AGISTRI, also called ANGISTRI, is a small, pine covered island close to Aegina in the Argo Saronic Gulf that lies south from the Greek capital city of Athens. It has an area of about 13sq km, making it the smallest of the Saronic islands.
Agistri is also very hilly for its small size but about half of it is farmland, with citrus and olive orchards, and the other half pine forest.
Agistri is easily reached from the Athens port of Piraeus, lying just 22 nautical miles offshore and about four nautical miles to the south west of the island of Aegina.
Agistri is a quiet backwater of an island, free of cars and nothing in the way of nightlife outside the few hotels.
The island name Agistri literally translates as 'fishing hook', a reference to its shape with a highly indented coastline and many small coves.
Many consider Agistri a little island paradise, with its charming tavernas and small stone-built houses dotted around the rocky shoreline and inland hamlets. The villages and hamlets are not considered particularly pretty, being plainly built and with little architectural interest.
Agistri has three main resorts. Two of them are ports, at Skala and the island capital of Milos. The other resort at Limenaria overlooks the sea but has no harbour as such. Skala is the more recently developed of the island's resorts and this is where most of Agistri's visitors choose to stay.
Agistri is popular with weekending Athenians. The island is easily reached by boat and is much quieter than its neighbour Aegina. Apart from walking and lazing on its few beaches there is little to do here.
Buses
Boat hire
Cash point
Ferry port
Skala church and beach
SKALA is the island's main tourist centre despite it not actually being the capital. As Skala is the main port og Agistri, it is where most visitors choose to stay and it is where you will find the majority of hotels and apartments.
Skala is quite a bustling little place for such a small island and besides the small hotels and apartments there are several restaurants and bars both around the beach, which lies to the north of the harbour, and in the village itself.
The impressive blue dome of Agia Anargiri church stands out among the resort's rather plain buildings. The church overlooks the beach and has some very fine icons.
The beach at Skala has fine, gently shelving sand, with some pebbles, and it also has shallow waters, so this is a good beach for families with young children. It's the only natural sand beach on the island though, so it can get crowded in the high season.
This is particularly true when the day visitor boats arrive from Aegina and from Athens. There are sun loungers on the beach and other tourist facilities such pedaloes and a variety of water sports.
Skala beach is quite narrow, just a couple of rows of sunbeds at the deepest part, but it is quite long. It is backed by low trees and scrub and with the blue-domed church overlooking the sands.
Skala beach gets much more quiet if you head west where sands run out to a headland, although the beach can be said to stretch all the way to Mylos.
In Skala village itself are a handful of shops and a very good selection of tavernas. Several bars and cafes and a couple of nightclubs add to the mix. Accommodation tends to be up-market, for Greece anyway.
Halikiada beach
South from the harbour at Skala is a small scenic path that leads past some modern tourist developments at SKILIRI, beyond the Agistri Club Hotel and a couple more restaurants, to the beach at HALKIADA.
It takes about 20mins to walk there and Halikiada beach is noted for being the first naturist beach in Greece, despite strong objections from the church.
It used to be a steep and relatively difficult scramble down to the beach, though a new path has been created, or you can walk around a rather precipitous headland for an easier drop to Halikiada beach.
Halikiada is Agistri's biggest bay and, thanks to the strong Saronic current, its waters are turquoise clear and clean. The beach is mostly pebble and rock but the clear makes up for any lack of sand.
There are no facilities but camping, though technically illegal, is still fairly common. It also has a cave that is sometimes lived in during the summer months.
Swimmers at Halikiada should beware of sea urchins on the rocks at either end of the beach, though footwear is a must anyway on the stone beach.
Buses
Milos
The only road out of Skala takes you north along the coast to the island capital and second port at MILOS or MYLOS, also called MEGALOCHORI.
The road is lined with restaurants, rooms to let, small isolated shingle and rock beaches and the occasional long, flat stretch of stone.
Inland is the hill of METOCHI with a small chapel on top, some splendid views over the island, and a cooling breeze. A walk to Milos from Skala takes about 30mins.
Milos is a quiet village of stone-built houses sitting on a steep hill above the small harbour and a tiny, man made beach. There is a small selection of basic tavernas and a few shops and traditional kafenion.
West of Milos village are paths into the pine covered hillside with a sign off the paved road pointing south to DRAGONERA beach. It is a north facing beach and a favourite spot for campers.
There is a small beach taverna that opens in the summer.
Buses
Limenaria
Apiossos beach and causeway
The paved road runs south from Milos across the island to LIMENARIA, founded in the 17th century and noted for the golden dome that adorns the church of Agia Kriaki.
Limenaria is a small village surrounded by olive groves. Not many tourists stay here for long and the village is about as traditional Greek as you can get so near to Athens. There is a shop that doubles as a taverna selling local craft work and an ancient olive mill in the central square.
There is no beach in Limenaria as such but a sign which says 'to the beach' takes you to a concrete platform built out over a sheer drop to the sea, suitable for sunbathing.
It is very inviting to dive off the platform as the water is deep here. But strong sea currents make diving and swimming safe only for strong and experienced swimmers. It is also much easier to get in than out.
It is a steep climb back up and climbers can expect plenty of cuts and scratches from the sharp rocks.
East out of Limenaria village and about 1km away, just past the tiny chapel of Agios Nikolas, is a substantial salt lake from which Limenaria gets its name.
It is often just a dry salt pan in the summer, shimmering in the heat. But between autumn and spring it is a blue salt water lagoon, fed from the sea, and suitable for paddling and swimming. There is a small taverna nearby.
A couple of rocky beaches can be found to the north of the lake in nearby remote and secluded coves at MARGHISA (or MAGHISA) and BIARAMA.
Most visitors though head south of the salt lake to for the small but attractive shingle beach at APIOSSOS (or APONISSOS) with the tiny picturesque islet of just offshore and reached by a narrow rocky causeway.
There is a small taverna here in the summer that serves fresh fish. Beyond Apiossos is the larger, uninhabited islet of DOROUSSA.
Agistri is the smallest island of the Argosaronic with an area of 14km2. It is about 20 nautical miles from the Piraeus and just 3.5 nautical miles from Aegina. The highest point is Kontari at 245m. The population of Angistri is about 1,000, mostly living in Milos. The coastline has many small coves and inland there are dense pine woods. the main industries are farming, fishing and tourism.
Cheap flights from all major European airports.
Details in most European languages and currencies.
There is no airport on Angistri. The nearest airport is Athens International. Most visitors catch a bus or taxi from Athens International Airport (ATH) to the port at Piraeus and then take a ferry to Angistri.
The E96 shuttle bus goes to the port at Piraeus. There is a 24hr service. You can find it outside the Arrivals hall. The small ticket office is next to the bus stop.
The E96 leaves every 15-20min during the day, every 30min at night. It stops several times on the way. Piraeus is the final stop and the journey takes 45-60min depending on traffic.
The taxi rank is next to Door 3, outside the arrivals hall. The price for Piraeus is 25 - 30euros, more at night and journey time depends on traffic but can be anything from 30-50min.
There are regular ferries and cats from Piraeus on the mainland, most via Aegina but some making direct crossings. The proximity to Athens makes Angistri a favourite weekend retreat or day out for Athenians. The nearest airport is Athens International and the E96 airport bus goes to the port of Piraeus every 15 mins. From Piraeus there are boats to Aegina and then a short ferry crossing to Angistri. A few ferries go from Piraeus directly. There is a catamaran owned by the island that goes to Angistri with a short stop in Aegina.
There are day cruises from Skala to the neighbouring islands of Aegina, Poros and Hydra throughout the summer. There is a 24 hour water taxi service between Angistri and Aegina as well as a regular ferry service during the day and evening. There are also boats to hire in Skala and Molos to visit many of the more remote coves. you can also catch regular ferries and water taxis from Angistri to the Peloponnese mainland. In high season, a ferry service goes to Ancient Epidavros each evening for the summer arts festival held at the ancient amphitheatre.
Well actually there is only one and that is little used as there are no cars on the island. There is a single small bus that takes the island's only road linking the three resorts of Skala, Milos and Limenaria. There is no discernable timetable for the bus and services are erratic. There are about four buses daily in the high summer. As you can walk from one end of the island to the other in about two hours there is little chance of getting stranded anywhere.
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | |
| 12 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 24 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 25 | 22 | 17 | 13 | Avg day °C |
| 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 7 | Avg night °C |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 4 | Sun (hrs) |
| 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | UV Index |
| 55 | 49 | 46 | 29 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 53 | 61 | 75 | Rain (mm) |
| 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | Rainy days |
UV: >3 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 5-8 High; <8 Very high | Rainy days 1mm+ | 1 inch=25.4 mm
In the sheltered Argo Saronic gulf Aegina enjoys the same climate as Athens but without the latter's smog. Winters are relatively dry and summers virtually cloudless from June to August with only the occasional shower. May and September have a higher chance of rain.
The beautiful Greek Islands are renowned for their spectacular scenery, magnificent mountainous backdrops, stunning sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Holidays to the Greek Islands are often most cherished for this combination of sunshine, warm waters and beaches set against truly wonderful scenery. Whether it is a traditional beach holiday you would like or something with a little more history, you'll find that a break away to the Greek Islands is just the answer!
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