In Greece; I have visited many islands from Chios to Lesbos, from Kos to Samos, from Santorini to Mykonos, from Crete to Rhodes.. These wonderful islands, most of which can be reached by direct ferryboat from Turkey, have become a favorite of Turkish tourism professionals, especially in the last 5 years, and are starting to fill up during the holidays.. Since I am a Greek lover, I started looking for islands that are a little quieter, less known but easily accessible (close to Athens).. After all, what did Greece have in abundance from the island?
I’ll tell you about these in this series of articles. If you want it to be easy to go but still very nice, so that everyone knows it, and there are not too many Turks, here are the lesser-known Greek islands.
Feast of Sacrifice is now at the door.. If you are one of those who like to make last minute plans, today I will tell you about an island that many people will not think of.. Say hi for me if you go because my heart remains in Aegina…
Aegina Port, Aegina Island
ABOUT THE ISLAND OF AEGINA
Aegina; The largest of the Saronic Islands, which includes islands such as Poros, Spetses, Hydra, Angistri, just below Athens, above Poros, which I wrote about in the previous series.. It is a wonderful island where Greeks flock to summer cottages on weekends due to its proximity to Athens, but which is not known much by Turkish tourists or is not preferred except for day trips.. It’s great because it offers everything you expect from a Greek island, as well as being one of the largest peanut producers in Greece, which adds a whole new value to the island.
HOW TO GET TO AEGINA ISLAND?
Athens is the first place you need to arrive to get to Aegina. One of the most important reasons for me to prefer islands close to Athens for the last few years is that there are daily flights from Istanbul to Athens by different companies.. So, you have the chance to find tickets cheaper than Bodrum during the holidays.. The other is to be able to get to these islands by ferry from Athens without ever getting tired of a car journey.. Aegina is 1 hour and 20 minutes away from Piraeus Port, this time is reduced to 45 minutes if you prefer a fast ferry journey.. In other words, you can reach the sea in approximately 4-5 hours after leaving your home in Istanbul.. It is worth noting that for this, of course, you need to rent a car from Athens Airport for 30-35 euros per day.
Ferry ticket costs 16 euros per person round trip. It varies between 28 euros, the vehicle is 20 euros.. For ferry tickets, I would recommend Ferries.gr, which I mentioned in my previous articles, once again.. It is both a reliable site (they return to your e-mails immediately) and the commission rates are more advantageous than many other sites.
St. Nektarios Orthodox Church, Aegina Island
WHERE TO STAY IN AEGINA ISLAND?
We used the Airbnb option again because we were too crowded in Aegina. The house we hired was truly incredible for a large group (8 people). A separate room for each couple, bathroom, garden, pool, table tennis, etc. We paid 320 euros per day in August (yes, the euro was not that high) Here’s the link The owners were very sweet, very understanding people. Here is the link where you will get a discount while using Airbnb.
Of course, if you are not a group, it will be too much for you. Lots of options for hotels. Except for the area where we stayed (it was close to the center), Perdika is a great place, I can recommend you to stay there.. Whether you want to rent a hotel or a house, the choice is yours.
Agia Marina, Aegina Island
BEST AEGINA ISLAND BEACHES
The best beach on the island is arguably Aeginitissa (meaning little Aegina). Apart from this, the beaches that must be visited are Klima, Sotos and Agia Marina, Vagia.. Aegina is a big island, it’s hard to explore all its beaches in a short time. We went to Vagia on the first day, umbrellas and sunbeds are free if you eat something, beers are 3 euros on average, squid is 8 euros.. Umbrellas in Klima were 6.5 euros, prices for food and drink are about the same.
You will find the beaches partially empty during the week, and on the weekend you can fight for space with the summer cottagers: ) All of the beaches I mentioned above have facilities, do not forget that there are many other large and small beaches on the island that you can go on your own.. For all beaches, you can see.
There is also Moni Island, which I write separately because I do not consider it a beach.. You can go through the most beautiful place of the island, Perdika, in 10 minutes with the motors that depart every half an hour (the motor price is 5 euros round trip).. Moni is a natural wonder, you must see it. It has a facility that makes super cocktails, a wonderful sea for divers, and a huge land where you can see peacocks and gazelles from 5 meters.. If you have children or something, it will be an amazing day they will never forget.. However, I regret to state that there is no shower in the establishment, the toilets are managed in a way.. Sunbed-umbrella 6 euro, cocktails 8 euro, Daquiri in real pineapple 14 euro.
Ancient Temple, Aegina Island
WHAT TO EAT AND DRINK ON THE ISLAND OF AEGINA?
Now on to my favorite part. I love eating and drinking, I do my research beforehand wherever I go, if there is something specific to that region, I definitely try to try it.. The Greek islands do not tire people in this regard, because the quality is always above a certain standard, and the food is very suitable for our taste.
Nowhere in Aegina we go is a dream we were not disappointed. You can go anywhere with peace of mind, except for the advice I will give below.. Take a seat at any restaurant by the harbor, especially in Perdika.. As I mentioned in the previous article, bad surprises in a Greek restaurant require a lot of bad luck.
As for recommendations: Achivadaki, which steals our hearts with its location, cuteness and magnificent view
Achivadaki Restaurant, Aegina
We did not eat, but Moni Island Remetzo, where we had a delicious breakfast at Perdika before we went to . kyma. I highly recommend you try the mushroom balls (mushroom ball) and onion rings here
You must be wondering about the prices.. In general, I can say that; The more crowded you are in Greek restaurants, the lower the price because the portions are large and the table wines are cheap and great. In our group of 8 people in Aegina, the average account at the end of the binge eating and drinking is 25 euros per person, I think it’s a pretty good example of this.. To give a singular example, octopus is 9 euro, tzatziki is 4 euro, half a liter of house wine is 5 euro.
Remetzo Restaurant, Aegina
Remetzo Restaurant, Aegina
AEGINA NIGHTS
Let’s talk a little bit about Aegina’s nightlife. Due to the fact that it is an island close to Athens and the influx of Greek summer holidaymakers on the weekend, the nightlife on the island is quite pleasant, especially in the center (you can also choose Perdika).
Avli where most of them start the night. There is live music on Friday-Saturday evenings.. With its food, bar, music, one of the most beautiful places on the island to start and end the night.. Greek music has a special place for me, the evening we went there was a wonderful band with bouzouki and rebetiko, I don’t know if they always exist.
A little beyond the Avli there is a tiny bar called Speak Low. there is. There is no space problem as the one who takes his drink goes out to the street. Another delightful view that you will see very often in the Greek islands.. Beers 3 euro, cocktails 8 euro at Speak Low. Prices in other large and small bars on the same street are 3 or 5 more or less like this.. You can try them all while traveling and create your own Greek Bar Hopping adventure.
There is also a bar in Perdika whose name I forgot to take a photo of.. The night we went, the World Cup was being played.. You will definitely find it right in the middle of the harbour.
Aegina Beach, Aegina Island
FINALLY
Aegina remained in our hearts with everything as we wrote at the beginning. If life permits, I would like to visit one more time for this festival. Everything I will write for the other islands of the series is also very valid for Aegina.. If what you are looking for is a peaceful, economical and not overcrowded island holiday, Aegina gives you everything you want.. Let’s remind you that you want a visa and there is no gate visa application.
See you on the next little-known Greek island…
Varol Döken
twitter.com/dokenvarol
