AEGINA island Greece lies in the Argo Saronic bay off the Greek mainland. Suburban doesn't describe too many Greek islands but Aegina, nearer to Athens' centre than some of the city's northern suburbs, pretty well fits the bill.
Many of the 12,000 who live on Aegina commute to the capital. It's also a popular weekend retreat and a favoured retirement island for many well-heeled Greeks. Visitors on Greek Islands holidays find it ideal for visiting the historic sites of Athens
Aegina is roughly triangular island, about eight miles by six. To the north and west of the island are fertile coastal plains, noted for crops of pistachios, almonds and figs.
To the east and south are hills rising to the conical Mount Oros(Zeus, Profitis Illias) and a long rocky ridge with fertile valleys on either side. Aegina islanders who don't commute to Athens either work in tourism or grow pistachios, olives and citrus.
Weekenders from the mainland give Aegina a party atmosphere, especially in the capital and it's popular with tour operators thanks to easy transfers and the many sightseeing excursions to the mainland with Athens just a few minutes away.
Aegina is certainly worth a visit, though maybe not a prolonged one. Beaches tend to be poor and rocky, food and drink is expensive and the main resorts swamped by visitors: so many at weekends that Aegina suffers suburban problems of parking and night traffic noise.
Aegina has a small, but flourishing, artistic community with a reputation for producing very fine ceramics. Shops in the island capital are full of it.
Aegina has its attractions, a colourful and exciting main port, well preserved ruins and interesting sights. Aegina is also ideal as an island base for those exploring Athens or mainland Greece.
As one of the closest islands to the Greek capital of Athens, Aegina has a well-developed tourist infrastructure geared mainly to the Greek weekenders who descend on the island in droves. Most visitors head for the busy north coast beach resort of Agia Marina or to one of a clutch of small beaches that are found strung out along the east coast. Other than these few resorts, Aegina beaches are in short supply and the island has more to offer in the way of interesting sights and good walks.
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Although a busy port, the main town of AEGINA TOWN also looks a bit like a movie set. The crescent shaped harbour is backed by neoclassical houses - some painted in bright colours - with tavernas, coffee shops and cafes trailing along the water's edge.
The waterfront indeed is where everything gravitates - unfortunately including most of the traffic. Dozens of bars and clubs emphasize that this is a party island, yet narrow streets and quiet corners ensure Aegina Town hasn't lost all its charm.
Small cafes abound and the island-grown pistachios are sold everywhere, though most notably and not particularly cheaply, at the growers' cooperative by the harbour gates. Boats moored to the Aegina Town quay also sell fresh fruit, nuts and raisins as well as other delights. Apart from the usual tourist boutiques, there are also many shops specialising in local hand-made pottery.
Tables are put out on the promenade at night and tasseled horses pull the tourist traps (so well named) along the main promenade. A rather austere and much photographed chapel, dedicated to St Nicholas, sits alone at the water's edge looking a trifle out of place. The proximity of Aegina Town to Athens has made it a favourite with holiday home developers. Rich Greeks have thrown up many downright ugly retirement homes that give some parts of the town a flat, suburban air.
Nevertheless there is much to see in Aegina Town . The Greek Orthodox cathedral of Agios Demetrios is where the first government of modern Greece was sworn in and the old Government House is now a good library. North of the town at Cape Kolono is a fluted 23-ft high column looking rather lost and decrepit, the last remnant of a temple built in the 5th or 6th century BC to Apollo. Recent excavations in have uncovered a theatre and a stadium, though the jumble of ruins and rubble is rather perplexing. There is a small, sandy beach here called Avra or Kolono beach with sunbeds and tavernas.
The Aegina Town Archaeological Museum, the first museum of its kind in Greece, houses some significant island finds, although the best was shipped to Athens many years ago. There are three open-air cinemas in Aegina Town during the summer with shows at 9pm and 11pm.
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MARATHONAS is what passes for a traditional Greek fishing village in these modern tourist days and it can be found about 4km south of Aegina Town, almost half-way to the resort at Perdika.
Marathonas is a pretty village of just 250 or so permanent inhabitants and it has a relaxed atmosphere with houses climbing up on the steep hillside behind the resort. A hillside walk brings rewards of spectacular views out to sea. The hills behind Marathonas also offer opportunities for extensive hill walking and even mountain climbing.
There are two beaches near Marathonas; one is pleasantly sandy and the other not so good. There are plenty of tavernas along this part of the coast, all hoping to catch some of the passing trade out of the main town. Near Marathonas is the imposing monastery of Panagia Chrysoliodis, which dates from the 16th century.
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The coast road south from Aegina Town to Perdika is dotted with tavernas opposite sandy coves and backed by pistachio groves and eucalyptus trees, notably at AEGINITISSA and PROFITIS ILIAS until you reach the resort of FAROS.
The Faros resort is most noted for some beautiful neoclassical buildings and also popular for a less than classical giant water park - basically a big pool, a couple of decent water chutes and scores of sunbeds.
If you take the road to Perdika, pass the petrol station and turn left after a large pink building you will find a dirt road that leads down to SARPA beach. Once a rather scruffy outpost, the beach at Faros has been cleaned and upgraded and there are now plenty of umbrellas, a volleyball area and a small cantina.
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The pleasant fishing village of PERDIKA has lately been invaded by hotels, though it manages to cling on to some original Greek charm with its picturesque flower-bedecked side-streets and pleasant fish tavernas. Perdika's big problem is the surrounding countryside which, unlike the rest of the island, is a boring and barren moonscape.
Perdika resort itself is perched on a promontory with a large marina where luxury yachts join the small fishing boats. Shady tavernas sit above and behind on the high walls that line the utilitarian strip of battleship grey concrete that tries to pass for a promenade. Excursion boats leave regularly for the islet of Moni that lies just offshore and there are trips to Angistri island, which lies about about 4km to the west.
Just before Perdika, heading south, is a small beach called KLIMA or KLIDI. There is music and dancing on the beach with DJs from Athens. Klima is a popular bay for yachts. Turn left at first crossroads before you reach Perdika, turn right after 500m and follow the sign to Klima, with a left turn just before the beach.
Cantina
The tiny sea port of PORTES lies on the east coast of Aegina and is reached overland from Aegina Town or along the coast road south from Agia Marina. Portes perches rather dramatically over the sea and has a long stony beach of little interest.
A little way inland from Portes is the Ekpaz Wildlife Sanctuary which has handled around 5,000 animals and birds since it was opened. Entry is free and you get guided tours between 10am to 7pm. The sanctuary also has a small souvenir shop where you can make a donation to aid the excellent work going on there.
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AGIA MARINA is the busiest place on the island, utterly devoid of charm and must rank as one of the ugliest resorts in Greece. Busy, noisy and tacky with apartment blocks along the coast, Agia Marina about as attractive as an egg crate.
A pity, as the long, wide sandy beach is the island's biggest and, gently shelving, is ideal for children with every sort of tourist facility - including a bewildering array of watersports - readily available. One of the biggest problems at Agia Marina in the high summer is finding a spare sun bed.
Trees at the back of Agia Marina beach offer good shade and steep wooded slopes lead up to the temple of Aphiaia that perches on the sheltering hills above. On the other side of the harbour there are cliffs and shallow waters and the rocky coast to the north leads to several quiet, sheltered coves.
Resort life centres around the busy Agia Marina beach and the streets leading to it. Tavernas, bars,shops and cafes are plentiful and weekending Athenians often pack the marina out with their boats. Agia Marina is also the main dropping off point for those visiting the archaeological attraction at the nearby temple of Aphiaia.
To escape the tourist tat some head for the nearby village of Alones where there are some excellent tavernas, while others head north along the coast for the quieter coves. to be found there
A short walk south out of Agia Marina brings you to the picturesque inland village of ALONES nestling in a deep green valley, where there are a number of tavernas - the most notable being Kostas and Takis - that are a favourite for tourist Greek night out specials.
Horse-buggies wait to take the more soft-headed romantic diners back to from Alones to Agia Marina afterwards. Who could resist?
Also near Agia Marina is the mountain village of MESAGROS, much boosted by its proximity to the Temple of Aphea. Mesagros is well known for its flowers, many unique to the area, and for its ceramics. Also of interest is the house of Rodakis, a fine example of 1880s architecture in very good condition. At the end of May is the Mesagros village festival centred around the church of Agios Konstantinos.
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VAYIA or VAGIA is a small port around 4km east of Souvala. Vayia has a small sand and shingle beach and a couple of old-style tavernas. Eastwards along a coastal path are isolated coves.
In the centre of the Vayia resort are another two tavernas and a cafe. It's fortunate in having missed out on the tourist explosion of the main resorts and has a relaxed air of a bygone age.
Nearby is the village of Agius, smothered in pines and noted for its water jug pottery and the church of the Apostle Crispus.
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Up to the 1960s SOUVALA was a busier trading harbour than Aegina but the explosion in tourism left it trailing behind. Its workaday past is betrayed by some drab industrial buildings and a general utilitarian air but Souvala still has some charm and a small if unremarkable beach of coarse sand and shingle.
Today Souvala is mainly a holiday village for Greeks and crammed with flats and small houses, many of them second homes for rich Athenians - this being the nearest port to the mainland.
There's a good range of tavernas around Souvala harbour where the bright lights of Piraeus can be seen on a clear night. Souvala is also well known for its health spa which attracts sufferers of rheumatism and those with various skin disorders.
BusesTavernasIn the midst of the pistachio and olive groves in the north-west of the island is the attractive village of KIPSELI with its fine central platia and its traditional two-storey homes.
The name Kipseli means 'beehive' and local tales have it that the village was renamed after protests from local girls at the former village name of Halameni which meant 'ruined'.
Kipseli is at the heart of the most prosperous area of the island with extensive orchards and farms stretching over the green plain. Kipseli village is noted for its huge number of chapels, another reflection of the area's great wealth in times gone by.
Aegina is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece and lies in the Saronic Gulf about 27 km) south of the Greek capital of Athens.
Aegina is roughly triangular in shape, about 15 km east to west and 10 km north to south, with an area of about 87 sq km. Most of the island consists of an extinct volcano.
The north and west areas consist of stony but very fertile plains, which are well cultivated and produce crops of grain, vines, almonds, olives and figs and the island's most notable crop - pistachio.
The south part of the island is volcanic with a rugged and mountainous terrain, largely barren, and with a high point at Mount Oros (531 m). A ridge extends northwards with narrow fertile valleys on either side.
The temple of APHAIA,(APHAIIA or APHEAE) stands on a pine covered hill around 4km from the bay at Aghia Marina. The 5th century BC Doric temple is well preserved with some 24 limestone columns still standing, making it the main visitor attraction on the island.
It was dedicated to Aphaia - a hunting nymph daughter of Zeus and very much a local divinity - and first excavated in 1811 and again in 1901 when it was stripped of its most important artifacts which now grace the rooms of German museums. Some of the less important finds can be found in the museum in Aegina.
Archaeological work was resumed in 1966 and has continued on and off for 20 odd years. The temple is approached by a ramp from the east near former sacrificial altars. South of the temple are traces of an entrance gate and the priest's lodgings.
A regular bus service goes past the temple from both Aegina Town and Aghia Marina. You have to pay to go in. It's been repeatedly struck by lightning so now there's a thundering great metal rod at one end. The views from here are staggering, at least where pine trees don't stand in the way.
The remarkable AGIA NEKTARIOU or NEKTARIOS is a place of pilgrimage for the sick and disabled, not unlike Lourdes but without the lamentable tourist circus.
A former dean of the School of Theology in Athens, St Nectarios was renowned for his healing powers and was the first saint to be canonised by the Orthodox Church in modern times. He is buried here and is the patron saint of those with cancer, heart trouble, arthritis, epilepsy - even the unemployed.
St. Nectarios lived from 1846 until 1920. The church - said to be the largest in Greece - is south of Souvala on the main road from Aegina Town to Aghia Marina and there are plenty of buses.
There is a mass pilgrimage each November which Patricia Storace describes in her book Dinner with Persephone. There is a good taverna opposite when you get tired of trudging around.
The uninhabited islet of MONI sits opposite Perdika and there are regular 15-minute ferry trips across from the marina. Someone once tried to build a hotel there and the remains are still evident.
Moni was once owned by the Monastery of Chrysoleontissa - hence the name - but is now apparently the property of the Touring Club of Greece which levies a small charge for visitors and runs a campsite on the northern slopes.
Thickly wooded on its western side, Moni has become something of a nature reserve with deer, rabbits, wild goats - and peacocks that squabble for scraps from day trippers.
There is a path to the summit and the reward is the view of a German bunker left over from the war. The Moni islet has a small sand and stone beach with shallow waters but the rocky shoreline is probably more suitable for those who enjoy snorkeling.
South of Aghia Nektarios a track leads to ruins at PALIOHORA or PALEOCHORA and several other variations, once the capital of the island under the Venetians and the Turks when the coast was plagued by pirates.
The former town is set in the side of a steep hill, crowned with the ruins of a Venetian castle. In the 18th century there were around 400 homes here and 20 or so churches.
The town was abandoned in 1826 and most of the houses demolished but a cathedral and some chapels have been restored and many contain excellent frescoes and impressive iconostases though you need permission to view.
Get there early and there is usually someone around to unlock doors and point out the most interesting sights - remember to offer a good tip for the trouble.
On a hill near Perdika is a remarkable Camera Obscura House, with twelve openings in the circular wall. Light enters the covered Ww2 gun emplacement through the wall slits and creates a 360°12-part panoramic image of the outside world, upside down and reversed on a semi-transparent screen.
The former monastery of the Virgin Chryssoleontissa, on the road to Marathonas ,is now a convent and access is restricted. It dates from 1600 and has a splendid carved iconostasis. It stands high in the central hills - a one-hour walk south from Agios Nektarios. There is a marked road but you still have to walk the last 300 metres or so.
Mount Oros is Aegina's highest mountain, an extinct volcano, 532 metres high. A tiny chapel crowns the summit and on it's lower slopes is the ancient church of Taxiarchis. Climbers will enjoy great views of the surrounding countryside and villages such as Kpotides, Lazarides, Pahia Rahi and Vlahides. A road of stone steps leads from the road in the Pergaene region to an ancient site where it is said that Aeacus originally established the worship of Zeus.
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The Greek island of Aegina has no airport on the island itself but the Greece capital city of Athens is located just across the bay from Aegina.
Most Greek island holiday visitors fly into Athens International Airport (ATH) and catch a bus to the port of Piraeus where there are ferries daily to the Aegina and other islands in the Saronic Gulf.
Athens International Airport is about 27km east of Athens, and was opened in 2001 at a total cost of around €2.1 billion. Officially called Elefterios Venizelos Airport it handles about 11 million passenger a year.
There are all the facilities to be expected at a large airport including more than 50 shops and 14 restaurants. It has a particularly good Archaeological and Antiquities Museum. There is short and long-term parking for 4,800 cars
The E96 shuttle bus service leaves Athens airport regularly for the port at Piraeus. It is a 24hr service and you can find the bus stop outside the airport Arrivals Hall.
The small ticket office is located next to the bus stop and you must buy a ticket before boarding.
The E96 shuttle bus leaves every 15-20 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes throughout the night. It stops several times on the way so it's not an ultra-fast service but it is speedy nonetheless.
Piraeus is the final stop and the journey takes between 45 and 60 minutes depending on the traffic. Morning and evening rish hours are obviously the slowest times to be travelling
The taxi rank can be found next to Door 3 just outside the Arrivals Hall and there are always plenty of taxis.
The price for a taxi to Piraeus is 25 - 30 euros - it costs more at night and you pay extra for luggage. The journey times will depend on traffic and can be anything from 30 to 50 minutes.
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Aegina lies in the middle of the Saronic Gulf near the main Athens port of Piraeus. Foreign visitors mainly fly to Athens International airport and catch the shuttle bus E96 to Piraeus.
A bus leaves every 15 minutess in the day and every 30 minutes at night. The journey takes from 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic.
Taxis are also available outside Door 3 at the airport arrivals gate. It's quicker at 30 to 45 minutes but obviously a lot more expensive.
Ferries depart from Piraeus regularly during the summer, not so often in the winter. Hydrofoils (Flying Dolphins) are also plentiful(around 16-a-day) and take around 40 minutes, ferries about twice that time.
The main ferry companies are Hellenic (9 ferries daily from 7.30am; Nova 8am and 2pm; Agios Nektarios 10am, 2pm, 4pm; Flying Dolphin 6.10am then every hour on the hour to 6pm.
There are links to the three main ports on Aegina - Souvala, Aghia Marina and Aegina Town. There are regular ferries or hydrofoils from Aegina port to the islands of Angistri, Hydra, Poros and Spetses and links to the Peloponnese (Epidaurus, Hermioni, Porto Cheli, Tolo, Isthmia, Nafplion) and Attica. Some of the connections are seasonal.
The Greek islands of Spetses, Hydra, Poros, and Methana on the mainland have year-round ferry links but Piraeus can be a better bet for other islands out of season.
The port police go to the trouble of posting a comprehensive list of daily sailing outside their office on the harbour and, not unreasonably, get a little tetchy with tourists who ask for further confirmation of ferry departures and arrivals.
Aegina has a good road network in the north of the island, less so in the south which is more mountainous and with few resorts. Good roads run along the north and east coasts and around the resort of Agia Marina in the east.
Visitors arriving at the main harbour of Aegina town,will find several car and bike rental offices directly opposite the port. There are also several car rental agencies based in Agia Marina. Car rental prices will with the time of year with July and August usually the most busiest and prices at their highest for the season.
Aegina island has a good bus services run by the Aegina Bus Company. The main terminus is found in Aegina Town in the square near the harbour. You can buy tickets from the kiosk there. Services run north south and east. Services to the north are Aegina Town - Kipseli - Vathi - Souvala - Nagia; to the south: Aegina Town - Marathonas - Perdika; and bus services east are Aegina Town - Agios Nektarios - Agia Marina. Aegina bus timetables are available here.
Taxis are plentiful on Aegina thanks to the weekend trade in visiting Athenians. Most taxis gather at the harbour in Aegina Town to meet the ferries as they come in. You can also dial for a taxi - Aegina - 022635; Agia Marina - 032107; Kipseli - 0328873; Megasos - 071313; Souvala - 343606
Aegina is a very good island for walkers with a number of good trails right across the island. The best walks and treks also take in some of Aegina's most interesting sights - notably the trail from Agia Marina to Souvala via Paleahora and a circular walks from Agia Marina to Aphaia, Mesagros, Agios Ioannis and back to Agia Marina. Both these walks and many others are detailed in 'A Walking Guide to Aegina' by Gerald Thompson available at several bookshops on the island. There is also a good Road Editions map for those who want to go walking or trekking further afield.
Aegina has a plentiful supply of good holiday accommodation, mostly catering for Athenians who arrive every weekend and for the package holiday visitors who usually head for the busy east coast resort of Agia Marina.
You should book ahead if you plan a weekend visit during high season when most hotels are booked solid with Athenians escaping the heat and smog of the capital. Room owners always gather at the quayside to snare ferry passengers as they disembark and you take pot luck over standards.
Many hotels are closed from November to March, especially in Agia Marina where accommodation is aimed squarely at the package holiday market . Some hotels in Aegina Town offer big discounts for mid-week visitors and for guests who plan to stay longer than a week so it is always worth haggling.
Budget travellers will find no camp sites or youth hostels on Aegina but there is a good choice of cheap and cheerful rooms to rent in Aegina Town and at the picturesque fishing village of Perdika to the south-west.
Agia Marina is awash with modern hotels and apartment complexes aimed at package tour guest and many have very good sports and leisure facilities.
In the sheltered Argo Saronic gulf Aegina enjoys the same climate as Athens but without the smog. Winters are relatively dry and summers cloudless from June to August. May and September have a higher chance of rain.
Spring and autumn are considered the best times of year to visit Aegina. The weather is sunny and warm with little chance of rain and a temperature between 21-25 °C. During the dry summer months (June to August) the average temperature rises to 25-31°C.
The prevailing winds blow from north to north-east with a strength usually about force 3-4 and perhaps stronger in July and August although the strong 'meltemi' winds do not usually affect the Saronic Gulf and the Peloponese east coast.
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | Averages |
| 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 8 | Min °C |
| 12 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 22 | 17 | 14 | Max °C |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 24 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 70°+ days |
| 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 | 5.7 | 7.7 | 6.9 | Rain (cm) |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | Stormy days |
