Aegina

Aegina is the island Athenians have been escaping to for two centuries, and the reason is clear the moment the ferry rounds the point. The hydrofoil from Piraeus lands at the harbour of Aegina town, where the elegant houses and the church of St. Nicholas face the water. Across the island lies the temple of Aphaia, one of the best-preserved temples of ancient Greece, standing on its ridge with views to the sea, while the lanes of the old town are walked past the neoclassical mansions of the 19th century and the little craft shops. Swims are taken at the beaches of the south and west, and the pistachios — Aegina is famous for them — are eaten roasted at the harbour. The island is close enough for a day trip but rich enough for a week, and its blend of history, beaches, and food makes it one of the most rewarding islands of the Saronic.

Aegina has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and it was one of the great powers of the ancient Greek world. In the 6th and early 5th centuries BC, Aegina was a major naval and commercial power, the first Greek state to issue coinage, and its silver staters circulated throughout the Mediterranean. The island's rivalry with Athens was legendary, and its temple of Aphaia, built around 500 BC, is one of the finest monuments of the Greek world, its pedimental sculptures now in the Glyptothek of Munich. In 458 BC Aegina was conquered by Athens, and its history thereafter followed the fortunes of the great powers of the Aegean. In 1828, in the first years of the independent Greek state, Aegina became the first capital of Greece, and the small town served as the seat of government under Ioannis Kapodistrias for a year before the capital moved to Nafplion. In the 19th century the island flourished on shipping, sponge fishing, and agriculture, and its neoclassical mansions date from that prosperity. Today Aegina is famous above all for its pistachios, which grow nowhere better, and for its beautiful, accessible coastline.

The name is recorded by Stephanus of Byzantium in the sixth century AD. His Ethnica is not a book of stories but a dictionary of Greek place-names, and for this one it says: "Later it was called Aegina, after Aigine daughter of Asopos and mother of Aiakos". (Ethnica, s.v. Αἴγιναι).

That is the whole of what an ancient source has to say about how the place got its name. It is a shorter answer than the guidebooks give, and it is the only one with a source behind it.

Aegina has good beaches around its coasts, most of them reached by the roads that ring the island. The beach of Marathonas, on the west coast, is a long stretch of sand with clear, shallow water. Aghia Marina, on the east, is the island's most developed beach, with tavernas and water sports. The coves of the south coast — including the beautiful bays near Perdika — are quiet and lovely, and the little island of Moni, just off the coast, is a short boat ride away with its own empty beaches. The water is clean and calm, and the island's closeness to Athens makes it a favourite for swimming. Bring a mask for the rocky points, and you will find a beach to suit every mood.

Aegina food is the cooking of a rich, agricultural island, and it is famous for one thing above all: the pistachio. The island's pistachios, grown nowhere better, are roasted and sold everywhere, and the island's pastry shops make pistachio sweets and the famous 'amygdalota' (almond sweets). The island also produces superb honey, olive oil, and wine, and its tavernas serve the daily catch with the classic Greek table and a warm, welcoming ease. For a proper Aegina meal, find a taverna by the harbour, order the fish of the day and a plate of the island's greens, and finish with a pistachio sweet and a glass of the local wine as the boats come home.

May, June, and September are the ideal months on Aegina: warm, green, and quiet, with the sea perfect and the island at its best. July and August are the main season, when the island fills with Athenians escaping the heat and the beaches and the town are lively. Spring is lovely, and the pistachio groves are in blossom. Whenever you come, Aegina is easy to reach and easy to enjoy — it rewards those who give it more than a day.

Aegina is reached by ferry and hydrofoil from Piraeus, a crossing of about an hour, and by ferries from the other Saronic islands.

A car, a scooter, or a bicycle is the best way to explore. Do not miss the temple of Aphaia — it is the island's masterpiece — and the old town of Aegina. Swim at the beaches of the south and west, take a boat to the islet of Moni, and eat pistachios by the harbour. And if you have time, stay a night or two: Aegina has a quiet, elegant charm that the day-trippers miss.