Aegina is the nearest major island to Athens — just 17 nautical miles from Piraeus — and it has been a retreat for Athenians since antiquity. The island's crowning glory is the Temple of Aphaia, a remarkably intact 5th-century BC Doric temple that sits on a pine-covered hilltop with views stretching to both Athens and the Peloponnese.
The harbour town is lively and unpretentious, with a working fish market, neoclassical buildings from the island's brief period as Greece's first capital (1828-1829), and excellent pistachio shops everywhere — Aegina's pistachios are considered the finest in Europe, and the September harvest festival is a major event.
For yacht charters, Aegina works as the first or last stop on a Saronic Gulf itinerary, or as a day charter destination from Athens. The western coast has good anchorages at Perdika (a fishing village with waterfront tavernas) and Moni (an uninhabited island nature reserve a short tender ride away).
Temple of Aphaia — 5th-century BC Doric temple, one of Greece's finest
Famous pistachio groves and September harvest festival
Closest major island to Athens — ideal for day charters
Perdika fishing village with waterfront tavernas
Moni islet — uninhabited nature reserve, great swimming
First capital of modern Greece (1828–1829)
