Hydra, Car-free island in Saronic Gulf, Greece
Hydra is an island in the Saronic Gulf within Hydra municipality in Greece, where the coastline alternates between pebble beaches and small coves with turquoise water. White-painted houses with red-tile roofs dot the hillsides while stone paths wind through pine forests and rocky terrain.
Merchants from Albania settled here in the 15th century and developed the harbor into a trading hub across the eastern Mediterranean. The island built a fleet during the Napoleonic Wars that continued its economic rise and was later deployed in the independence struggle.
The ban on cars across the entire island comes from a deliberate choice and shapes how residents live their daily lives. Donkeys carry luggage and goods through narrow alleys while water taxis move visitors between coves.
Boats dock at the main harbor from where all alleys can be reached on foot, though steep stairs require climbing. Local ferries connect the waterfront with remote coves that are difficult to access overland.
Artists and writers arrived in the 1950s and 1960s and set up studios inside old captain houses. Their presence transformed the harbor into an international scene and attracted filmmakers who shot several productions against the limestone facades.
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