# Aegina A day trip from Athens by ferry: the Temple of Aphaia, St Nektarios, Palaiochora, the pistachio and the fish of Perdika. Boats, timetables and where to sleep. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/attica/aegina · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Aegina is the island closest to Athens: an hour and ten minutes by ferry from Piraeus, or less on the fast boats. That makes it the easiest boat excursion from the capital. It has one of the best-preserved Greek temples, that of Aphaia, among pine trees; a large pilgrimage monastery; an abandoned medieval capital with dozens of chapels; pistachios everywhere and a fishing village, Perdika, for eating fish looking out at the sea. ## How do you get there from Athens? By boat from Piraeus. From central Athens you get to the port on metro line 1, the green one; from the airport, on the X96 express bus. Conventional ferry, from Saronic Ferries: 1 h 10, with cars, from €12 for the passenger fare and €29 for the vehicle. It is the steadiest when there is a swell. Hydrofoil, from Aegean Flying Dolphins: faster, passengers only, bumpier if it blows. There are departures every day of the year. In summer and at weekends, buy your ticket online in advance. ## What is there to see in a day? The order that works best: the first boat, the Temple of Aphaia in the morning, on the east of the island, about 12 km from the port; on the way back, the monastery of St Nektarios and the chapels of Palaiochora; lunch at the port or in Perdika, and before the boat back, a walk to Kolona, the column of the Temple of Apollo, and a pistachio sweet on the promenade. If it is summer and you prefer the sea, swap the afternoon for Perdika and the boat to Moni, the pine-covered islet with transparent water. You have the full plan in the day trip to Aegina from Athens. ## How do you get around the island? Without your own car, by taxi, which waits on the quay, or on the local buses that leave next to the port: the Agia Marina one goes past the Temple of Aphaia. Confirm the timetables at the stop. If you are comfortable on a motorbike, hiring one at the port gives you freedom; with children, a taxi is better. If you are going to sleep several nights or want to tour the whole island, the ferry carries cars. ## How much does the day cost? The ferry, from €12 each way. The Temple of Aphaia, €10 (reduced, €5), free for EU citizens under 25 and on the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March. A taxi to Aphaia and a fish lunch push up the bill: allow about €60 to €90 per person for everything. ## Where to sleep? In Aegina town, the Rastoni, a house from 1928 with a pistachio garden 700 m from the port, and the Hotel Danae, over the sea next to Kolona, open all year. In the south, Perdika Mare, 14 rooms 20 metres from the water, five minutes' walk from the harbour of tavernas. ## Where to eat? In Perdika, the fish taverna Antonis, with tables by the harbour. In town, the pastry shop Aiakeion, open since 1958, for the sweets and the pistachio creams. ## Aegina or Hydra? Both can be done in a day from Piraeus. Aegina is closer, cheaper and has the Temple of Aphaia and the life of an ordinary island, with cars and villages. Hydra, one or two hours away by fast boat, has no cars: it is a stone harbour and captains' houses where you get around on foot or by donkey, more elegant and more expensive. If you only have one day, Aegina; if you have one night, Hydra. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Poros (a 27.6 km), Athens (a 37.5 km), Hydra (a 44.0 km), Corinth (a 51.2 km) ## Qué hacer - **Temple of Aphaia, among pines above the gulf** (1 h 30 · All ages · €10 · reduced €5): What it is One of the best-preserved Greek temples: Doric, with a surrounding colonnade, built around 500–490 BC at the top of a pine-covered hill in the east of the island. Of its 32 columns, 24 are still standing. The pediment sculptures were taken in 1811 and are now in the Glyptothek in Munich. With the Parthenon and the temple of Poseidon at Sounion it forms the so-called sacred triangle, three temples that draw a triangle over the Saronic Gulf. Beside the temple there is a small collection. Hours and tickets 1 April to 31 August: 8:00 to 20:00. September and October: closing moves earlier each fortnight, from 19:30 to 18:00. 1 November to 31 March: 10:00 to 17:30. The collection is open 9:00 to 18:00 from April to October and 10:30 to 17:00 in winter, and closes on Tuesdays. Last entry, 20 minutes before. Entry, €10 (reduced €5), includes both. Free on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October and the first and third Sunday from November to March. Closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday and 25 and 26 December. Phone: +30 22970 32398. Getting there It is about 12 km from Aegina harbour: 17 minutes by car, or 6 from Agia Marina, the beach below, from which you walk up in half an hour. Without a car, a taxi from the harbour or the local bus towards Agia Marina, which passes the temple: confirm the timetable at the harbour stop. - **Saint Nektarios Monastery and the churches of Palaiochora** (2 h · All ages; clothing that covers shoulders and knees): What it is About 6 km from the harbour, inland, is the monastery founded by Saint Nektarios, a bishop who died in 1920 and one of the most venerated saints of Orthodox Greece. Beside the convent a huge domed church was built, which receives pilgrims from all over the country, above all on 9 November, his feast day. On the hill opposite is Palaiochora, the island's capital during the Middle Ages, when people lived inland for fear of pirates. The town disappeared, but dozens of whitewashed or stone chapels remain scattered over the slope, some with frescoes. A path climbs among them to the remains of the castle. How to visit Stop first at the monastery and then cross to Palaiochora, a few minutes by car, to climb among the chapels: an hour's walk over dry, stony ground. Bring water and closed shoes. At the monastery, shoulders and knees covered. - **Perdika and the boat to Moni island** (4 h · Families; clear water for swimming): What it is Perdika is the fishing village at the far south of Aegina, about 9 km from the main harbour: a small harbour with boats, a row of fish tavernas on the shore and white houses. Opposite, a few minutes by boat, is Moni, an uninhabited pine-covered islet with a very clear-water cove, to which boats leave from Perdika quay in season. How to organise it Get to Perdika by taxi, car or motorbike from Aegina harbour, take the boat to Moni in the morning, swim, come back to eat fish at the harbour and stay for sunset, which here falls over the sea. Ask at the quay for boat times and the day's price: they change with the season and the weather. - **Kolona, the column of the temple of Apollo by the sea** (1 h · All ages): What it is North of the harbour, on a low hill beside the sea, stood the ancient city of Aegina, Athens's rival in the 5th century BC. Of its temple of Apollo a single column remains standing, which gave the place its name: Kolona. Around it you see the foundations of walls and houses from several periods, and next to it is the island's archaeological museum. How to visit You walk there along the seafront promenade from the harbour, in about 10 minutes. The hours of the site and museum change with the season: check at hh.gr or at the box office. At sunset, the beach below is the best place to see the column silhouetted. And the harbour walk Before or after, stroll round the harbour: the little white chapel of Saint Nicholas at the entrance, the pistachio and fruit stalls and the fish market street behind the quay. - **Tasting Aegina pistachio** (30 min · All ages): The pistachio is Aegina's product: pistachio groves cover a good part of the interior and the nuts are sold everywhere, roasted, salted, as a spreading cream, in sweets and in ice cream. At the harbour there are stalls selling loose. To taste them in sweets, the Aiakeion pastry shop, on the seafront, has worked with them since 1958 and sells pistachio creams, jams and sweets to take away. ## Dónde comer - **Antonis, fish taverna in Perdika** (Restaurant, Perdika, €€€). Qué pedir: the grilled fish of the day, octopus and a salad with island pistachios - **Aiakeion, the pistachio pastry shop** (Bakery, Aegina, €). Qué pedir: a pistachio sweet and a jar of pistachio cream to take away ## Car-free: By boat from Piraeus and on foot or by taxi round the island Aegina is done without a car: metro to Piraeus, a one-hour boat and Aegina town on foot. For the temple of Aphaia and Perdika there are taxis and local buses on the quay, or a hire motorbike if you are confident. Presupuesto orientativo: 60–120 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Rastoni 1928 Heritage Residence** (Small hotel): A house with a garden above the old town Rastoni is a small hotel in a house of 1928, in the upper part of Aegina town, above the island's old centre. It has a pistachio-tree garden and the sea 150 metres away. According to the hotel, the harbour is 700 m away, the centre 500 m, the Saint Nektarios monastery 6 km, Perdika 10 km and the temple of Aphaia 12 km. The rooms They are of very different types: superior doubles and twins with a 27 m² sea view, standard doubles and garden-view ones of about 20 m², a suite with a garden, bungalows (the Jasmine, of 55 m², for four) and maisonettes of 38 to 53 m² for three or four people, with a sea view in the larger ones. Breakfast and wifi. Who it is for For one or two quiet nights in Aegina without a car: you walk from the ferry with your suitcase, and get around the island by taxi or bus. The maisonettes suit children well. - **Perdika Mare Guesthouse** (Small hotel): On the shore of the fishing village Perdika Mare is on the seafront at Perdika, the village at the far south of Aegina, 9 km from the main harbour. There are 14 rooms on two floors, with a sea or garden view, 20 metres from the water: down steps beside the house you reach a small rocky beach. From the shared terrace you see the coast of Marathonas and Aegina harbour, and there are free sunbeds. How it works It is a house with no in-person reception: before you arrive they send you the entry instructions. There is wifi in the common areas and the rooms, and daily cleaning. Parking is free on the street, beside the school, on the main street. Pets are not allowed. Who it is for For anyone who wants the quiet Aegina: a morning swim, the boat to Moni and fish dinner at Perdika harbour, five minutes' walk away. - **Hotel Danae** (Hotel): On the sea, near the column The Danae is on Aegina's coastal promenade, near the Kolona temple of Apollo and a kilometre from the centre: you walk to it from the harbour. The hotel presents itself as category B in the Greek classification and is right on the sea, with rooms whose decoration is inspired by the hospitality of the Saronic Gulf. Who it is for For sleeping in Aegina town away from the bustle of the harbour, a stroll from Kolona and the beach, in winter too, because it is open all year. The same group has another hotel in Agia Marina. ### Servicios - **Piraeus to Aegina ferry (Saronic Ferries)**: A conventional ferry from Piraeus · 1 h 10 · passenger from €12 and car from €29 · tickets online and at the port - **Hydrofoil to Aegina (Aegean Flying Dolphins)**: Fast passenger boats from Piraeus to Aegina and Agistri · faster than the ferry · passengers only - **Aegina port**: Arrival of ferries and hydrofoils · taxis and local buses on the quay · pistachio shops on the promenade ## By plane: Fly to Athens, metro to Piraeus and ferry Aegina is the island closest to Athens: you fly direct from Spain to Athens and in a little over an hour by boat from Piraeus you are at Aegina harbour. It can be done as a day trip from the capital or with a night to see Perdika at sunset. If you come for the day, take the first boat. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Rastoni 1928 Heritage Residence** (Small hotel): A house with a garden above the old town Rastoni is a small hotel in a house of 1928, in the upper part of Aegina town, above the island's old centre. It has a pistachio-tree garden and the sea 150 metres away. According to the hotel, the harbour is 700 m away, the centre 500 m, the Saint Nektarios monastery 6 km, Perdika 10 km and the temple of Aphaia 12 km. The rooms They are of very different types: superior doubles and twins with a 27 m² sea view, standard doubles and garden-view ones of about 20 m², a suite with a garden, bungalows (the Jasmine, of 55 m², for four) and maisonettes of 38 to 53 m² for three or four people, with a sea view in the larger ones. Breakfast and wifi. Who it is for For one or two quiet nights in Aegina without a car: you walk from the ferry with your suitcase, and get around the island by taxi or bus. The maisonettes suit children well. - **Perdika Mare Guesthouse** (Small hotel): On the shore of the fishing village Perdika Mare is on the seafront at Perdika, the village at the far south of Aegina, 9 km from the main harbour. There are 14 rooms on two floors, with a sea or garden view, 20 metres from the water: down steps beside the house you reach a small rocky beach. From the shared terrace you see the coast of Marathonas and Aegina harbour, and there are free sunbeds. How it works It is a house with no in-person reception: before you arrive they send you the entry instructions. There is wifi in the common areas and the rooms, and daily cleaning. Parking is free on the street, beside the school, on the main street. Pets are not allowed. Who it is for For anyone who wants the quiet Aegina: a morning swim, the boat to Moni and fish dinner at Perdika harbour, five minutes' walk away. - **Hotel Danae** (Hotel): On the sea, near the column The Danae is on Aegina's coastal promenade, near the Kolona temple of Apollo and a kilometre from the centre: you walk to it from the harbour. The hotel presents itself as category B in the Greek classification and is right on the sea, with rooms whose decoration is inspired by the hospitality of the Saronic Gulf. Who it is for For sleeping in Aegina town away from the bustle of the harbour, a stroll from Kolona and the beach, in winter too, because it is open all year. The same group has another hotel in Agia Marina. ### Servicios - **Piraeus to Aegina ferry (Saronic Ferries)**: A conventional ferry from Piraeus · 1 h 10 · passenger from €12 and car from €29 · tickets online and at the port ## As a family: A boat, a temple and a boat to a pine island Aegina is the first boat trip in Greece for many children: an hour of ferry, a temple on top of a pine-covered hill, pistachios everywhere and a short boat to an islet for swimming. Small distances and no rush. ### What works best The ferry from Piraeus, watching the islands The temple of Aphaia, with its pine wood The boat from Perdika to Moni and a swim in clear water Trying pistachio sweets on the promenade ### Where to sleep Rastoni, with maisonettes for three and four ### Eating Fish at Perdika harbour Pistachio sweets at Aiakeion ### Keep in mind More people get seasick on the hydrofoil than on the ferry Bring water to Moni: outside the season there are few facilities Under-25s from the EU usually enter Aphaia free with ID ### Qué hacer as a family - Temple of Aphaia, among pines above the gulf - Saint Nektarios Monastery and the churches of Palaiochora - Perdika and the boat to Moni island - Kolona, the column of the temple of Apollo by the sea - Tasting Aegina pistachio ## With teenagers: Island by motorbike, temples and an empty medieval village With teenagers, Aegina gives a day with some adventure: climbing among the chapels of Palaiochora, a capital abandoned for fear of pirates, the temple of Aphaia and a swim at Moni. ### What works best The chapels of Palaiochora, one by one The temple of Aphaia and the sacred triangle with Sounion and the Parthenon The Kolona column at sunset ### Where to sleep Perdika Mare, 20 m from the sea ### Eating Fish in Perdika ### Keep in mind To hire a motorbike you need a licence and a minimum age: ask at the harbour At the Saint Nektarios monastery, shoulders and knees covered ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Temple of Aphaia, among pines above the gulf - Saint Nektarios Monastery and the churches of Palaiochora - Perdika and the boat to Moni island - Kolona, the column of the temple of Apollo by the sea ## Consejos ### Take the first boat You gain the cool morning for Aphaia. ### Ferry if it's windy The hydrofoil bounces a lot in a swell. ### Buy the return with room to spare In summer the afternoon boats fill up. ### Bring swimwear Even if you are coming for the temple, Perdika and Moni are tempting. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from Athens to Aegina? 1 h 10 on the Saronic Ferries ferry from Piraeus; less by hydrofoil. From central Athens to Piraeus, about 20 minutes by metro. ### How much does the ferry cost? From €12 each way for the passenger fare and €29 for the car. ### Can you see Aegina in a day? Yes: with the morning boat you see Aphaia, St Nektarios and the port, and come back in the afternoon. ### How do I get from the port to the Temple of Aphaia? By taxi, about 17 minutes, or on the local Agia Marina bus, which goes past the temple. ### Are there beaches? Yes. From Perdika boats leave for Moni, with very clear water, and there are coves all along the coast. ### What is the sacred triangle? The name given to three temples around the Saronic Gulf, the Parthenon, the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion and the Temple of Aphaia on Aegina, which form a triangle on the map.