The island of Aegina is one of the most popular tourist destinations as it is the closest island to Athens (only 16.5 nautical miles from the port of Piraeus).
According to the myth, the island took its name from a nymph, daughter of the river god Asopos, whom Zeus fell in love with and took with him to the island! From 11/1/1827 until 3/10/1829 Aegina town was the temporary capital of the newly founded Greek state. It was during that period when Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias had impressive neoclassical mansions built to house his headquarters that today are important tourist attractions.
Even though the island is small, it boasts a great number of sights and natural beauties, highlight of which is the famous Aphea Temple. It forms in fact an equilateral triangle with the Parthenon and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, the so-called “holy triangle” of the antiquity.
Aegina town, the capital of the island, stands out for its well-preserved buildings. On the outskirts you can find charming little villages with distinctive traditional character, such as Kypseli, Agii and Vagia as well as organized tourist resorts, like Agia Marina, Perdika, and Souvala. Aigina is also surrounded by many smaller islands (Moni, Metopi, Diaportia, Lagouses, Kyra, Dorousa, Spalathonisi, Anonyma) that can be reached by boat from the port of Aegina.
You can explore ancient monuments and old monasteries, such as: The Temple of Aphea Athena, The Sanctuary of Apollo Delfinios, Kolona Palaiohora, Ayia Marina, Saint Nektarios Monastery.
From the Port of Piraeus, there is daily connection to Aegina:
- By ship
- By flying dolphin
- By hydrofoil
- Aegina can also be reached by boat from: Agkistri, Hydra, Poros and Spetses.
