Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Saronic Gulf Islands Highlights
Bounce between
Hydra's
(
Click here
)
gorgeous port - with its excellent museums
and chic scene - and the island's deserted trails and ubiquitous swimming rocks.
Delve into Aegina's ancient history at the
Temple of Aphaia
(
Click here
) and
Byz-
antine Paleohora
(
Click here
)
.
Taste test your way through
Spetses'
(
Click here
)
top restaurants, trace the re-
gion's history in Spetses Town museums, or ride the island's ring road to dip into
sparkling bays.
Get away from it all in sleepy
Angistri
(
Click here
) in the low season, when the
beaches are most tranquil.
Explore the peaceful interior of
Poros
(
Click here
).
AEGINA ΑΙΓΙΝΑ
POP 13,190
Beyond its bustling port, Aegina (
eh
-yi-nah) has the seductive, easygoing character of a
typical Greek island but with the added bonus of more than its fair share of prestigious
ancient sites. Weekending Athenians spice up the mix of laidback locals and commuters
who use the island like an Athens suburb. Unique Aegina treats include a special, and de-
licious, pistachio nut, the splendid 5th-century Temple of Aphaia and the magical Byzan-
tine ruins called Paleohora.
Aegina was the leading maritime power of the Saronic Gulf during the 7th century
BC, when it grew wealthy through trade and political ascendancy. The island made a ma-
jor contribution to the Greek victory over the Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis in 480
BC. Despite this solidarity with the Athenian state, the latter invaded in 459 BC out of
jealousy of Aegina's wealth and status and of its liaison with Sparta. Aegina never re-
gained its glory, although in the early 19th century it played a bold part in the defeat of
the Turks and was the temporary capital of a partly liberated Greece from 1827 to 1829.
