Greeka guide to Aegina

Aegina
in Saronic
Information about villages, beaches, sightseeing, restaurants, activities and more...
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Map of Aegina
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Aegina Guide
About Aegina
Due to its proximity to Athens, Aegina attracts many Athenians in the weekends, especially in
summer.
Aegina is a beautiful and verdant island, full of pine trees and olive trees, picturesque villages,
fine beaches and interesting archaeological monuments, such as the beautiful Temple of Aphaia,
built in the 5th century BC, and considered as the finest archaeological monument of the Saronic
islands.
Aegina is also the land of pistachios. The island produces them since antiquity and offers a wide
range of excellent nuts, which in fact have been patented as exclusive products of the island.
During the Classical times, the island was a major naval power and would frequently come in
competition with Athens. This competition led to a great battle in 459 BC, when the Athenian fleet
attacked Aegina and destroyed the whole island.
Since then, Aegina completely lost its power. The next glorious moment in its history was when it
became the capital of the first Greek state, from 1827 to 1829. During that time, Ioannis
Kapodistrias, the first governor of Greece, reconstructed the town with Neoclassical buildings, new
streets and social services.
Aegina is also well-known thanks to the famous Greek writer, Nikos Kanzantzakis, who loved the
island and was living there when he wrote his world-known book, Zorba the Greek.
The beauty of the landscape, the hospitality of the inhabitants, the interesting archaeological sites
and the modern touristy facilities will charm visitors who set foot on the bright, colourful little
island of Aegina.
Most popular tourist resorts are Souvala and Agia Marina, however there are also many peaceful
beaches, such as Perdika and Marathon. A nice daily excursion from Aegina is to Agistri, a tiny
green island with crystal beaches to swim.
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Aegina Guide
Best Villages in Aegina
Town (Rating:
by Greeka members)
Location: On the western side of the island
Description: Aegina Town is the capital of the island and the first capital of
the Greek State. Its long history, the lovely port and the picturesque nature
attract many summer visitors to the island.
Sightseeing: Agios Nikolaos, Archaeological Museum, Christos Kapralos
Museum, Folklore Museum, Monastery of Agios Nektarios, Temple of Apollo
Perdika
Location: 10 km south east of Aegina Town
Description: Perdika is a picturesque, seaside villahe on the southern side of
the island. Excursion boats connect Perdika to the opposite island of Moni in
summer.
Sightseeing: Moni Islet
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Aegina Guide
Agia Marina (Rating:
by Greeka members)
Location: 12 km east of Aegina Town
Description: Agia Marina is a tourist resort on the eastern side of the island
with many facilities. It gets very popular in summer.
Sightseeing: Aphaia Museum, Temple of Athena Aphaia
Best Beaches in Aegina
Souvala (Rating:
by Greeka members)
Location: 9 km north east of Aegina Town
Description: Souvala is a popular beach resort on the northern side of the
island. The picturesque beaches and the crystal water of the region attract
many visitors in summer.
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Aegina Guide
Marathon
Location: 5 km south east of Aegina Town
Description: Marathon (or Marathonas) is a nice secluded beach in close
distance to Aegina Town. This is a picturesque place that doesn't usually get
crowded.
Sightseeing: Wildlife Hospital
Best Sightseeing in Aegina
Temple of Athena Aphaia
Location: Agia Marina
The Doric temple of Athena Aphaia was built around 420 B.C. on the site of a
former temple. It is situated on top of a rock and it was dedicated to goddess
Athena. The amazing thing is the this temple of Aegina, the temple of
Poseidon in Sounion and the Acropolis of Athens geographically form an
isosceles triangle.
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Aegina Guide
Monastery of Agios Nektarios
Location: Town
The monastery was established by the saint himself, who was an Orthodox
bishop, in 1904. Agios Nektarios lived in this monastery from 1908 to 1920.
Today, this monastery is considered an important religious centre in Greece.
Credits
Greeka.com would like to thank the following members for their valuable contribution, as some of
the photos included in this guide belong to them.
atle, dannyb, evangelos, ger, janice18, lesbrothwood, lisapost, margaret, marie, milos58,
pontikos, webgirl, yassou, zwitserw
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