Isidora Hotel

A historical tower

by AndyRG

The ruined venetian tower of Markellos is one of the most impressive buildings in Aigina. This mediaeval tower was the seat of the greek government from 1826 to 1827 (near the end of the war for independence).
Aigina was the first capital of modern Greece, between 1828-1829.

Wildlife centre

by gnt70

It is about 20 minutes from Aegina town, a very nice place to be. They do great work and heal injured animals or help abandoned young ones to grow up. there are mostly birds. You can help them by buying something from their shop or you can even do arrangements and offer there your voluntary work.

Temple of Aphaia

by Confucius

If you only have time for one attraction on Aegina, then let it be this one. The Temple of Aphaia dates back to 490 BC and was actually used as a model for the Parthenon in Athens.
It is one of the most complete temples you'll see in Greece, However, there is something missing at this temple. After Lord Elgin took the Parthenon's marbles back to England it was open season on Greek statues. The Temple of Aphaia's pediments had magnificent sculptures depicting the battle of Troy, and King Ludwig of Bavaria wanted them for his private collection. In 1811 Baron von Hallerstein made a deal with the Turkish occupying authorities to move the cultural relics from Aegina to Germany. You can see them today at Munich's famous Glyptothek Sculpture Gallery museum.
The view from the hill where the temple is located will keep you staring out over the Saronic Gulf for several minutes.
One interesting geometric footnote concerning the Temple of Aphaia is that its location is one of the angles of an equilateral triangle with the Parthenon in Athens and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion.

I've had enough of Athens, off to an island

by athena10x

"Getting out of Athens"

Let's start by heading to the train station at Monistriaki. Buy your ticket and then proceed to the validation machine. Make sure you get the train to Pieraus. Hop on board and then your going to pretend that you are an Athenian and know what you're doing. The last stop about 35-45 minutes later is Pieraus. Head left out of the station, cross the busy street and you should see the boats. Make sure you continue to the left and find the ticket offices to purchase the same day journey ticket. I've never used the tourist offices there next to the train station.

"Ticket booth/ ticket in hand"

Ok, looks like we found the ticket booth for the regular ferry. We can take just about an hour and enjoy the sunshine , sea air and seagulls. Just the right amount of time so that we don't burn our first official day in the greek sunshine.

"We are ready to set sail."

Well this isn't a luxury cruise but it sure beats the hell out of being on the river here in Portland. The right time of year means you and about 40 other people have this top cabin to yourself. All the greeks are inside the enclosed area because they live here. They don't need to burn in the sunshine.

So close to Athens, so far away...

by AndyRG

Aigina is a nice small island just one hour by ferry from Piraeus (Pireas), the port in the prefecture of Athens. As an island, there are wonderful beaches, traditional villages, enough peaceful places of interest. The capital is a historical (capital of Greece in 1828-1829) and picturesque town.