Aegina is a beautiful island, which is located only 1,5-hour by boat from Athens. If you rent a car in Athens and you want to visit a Greek island, swim in crystal waters and explore hidden beaches, then you can go by boat with your car from Piraeus Port to Aegina and discover the island in a day trip or a weekend. Read further and learn everything you need to know.
The star of the island is the port and main city, which is a pretty seaside town with neoclassical houses, traditional taverns by the sea and vivid nightlife. The best time to enjoy Aegina Town is on evenings, when the sunset colours the harbour with pink and orange hues.
However, don't spend the whole day in Aegina Town. You can go by car to several other worthwhile places:
- Agia Marina: Agia Marina is a touristic resort, where you can spend an ideal day with your family in the long sandy beach with the shallow waters, and then eat in the nice fishing village. In addition to the main beach, there are also many beach bars in the small coves around the village.
- Ancient Temple of Aphaea: The ancient temple of Aphaea is built in an amazing location on the top of a hill, inside a forest of pine trees, having a breathtaking view of the Aegean Sea. This well-preserved Doric temple was built in the 6th century B.C. over the remains of an earlier temple. Aegina played an important role as a city-state during the ancient times, and thus this temple is one of the most glorious testaments of this flourishing past. The temple is located in a close distance to Agia Marina.
- Perdika: The traditional fishing village of Perdika, on the southern side of Aegina has high-quality taverns by the sea with fresh fish. From there, you can make a day excursion to the green islet of Moni just across Perdika and swim in turquoise waters in a scenery away from the mass tourism, surrounded by deer. Near Perdika, you can swim to three stunning beaches, which are totally undiscovered, Klima, Sarpas and Kleidi.
- Monastery of Saint Nektarios: The monastery, where Saint Nektarios lived and died in the 20th century, is the place, which makes Aegina one of the most important religious destinations not only in Greece but also in whole Orthodox Europe. Saint Nektarios is the patron saint of Aegina, and he was sanctified only 50 years ago, being one of the few Greek saints of the modern times with numerous miracles.
- Paliachora: Near the monastery of Saint Nektarios, there is a wide area on the mountain, which is called Paliachora and has many tiny, stone-built Byzantine churches from the 12th century. We recommend you hiking on the mountain to explore the hidden churches everywhere.
- Kolona: Near Aegina Town, there are the ruins of the Neolithic settlement of the island (2,500-2,000 B.C.) as well as of the ancient temple of Apollo (6th century B.C.). The archaeological site is very interesting, but worth visiting is also the small beach full of pine trees under the hill with the column of the temple imposing the landscape.
