state. This has caused legal discrimination against non-Orthodox Churches, and although the constitution of 1975 removed the power of most of the old laws against Protestants, problems still exist today. There is a lot of fear towards anything outside of the Orthodox Church, especially on the islands. However, repeated rulings of the European Court of Justice in favour of religious minorities in cases of discrimination have led to a relative increase of the freedoms that these religious minorities now enjoy.
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 Saints |
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Most of the saints are honored on this island and the Orthodox Church is highly respected.
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 Prayer |
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That the outreach will enable the gospel of salvation to be shared
That the people on the island will realize their need for God and their eyes will be opened to the truth and love of God through reading the Bible for themselves.
That God will work in the lives of all the God-fearing religious people already living on this island, and bring healing & refreshment to their lives.
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 Miscellaneous |
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Places worth visiting include the Churches of St Constantineor of St John, the Monastery of Virgin Mary (with tall clock and bell tower), or Monastery of Prophet Elijah. There are many monasteries on the island that are open to visitors, but it is necessary to dress appropriately (long skirts for women, slacks for men). Molos, Palamida and Kaminia have the nicer beaches (most on Hydra are pebble beaches). Although most things can be found shopping, Hydra is known for gold and precious stones.
It is considered one of the most cosmopolitan islands, yet it is very quiet as cars are not allowed on the island.
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 Celebrations |
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The celebrations on the islands usually revolve around the Saints, and there is a big celebration at Easter in the Orthodox Church.
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 Resources |
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Book: 777 wonderful greek islands; Yiannis Desypris; ISBN960-7504-08-9
www.greektravel.com
www.in2greece.com
http://www.saronicnet.com/
http://www.hydra-island.com/guide/homeGuide.html
www.harrys-60-greek-islands-guide.com
www.worldtravelgate.org
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