Aegina island holidays
This holiday hideaway provides endless postcard views of classic Greek island scenery. You can see Aegina if you stand on the Acropolis in Athens and look for a low-lying island off the coast. Aegina is 29 kilometres south-west of Pireaus and the island itself is eight kilometres across. At 85 square kilometres, Aegina is the largest and greenest of the Saronic islands. |
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Aegina holiday tips
You can travel to the island of Aegina either by hydrofoil or ferry, the latter costing less and providing a more leisurely voyage with time to enjoy the glorious scenery of the Saronic Gulf. The trip takes from an hour to an hour and a half by ferry and about 35 minutes on the Flying Dolphin hydrofoil. Boats to Aegina leave hourly from the port of Pireaus and take passengers to either the main town of Aegina or to Agia Marina on the northern side of the island. Ferries also go to Souvlava in the north of the island, a quaint village often overlooked by island visitors.
If you do visit Agia Marina, be sure to visit the spectacular and well-preserved Temple of Aphaia built in 480BC atop a 200 metre wooded hill overlooking the town and the bay. The Temple of Aphaia resembles the Parthenon but is older. The island has a very colourful history, once posing a political and military challenge to the power of Athens. Excavated pottery, sculptures and other ancient bric-a-brac can be seen in the Archaeological Museum of Aegina. About 6.5 kilometres from the main port of Aegina are the ruins of the abandoned city of Palaiohora, the island's capital from the 9th to the early 19th Centuries. Sensational seafood restaurants can be found in the small coastal village of Perdika, where the harbour mouth is shielded by a rock island renowned for its wild peacocks. This area also boasts great swimming, fishing and snorkelling spots. From Perdika, small boats ferry visitors to the picturesque islets of Angistri and Moni. Note that because it is so convenient for residents of Athens, the island of Aegina can be crowded on weekends as local Greeks enjoy their time off work. A more casual and peaceful trip can be enjoyed on weekdays. Aegina is a great island for hiking and cycling and there are plenty of bicycle-hire outlets. The island's towns and villages boast beaches, eateries and bars within strolling distance of each other. Olive groves and pistachio trees carpet Aegina and bags of pistachio nuts can be bought all over the island. The crops are laced through a landscape of wooded valleys and low mountains. Aegina is also famous for its ceramics. To book airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, etc. in Greece, visit our Travel Shop. |
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