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Aegina

The island of Aegina, is only a half hour hydrofoil ride from Pireaus. One would also find the Temple to Aphaia, which is a short 20 minute bus trip to the site. It is a site on top of a hill with views of the sea on either side of this small island. It is a wonderfully preserved Greek temple, and also the second set of columns that are inside the cella of the temple are well preserved. It is surly the best preserved Doric temple in Greece. Much better than the Parthenon, in many people's opinion. The island is very pastoral if compared to Athens.

At a distance of about 18 miles from the coast of Attica, Aegina is usually a favorite first or last stop of all cruises. An island famous for its pottery and covered with pistachio trees, and is where you get the freshest and tastiest pistachios.

Aegina has many ruins from ancient times, foremost of which is the famous temple of Aphea, which was built by Athena, in the 5th century BC situated on a hill overlooking the bay of Aghia Marina. One of the most famous monasteries, Aghios Nektarios, where in the sanctuary of a cave the most recent of Greek Orthodox saints rests, can be visited easily as it lies only a short distance from the port of Aegina. Many small fishing villages scattered around the island, like Perdika and Souvala, offer beautiful feasts of fresh fish at picturesque tavernas.

Aghia Marina, the bay lying below the temple of Aphea Athena with its pine trees sweeping down to the beautiful, long, sandy beach offers everything from sea sports to exciting night life.

Today Aegina, with 6,333 inhabitants, is the main port on the island that dominates the Saronic Gulf. It is only an hour's ride from Piraeus (about 20 km away), or a half hour by Flying Dolphin. On the way to the island, one can see the dolphins alongside the ship, which is considered a sign of good luck. Approaching Aegina, one can see Mt. Oros, that looms above the island. A sprawling population has dotted the northern coastline with homes which stand out as you near land. The lone remaining column from the archaic Temple of Apollo is the next distinguishing landmark you will see as you round the northwestern tip of the island. The town in itself, is not very large and has many old buildings along the harbor, where one can see fresh fruit and seafood brought in daily and sold right off the boats. Aegina is famous around the world for its pistachio nuts, but it is also well known for sponges and pottery. All the island's transportation is centered in Aegina, at the plaza on the north side of town, so one would have to this part of the Aegina many times, if one is moving about the island.

Tip: Just north of Aegina Town, in the village of Livadi, a plaque marks the house where Nikos Kazantzakis wrote the famous Zorba the Greek.

Besides the numerous Neo-Classical mansions of the town, there are a couple of sites that you should not miss if you have made it this far. The first is the Venetian tower Pyrgos Markellou, located near the cathedral - a sight in itself - Agios Nikolaos. On the northern end of town, the archaeological museum has just recently been reopened after some big renovations, though it is still relatively small. The museum's collection includes some Neolithic and Bronze Age pottery as well as some other sculpture (note the sphinx). The museum sits at the entrance of the archaeological site.

On the other side of the hill, east of Agios Nektarios, lies the remains of a Byzantine town known as Palaeochora. Since 1826 the town has been totally abandoned, and ghost-like houses and chapels dot the steep hillside. Before then, it had been the capital of the island since the ninth century AD. The town was destroyed by Barbarossa in 1537 and rebuilt, only to be destroyed again by Venetians in 1654 and rebuilt again. There is even a ruined castle atop the mountain. Today, visitors must contact the local phylax before venturing on to the site.

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