Is Aegina Worth Visiting?

Aegina served as the first capital of modern Greece for two years in the 1820s, and the island still carries that brief chapter of history alongside temples older than the Parthenon and pistachio groves that produce some of the country's most prized nuts.

Aegina, the largest island in the Saronic Gulf, sits about 27 kilometers from Athens and reaches back further into Greek history than most islands its size. The Temple of Aphaia, built around 500 BC on a pine-covered hill, stands as one of the best preserved Doric temples in the country, with 20 of its original 32 columns still upright, and it forms one point of a symbolic triangle with the Acropolis in Athens and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounio.

Aegina Town keeps a 19th century character built during its short time as the seat of government under Ioannis Kapodistrias, Greece's first head of state after independence, and the Kapodistrian buildings, including a former orphanage and school, still stand near the harbor. On a hillside above town, Paleohora, the island's medieval capital, holds the remains of 38 stone chapels built when residents retreated inland to avoid pirate raids, and the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, marking an even older acropolis, sit right at the harbor's edge.

Aegina produces pistachios with Protected Designation of Origin status, grown mainly around the village of Kipseli, and the nuts turn up across the island in everything from ice cream to savory pesto. Perdika, a fishing village on the southern tip, keeps a Cycladic feel with waterfront tavernas serving fresh catch, and a short boat ride from there reaches Moni, an uninhabited islet where deer, peacocks, and wild goats roam freely alongside clear water for swimming.

Ferries and hydrofoils run from Piraeus in as little as 40 minutes, among the shortest crossings to any Greek island, making Aegina an easy island to reach without sacrificing real depth once you arrive. It suits families, history lovers, and anyone wanting real island life close to Athens, and staying at least a couple of nights lets the island settle into its own rhythm once the day's visitors head back to the mainland.