Aegina Island
Aegina has a surface of 83 square kilometres and a coastline of 57 kilometres. Its main port, Aegina, is 16 miles from Piraeus. It has a beautiful mild climate with lots of valleys and small hills. It is connected frequently with Piraeus by ferryboats, hydrofoils and catamarans. In fact, in common with Salamina, it is a suburb for many Athenians living in Aegina and commuting to work in Athens.
Two other ports on the island are Souvala and Agia Marina. Here you can make connections with the remaining Saronic Gulf islands as well as the coastal Peloponnesian towns of Nafplio, Tolo, Ermioni, Monemvasia and the island of Kithyra.
There are many archaeological sites on Aegina and on entering the port you can see the well-preserved Dorian temple of Afaeas Athina (C5th BC). Another interesting place to visit is Kolona, where the remains of a Dorian Temple of Apollo (C6th BC) are located on a hill. On the slope of the hill is the archaeological museum that houses unique relics of the period. Visit too the medieval town of Paleohora and the monastery of Agios Nectarios, the Patron Saint of the island.
In the town of Aegina, with its picturesque port and its neo-classical buildings, you can see the building occupied by the first government of the newborn Greek State in 1828 and also the house of Ionnais Karpodistrias, the first Governor of Greece.
Aegina is a paradise for nature lovers, hikers and ecologists. There are many forests and traditional mountain villages. For those of you who love to swim, there are the beautiful beaches of Agia Marina, Marathonas, Souvvala, Perdika, Paros and many more
