Wanderyn
Aegina
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
city · GR

Aegina

Recommended stay: 1 day
Getting around: Aegina is a 40-70 minute ferry ride from Piraeus (Athens' port), with high-speed catamarans and slower conventional ferries running multiple times a day, more in summer. The town itself is flat and walkable, but to reach the Temple of Aphaia (on the far side of the island) or the beaches at Agia Marina and Perdika you'll want a rental car, scooter, or the local bus network, which is thin outside peak season. Aegina is popular as a day trip from Athens, which means the town harbor can feel like a transit hub around midday ferry arrivals.
Hours: The Temple of Aphaia closes around 15:00-17:00 depending on season (check ahead, hours shift often); shops in the town center largely close for a midday break from about 14:00-17:30 and reopen in the evening.

Aegina is the closest sizeable island to Athens, which makes it Greece's default day-trip island rather than a place people usually build a multi-night stay around. The waterfront in Aegina Town is lined with pistachio vendors (the island's signature crop and main export) and fish tavernas, and the town has a handful of neoclassical buildings from its brief stint as the first capital of modern Greece in the early 1830s.

Beyond the town, the Temple of Aphaia is one of the better-preserved Archaic-era temples in Greece, sitting on a pine-covered hill with sea views toward Athens; it's less visited than the Acropolis or Sounio despite being architecturally significant. The fishing village of Perdika on the south coast is quieter and a reasonable lunch stop, with a small boat over to the uninhabited islet of Moni for swimming.

Aegina FAQs

Is Aegina worth an overnight stay or just a day trip?

Most visitors do it as a day trip from Athens since the ferry is under an hour by high-speed boat. An overnight lets you see the Temple of Aphaia without rushing and enjoy the harbor without the midday crowd surge, but it's not essential.

How do I get from the port to the Temple of Aphaia?

There's a local bus a few times a day, but it's infrequent outside summer; a taxi or rental car/scooter is more reliable, especially if you're on a tight day-trip schedule.

Are the pistachios really worth buying?

Yes, Aegina pistachios are genuinely a distinct, well-regarded product in Greece, sold roasted and salted from stalls along the harbor; they're a reasonable souvenir that isn't tourist kitsch.

Can I combine Aegina with other Saronic islands in one day?

Not comfortably. Aegina, Poros, and Hydra are all on similar ferry routes from Piraeus but seeing more than one properly in a single day means very little time on each; pick one unless you're just island-hopping past them.

Is Aegina crowded in summer?

The town gets busy with day-trippers, especially on weekends when Athenians come over, but it's far calmer than Mykonos or Santorini and empties out considerably by early evening once the day-trip ferries leave.

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