Dr. Lawrence Hernandez is a Denver-based entrepreneur who serves as CEO of Admissions Geek, a coaching organization that with clients to complete their college applications and essays. A travel enthusiast, Dr. Lawrence Hernandez has visited coastal destinations spanning the globe, from the Caribbean to Greece.
One of the smaller Greek isles, Hydra makes up for its lack of size in a rich and varied maritime history. Noted in the works of Herodotus, it has a strong seafaring tradition and many natural harbors and bays. Lacking arable soil and water resources, there are virtually no archaeological traces of Ancient Greece on Hydra, and its importance did not emerge until the 18th century.
It was the brewing conflict between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire and the need for trade between these domains in the early 1700s that led to Hydra’s emergence. Hydriots constructed a commercial port and, following Venice’s surrender to the Ottomans, began building a large fleet that ultimately traveled as far as the Americas.
With Hydriots trading under various flags, they were able to circumvent British blockades during the Napoleonic Wars. This brought needed Russian grain to ports across France, Italy, and Spain from 1803 to 1815, and fostered a strong martial tradition. In 1820, when Greece began its War of Independence, Hydra emerged as a major naval power, with its harbor home to a pair of forts and a 130-vessel fleet.
Today, historic Hydra Town preserves the wealth of this era in its distinctive architecture. Following Sophia Loren’s role as a sponge-diver in the 1957 movie Boy on a Dolphin, the island became a haven for celebrities, and it still attracts artists, writers, and tourists who want a glimpse of a bygone era.
One of the smaller Greek isles, Hydra makes up for its lack of size in a rich and varied maritime history. Noted in the works of Herodotus, it has a strong seafaring tradition and many natural harbors and bays. Lacking arable soil and water resources, there are virtually no archaeological traces of Ancient Greece on Hydra, and its importance did not emerge until the 18th century.
It was the brewing conflict between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire and the need for trade between these domains in the early 1700s that led to Hydra’s emergence. Hydriots constructed a commercial port and, following Venice’s surrender to the Ottomans, began building a large fleet that ultimately traveled as far as the Americas.
With Hydriots trading under various flags, they were able to circumvent British blockades during the Napoleonic Wars. This brought needed Russian grain to ports across France, Italy, and Spain from 1803 to 1815, and fostered a strong martial tradition. In 1820, when Greece began its War of Independence, Hydra emerged as a major naval power, with its harbor home to a pair of forts and a 130-vessel fleet.
Today, historic Hydra Town preserves the wealth of this era in its distinctive architecture. Following Sophia Loren’s role as a sponge-diver in the 1957 movie Boy on a Dolphin, the island became a haven for celebrities, and it still attracts artists, writers, and tourists who want a glimpse of a bygone era.
