Aegina
3.3/5The pistachio island — an ancient temple, a traditional town, and Athens's closest escape
A full day from Athens — the harbour town, the Temple of Aphaea, lunch in Perdika and a swim on the islet of Moni.
Why 3.3: very easy access and real history and character — but the beaches are ordinary.
Aegina is forty minutes from Piraeus, and the Temple of Aphaea alone justifies the trip. The 5th-century temple is one of the best-preserved in Greece and forms a 'sacred triangle' with the Parthenon and Poseidon at Sounio. The town below was briefly the first capital of modern Greece, in 1828-29; a single standing column at Kolona marks the temple of Apollo on the hill above the harbour, with an excellent museum beside it. The rest is a working town — painted fishing boats along the quay, a central market, an ouzeri inside the fish market — and the pistachios, PDO-protected and sold roasted, raw, as paste, as ice cream. Access scores 5.0 and the itinerary here is one day, which is the honest length: this is an Athens day trip, or a calm night or two, not a beach holiday. Skip it if you want remote, pristine coast — Marathonas is sandy, shallow and ten minutes from the harbour, but the coast is not the point — and skip weekends, when Athenians arrive in numbers. Come on a May or June weekday, or mid-September for the pistachio festival.
Good for
- Day-trippers and short-stay visitors — Aegina is 40 minutes from Piraeus by fast boat
- Anyone who wants a well-preserved ancient temple without leaving the Athens area
- Travellers who like a real town with markets, history and the famous PDO pistachios
Maybe skip if
- If you want pristine, remote beaches — Aegina's coast is pleasant but not its highlight
- If you're after deep quiet at weekends, when Athenians arrive in numbers
Getting there
No airport. Closest "real" island to Athens — frequent ferries from Piraeus throughout the day. Fast catamaran ~40 min, conventional ~1.5h.
Tip: Easy day trip from Athens — but staying overnight gets you the calmer evening atmosphere.
Best time to visit Aegina
Aegina is the closest Saronic to Athens — 40-minute Flying Dolphin. Pistachios are the export, the Temple of Aphaia is the unmissable site, and the ferries run year-round. Best May-October; weekdays are calm, weekends are Athens-on-the-water from May through October. The pistachio festival in mid-September is wonderful.
Top beaches of Aegina
Moni Beach
The best swim of the day: a pine-fringed cove on the uninhabited islet of Moni, opposite Perdika, with the clearest water around Aegina and peacocks and deer wandering down to the shore. No road, no cars — you arrive by the small boat.
- Type
- Pebbles and sand
- Length
- 150 m
- Depth
- Deepens gradually — very clear water
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the north to east at over 5 Bft. Northeast-facing cove — sheltered from the meltemi
- Facilities
- A canteen and some shade under the pines; nothing else. Boats from Perdika (about 10 minutes) or from Aegina Town.
Marathonas Beach
The easy sandy swim on the west coast, on the road between town and Perdika — shallow, calm and organised, with tavernas on the sand. The place for a last swim before the ferry.
- Type
- Fine sand
- Length
- 500 m
- Depth
- Shallow — family-friendly
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the south to west at over 5 Bft. Southwest-facing — sheltered from the meltemi (the summer N/NE wind); calm in summer, exposed only to rare S/SW winds
- Facilities
- Good: sunbeds, tavernas, easy access by bus or car from town.
Agia Marina Beach
The resort beach on the east coast, below the Temple of Aphaea — long, sandy and fully organised, but built-up and busy. Handy for a swim after the temple rather than a reason to come.
- Type
- Fine sand
- Length
- 600 m
- Depth
- Shallow — gentle slope
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the northeast to southeast at over 5 Bft. East-facing — mostly sheltered from the meltemi (the summer N/NE wind); can be choppy on the strongest NE days
- Facilities
- Fully organised: sunbeds, beach bars, water sports, tavernas. Near the Temple of Aphaea.
Sarpa Beach
A small, quiet pebble cove just east of Perdika — clear water and no sunbeds. A good quieter alternative when Marathonas is full.
- Type
- Pebbles and rocks
- Length
- 80 m
- Depth
- Deep quickly — better for swimmers
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the southeast to southwest at over 4 Bft. South-facing — sheltered from the meltemi (the summer N/NE wind); calm in summer, exposed only to rare southern winds
- Facilities
- None. Bring water and shade.
1-day itinerary for Aegina
Read the day-by-day plan on its own page →
Day 1: Aegina Town, Aphaea, Perdika & Moni
- 09:30 · Aegina Town
Arrive by ferry from Piraeus (40 min hydrofoil). The harbour is lined with painted fishing boats and pistachio sellers. The Tower of Markellos in the old town is worth a walk.
- 10:15 · Temple of Apollo (Kolona)
A single standing column marks the temple of Apollo on a low hill overlooking the harbour. Small but atmospheric site with an excellent museum.
- 11:30 · Temple of Aphaea
One of the three temples forming the 'sacred triangle' with the Parthenon and Poseidon at Sounio. 5th century BC, outstandingly preserved, on a pine-covered hilltop with sea views on every side. Unmissable.
- 13:30 · Perdika
The fishing village at the island's southwest tip: a short harbour lined with fish tavernas looking straight at Moni. Lunch here, then take the small boat across.
- 🍴 Stop for lunch · Aegina Town & Perdika — see Eat & Drink below
- 15:00 · Moni
Ten minutes by small boat from Perdika (some boats also run from Aegina Town in summer). Swim at the pine-shaded cove — the best water of the day — and look out for the peacocks and deer. Check the time of the last boat back. - 17:45 · Marathonas Beach
On the way back to town: a late swim on the sand, or a drink at the beach tavernas as the sun drops.
- 19:30 · Aegina — Departure
Ferry back to Piraeus — frequent departures until late evening.
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