On Saturday 7th February 2026, we woke up at the Ibis Styles hotel and after breakfast we caught the Metro on the M2 Red Line from Agios Ioannis and changed onto the Blue Metro M3 line at Syntagma to catch the Metro to Piraeus as we planned to catch the ferry to the island of Aegina today.
We alighted at Piraeus Station and crossed the road over to the port, to try and find an office to buy tickets for the ferry.
We found the Blue Star Ticket Office to buy tickets to Aegina, the next ferry was at 1100 hours and cost €19 per person return. We were asked for passports to confirm Identity, we had left these at the hotel but luckily they accepted my UK Driving Licence!
The ferry took about an hour and a half before we were cruising into the port at Aegina. There is an faster ferry but of course this costs more.
We pass a small cluster of Islands called Laousses Islands not far from Aegina.
Laousses, or Lagouses, is a cluster of small uninhabited islets, in the area just south of Athens, between Aegina and Salamis islands, with a total area of 60 hectares, a total perimeter 3.1(km) and a maximum altitude of 40.0 (m). It is a protected area (CORINE) as it is a seabird breeding and resting area. The main threats and pressures on the environment and the birds come from overfishing and severe pollution from the city of Athens.
The largest of the five islands cluster is Laoussa, on which there is also a lighthouse. It is considered also an important fishing spot. On the south side of Laoussa, the height of the sea reaches at 40-50 fathoms, which is the deepest point of Laoussa. There, in 1941, the “HYDRAKI” battleship was sunk by German warplanes. In Laoussa someone can also see cormorants (small cormorants).
The Ferry is now pulling into the port of Aegina.
We left the ferry and walked along the dock and come up to the church of Saint Nicholas the Thlassinos.
Church of Saint Nicholas the Thalassinos (Agios Nikolaos Thalassinos) is located right on the marina.
Often described as a tiny, white "chiesetta" that is easy to spot upon arriving at the port. It has an igloo-like, "dome" interior with beautiful frescoes.
One of the most visited sites on Aegina is the church of Agios Nektarios (Saint Nectarios) and the monastery of Agia Triada (The Holy Trinity) that is located on a higher level overlooking the church. Agios Nektarios of Aegina (1846-1920), is one of the most widely known Greek Orthodox Saints. He was officially recognized as a saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1961. Yearly, thousands of people from all over the world coming to Aegina to visit the tomb of Agios Nektarios for healing reasons, to pray to him or ask for his blessings.
Agios Nektarios was known as a great miracle worker, particularly as a healer of every sort of disease, he was also a prolific writer, theologist, philosopher, moralist, educator, poet, ascetic and mystic. Above all Agios Nektarios was a man of deep prayer, and a hard worker who laboured just as everyone else around him, no work was ever dishonourable to him.
He was despised by many who mistook his popularity amongst the people as an attempt to become patriarch. As such he was relegated.
In 1904 at the request of several nuns, he established a monastery for women on Aegina named The Holy Trinity, where he lived for the rest of his life as a monk. He wrote, published, preached, and heard confessions from those who came from near and far to seek out his spiritual insights. In 1920 he died at the age of 74.
His memory is celebrated by many people on the 9th of November, on the name day of Nektarios. There are services in the church on the night before and there is a special procession in the morning, where the remains of Agios Nektarios are carried through the streets of Aegina town.
After we finished in the church we walked the boat lined Marina and out along the sea front for a while.
Aegina Town is the charming, historic capital and main port of Aegina Island, located just 16.5 nautical miles from Athens in the Saronic Gulf. Renowned for its colourful neoclassical buildings, bustling waterfront, and famous pistachios, it offers a vibrant mix of 19th-century history, traditional tavernas, cafes, and nearby beaches.
The heart of the town, featuring a lively marina filled with fishing boats, yachts, and ferries, surrounded by cafes and shops selling local pistachios.
As the former temporary capital of Greece (1827–1829), the town boasts historic buildings like the Kapodistrian Orphanage and the Tower of Markellos.
We decided to leave the seafront and walk up the back streets looking about the shops there.
Back by the seafront we reach the "Panagitsa" of Paleo Faliro".
Visible from the coast of Aegina, the magnificent church of Panagitsa is located just outside Aegina’s marina. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the church was built using pouri, the soft local stone also used to build the Temple of Aphaia.
Built in 1673, the domed basilica with vaulted arches remained in its original form until 1906, when it was rebuilt. The government used the church to house refugees seeking asylum in 1826.
The town is known for its fish tavernas, ouzeries, and, most famously, pistachio-based sweets and treats.
We walk along the seafront and stop for lunch and a beer at a restaurant here, before exploring more of the back streets again.
Aegina is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, 27 km (17 mi) from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina, the mother of the mythological hero Aeacus, who was born on the island and became its king. In classical antiquity Aegina was a powerful city-state and at one point a rival of Athens. In modern times Aegina is known for the temple of Aphaia, pistachio production, and the pilgrimage site of St. Nektarios. Many Athenians have established vacation homes in Aegina.
Our ferry back to Athens is not until 1700 hours so we have a little time to kill, we walk up the coast to see if we can see the Temple of Apollo.
On reaching the entrance to the temple we see a sign stating that entrance is €10 each, we really didn’t think it was spending that, so we walk back into town.
The cultivation of pistachios started in Aegina in around 1860 and then expanded to Athens and the rest of Greece. However, the pistachios of Aegina are the most famous and they are considered as extremely high-quality products. The main variety cultivated on the island is the koilarati pistachios, which have a round shape. Most of the fields are placed on the western side of the island because this area is more fertile and less mountainous than the eastern side.
The cultivation process lasts for the whole year. In November, the trees lose their leaves and remain bare until the end of March. Then the pollination starts and the wind transfers the pollen from the male trees to the female ones. The pistachio trees blossom in April and then the nuts start to grow. The harvest time starts in August and extends till the end of September. The products are collected with a special, long stick and are sent to the hulling machines as quickly as possible in order to avoid the shells turning black, which makes the nuts commercially useless.
Pistachio trees are so popular in Aegina mainly because the soil is appropriate for the cultivation of this product. These nuts are known for their flavour and aroma. In fact, apart from being one of the main characteristic products of Aegina, they are considered among the best pistachios in the world! Just think that Aegina pistachios are protected by the EU from pistachios of other regions.
An extinct volcano constitutes two-thirds of Aegina. The northern and western sides consist of stony but fertile plains, which are well cultivated and produce luxuriant crops of grain, with some cotton, vines, almonds, olives and figs, but the most characteristic crop of Aegina today (2000s) is pistachio. Economically, the sponge fisheries are of importance. The southern volcanic part of the island is rugged and mountainous, and largely barren. Its highest rise is the conical Mount Oros (531 m) in the south, and the Panhellenian ridge stretches northward with narrow fertile valleys on either side.
The beaches are also a popular tourist attraction. Hydrofoil ferries from Piraeus take only forty minutes to reach Aegina; the regular ferry takes about an hour. There are regular bus services from Aegina town to destinations throughout the island such as Agia Marina. Portes is a fishing village on the east coast.
We reach the seafront, buy an ice cream and sit by the sea ,relaxing whilst we wait for the ferry.
In Greek mythology, Aegina was a daughter of the river god Asopus and the nymph Metope. She bore at least two children: Menoetius by Actor, and Aeacus by the god Zeus. When Zeus abducted Aegina, he took her to Oenone, an island close to Attica. Here, Aegina gave birth to Aeacus, who would later become king of Oenone; thenceforth, the island's name was Aegina.
Aegina was the gathering place of Myrmidons; in Aegina they gathered and trained. Zeus needed an elite army and at first thought that Aegina, which at the time did not have any villagers, was a good place. So he changed some ants (Ancient Greek: Μυρμύγια, Myrmigia) into warriors who had six hands and wore black armour. Later, the Myrmidons, commanded by Achilles, were known as the most fearsome fighting unit in Greece.
We walk back and board the ferry early.
At 1700 hours we depart and see the Temple of Apollo in the distance.
The temple of Apollo is also known as Kolona, meaning column, because just one column remains today from this ancient construction. The hillf of Kolona is also known for the prehistoric settlement that had once flourished there, being one of the most significant of its time, and you can still see the remains of houses dating back to the Late Neolithic Period. During the 7th century, it began to house the Acropolis of the island. The temple dates from the 6th century BC, even earlier than the Parthenon in Athens. Constructed in the Doric architectural style, it is believed to have 11 columns on the sides and 6 on the ends.
To the south of the temple, there used to be the gateway and some small rectangular buildings. An ancient cemetery was also discovered to the north of the temple; the golden jewelry found inside the graves is kept in the British Museum.
Today, we need a lot of imagination to picture the temple in all its ancient glory. An imperial decree for it to be pulled down was issued in 381 AD, and later on, its materials were used for the construction of fortifications against raids, as well as for the building of the piers.
We arrive back in Piraeus and catch the Metro back to Syntagma Square where we alight to find some dinner. We get Chicken Gyros at Νεοκλασικο on Karagiorgi Servias.
We then catch the Metro back to the hotel for the night.