The island's main church, set back from the central quay behind an elegant marble courtyard and a clock-tower campanile that is itself one of Hydra's most recognisable landmarks. The cathedral was built in the late 17th century and substantially remodelled in the 18th, when wealthy captains paid for the gilded iconostasis, the marble floor, and the ornate carved bishop's throne.
The complex was originally a monastery; the cells around the cloister now house a small Ecclesiastical and Byzantine Museum with icons, vestments, and silverwork. The courtyard, with its pebbled mosaic floor and orange trees, is a cool place to stop on a hot afternoon. Entry to the museum is a couple of euros; the church itself is free.