Unlike the other Aegean islands, with their harsh, forbidding terrain, Aegina is much more hiking-friendly. The island’s small size and particular shape, combined with its relatively mild slopes – its tallest peak, Ellanion Oros, is only 532 meters high – and the many villages which are spread around, make the place ideal for hiking.
Aegina Aphaia: Building the finest Archaic Greek Temple
Aphaias’ stone blocks may look fairly unattractive, even rather uninspiring, at first sight. As a matter of fact, they are of great importance, revealing some of the major aspects of the ancient Greek Temple-building process. Beyond that, they stand witness to how the ancient Temple of Aphaia on Aegina Island was built some 2,500 years ago.
Aegina; Athens’ laid-back little secret
Of all the little islands in the Saronic gulf, this one is kept off the tourist map as an Athenian’s little secret; a small island just 35 kilometers from Piraeus, covered easily with a 40-minute Flying Dolphin (hydrofoil) ride or a 75-minute trip with a ferry. Such a short trip means it is “no big deal” for Athenians to get there, while the island itself is so beautiful that it had the Huffington Post declare it “the most beautiful Greek island that you haven’t heard of”. Being so near the Greek capital, it is ideal for a day-trip but, at the same time, it is an interesting place where you can easily spend a couple of weeks.
