Aégina

In spite of its proximity to Athens—connections between Aégina (‘EGG-ee-na’) and Piraeus are so frequent that some islanders commute to work—Aégina has a distinctly villagey, laid-back atmosphere. It has a small fishing fleet, a handful of beaches and good tavernas; it has the best-preserved ancient temple on any Greek island, and the basilica and tomb of one of the most popular Greek saints – in fact, many people who come here are Orthodox pilgrims.

In recent years the island has been encouraging a closer look at its past and under-visited interior with its nine Paths of Culture, although note most paths require a sturdy pair of shoes— ‘culture’ on Aégina isn’t always a walk in the park!

The island has a decent bus service, with departures close to the port in Aegina Town, which can take you near the routes. At the time of writing, new marinas are going up in anticipation of increased gin palace traffic from the Athens Riviera as the old airport is turning into a high end apartments.

Pistachio Island