10+1 reasons to visit Aegina Island - Trails Beyond

Below you can find 10+1 reasons why you should visit Aegina island!

1. It lies just 1 hour by ferry away from Piraeus port, so it the perfect getaway if you are in Athens!
2. Walk alongside its picturesque port and admire the beautiful neoclassical buildings, evidence of Aegina being the first capital of Modern Greece between 1827 and 1829.
3. Visit the Temple of Aphaea, which forms an equilateral triangle with the Parthenon and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, the so-called “holy triangle”of the antiquity.
4. Taste the exceptional “Aegina pistachios”, considered to be the best pistachio variety in the Mediterranean!
5. Follow the hiking paths in Paleachora, the island’s former capital (9^th– 19^th century A.D.) and explore this abandoned “ghost town”, also known as the “Island Mystras” with its numerous Byzantine churches.
6. Visit the impressive monastery of Agios Nektarios, one of the largest in the Balkans.
7. Take a romantic ride with one of the beautiful horse drawn carriages along Aegina’s coastal road.
8. Visit the Hellenic Wildlife Hospital, a non-profit, non-governmental organization, proud to be the oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation center in Southern Europe, treating upwards to 4.500 animals every year.
9. Board one of the traditional caiques in Perdika that will take you to the inhabited island of Moni, where you can enjoy a swim in the turquoise crystal clear waters or hike through its rich pristine pine forests and feed the wild deer and peafowl living in the island.
10. Visit the Archaeological site of Kolona, the island’s ancient Acropolis, where the first coins anywhere in Greece were minted here during the 7^th century B.C., the Sanctuary of Apollo and the Archaeological Museum, the first museum ever in Greece.

Plus 1! Fortunately, Aegina has not been affected by mass tourism and it remains a weekend tourism destination for the Athenians, so you can experience the authentic islanders’ local lifestyle.