We depart in the morning in order to catch the ferry departing from the port of Piraeus and approximately one hour later we’ll arrive at the picturesque harbor of Aegina, usually full of local fishing-boats and luxurious yachts. In historical terms, there is evidence that the island was inhabited from as early as 3.500 B.C. The island enjoyed strong economic and social growth between around 900 B.C. and 480 B.C., including minting the first coins anywhere in Greece during the 7th. Century B.C. In modern times, Aegina was briefly the first ‘capital’ of modern Greece from January 12th to October 3rd, 1828.

After visiting the capital town of Aegina with its traditional food-market in front of the harbor, we’ll start exploring the rest of the island which is not only full of beautiful sandy beaches for swimming, but also has some places of great archaeological interest. For example, the Temple of Aphaia (5th century B.C.). The temple was built on the foundations of an earlier sixth century temple, on the site of a pre-Greek shrine. Interesting fact! The Temple forms an equilateral triangle with the Parthenon and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, the so-called “holy triangle” of the antiquity. It was dedicated to a Greek goddess who was worshipped almost exclusively at a single sanctuary only on this island, a local deity associated with fertility and the agricultural cycle. This unique goddess later came to be identified with the goddesses Athena and Artemis.

We continue our tour by exploring one of the island’s most visited sites, the church of Agios Nektarios (Saint Nektarios) - one of the largest in the Balkans. Agios Nektarios The church is dedicated to Nectarios of Aegina, Wonderworker of Aegina and one of the most renowned Greek saints. The chapels host the tomb and holy relics of Agios Nektarios. After you visit the church, you can climb the stairs to the monastery of the Holy Trinity. Fourteen nuns are still living in the monastery. Make a note before leaving the island to buy the most delicious local product…the famous pistachios!