Aegina

Aegina was a naval power that rivalled Athens, minted some of the earliest European coins, the silver turtles, and served briefly as the first capital of independent Greece in 1828, which is why its harbour town has such solid neoclassical houses and a governor's residence. The island is roughly 87 square kilometres of hills and pistachio groves; the Aegina pistachio has protected designation status and the harvest in September fills the town with roasting smells. Beyond the port lie the temple of Aphaia on its wooded ridge, the ruined Byzantine town of Paleochora with its scattered chapels, the monastery of Agios Nektarios and small resorts at Agia Marina and Perdika. Horse-drawn carriages still work the waterfront, and the fish market beside the harbour is the real thing.

What you actually see

• The harbour town - neoclassical facades, a fish market and the chapel on the mole.
• The pistachio groves - the island's signature crop, harvested in September.
• The Kolona site - a single standing column of a temple of Apollo above the port.
• The village beaches - Agia Marina, Marathonas and the fishing hamlet of Perdika.

When to go

Spring and autumn for walking and empty beaches; September for the pistachio harvest. Summer weekends bring heavy day-trip traffic from Athens, and the boats fill.

Honest expectations

Aegina is a working island rather than a postcard: the town is busy, the roads carry real traffic, and the beaches are modest by Greek standards. A car or scooter helps considerably, as bus services are limited outside the main routes.

Nearby

Agistri lies twenty minutes away by boat; Poros and the rest of the Saronic islands continue south.