Hydra is deservedly one of the most popular day-trip destinations from Athens. The port of Hydra has a scenic location in a deep harbor, with whitewashed houses rising on the hills on both sides from an azure blue sea. An enlightened policy of development has meant that there are absolutely zero high-rise houses, cars, or motor-bikes -- the only internal combustion vehicles on the island are the few city-owned trucks and a fire truck -- and while the main port boulevard is packed full of tourists in season, only a few minutes away are quiet back alleys with nary a soul, and many of those visitors are day trippers, leaving the town relatively peaceful by night.Incidentally, the name has nothing to do with the nine-headed monster of Greek legend; instead, it's an abbreviation of ''Hydrea'', or "spring". The spring has long since run dry, but the name remains. http://wikitravel.org/en/Hydra