I decided to take a day trip while I was in Athens. There were several places to choose from when trying to figure out where to go. In the very beginning I had planned on heading up north to Meteora and spend a couple days there and staying in the north for the rest of the trip. I scrapped that idea completely and decided to head out to the islands.
It was hard to choose between Hydra and Aegina, since both sounded really great and my vibe. I ended up deciding to take the speed boat out to Aegina for the day, which is super close to Pireas – about a half hour or so. If you are a student, definitely use ISIC if you’re planning on taking the ferries. The card gives you 50% off ferry rides, which made traveling a lot more afforable since I upgraded almost every time I took a ferry.
I took the Flying Dolphin, which cost me €7 each way and took around 40 minutes. Tickets can be bought in advance, but they have to be bought for a specific time and date. There wasn’t an option for an open return, but it wasn’t any cheaper to buy a roundtrip ticket.
Aegina, for as close as it is to Athens, was super quiet and practically empty while I was there. Of course, there were tons of tourists, but compared to how crowded Athens was, even in September, it was like a ghost town. I started out my day trip by walking along the beach and cursing myself for not bringing a bathing suit, since the water was so gorgeous and warm. I continued to the Temple of Apollo, which was maybe less than a 10 minute walk from the port. The temple was inside a park, and not very well marked where the entrance was. I ended up walking right in and a worker chased after me telling me I had to pay first. With ISIC it ended up being only a €2 entry fee and the temple includes a small museum with pottery and artwork found at the site. The actual temple was really nice, you can walk right through it and very few areas were closed off. When I arrived around 11 am I was the only one there.
I ended up staying at the temple for maybe an hour and a half before starting to get hungry, so I ventured into town to find food. Tavernas lined the main street, there were so many places to choose from. It was nice to just relax and watch the donkey carts pass on by.
Wandering around the town was a nice way to walk off my heavy lunch. Taverna bread is something I really can’t resist, nor do I want to. Being so close to the water, we got a nice sea breeze, which really helped since it was over 30 degrees (86F) out, and even a sun dress was still too hot.
The side streets of this town were so cute, and I’m so glad I picked this island.
One thing Aegina is known for is its pistachios. Every single store sells them and they are delicious. A bit tangier than regular pistachios, and they’re also red-colored. An annual pistachio festival is held in mid-September every year. I thought about going, but it was held during the time I was in Santorini, so it wasn’t going to work out. Another reason to come back to Greece!
Follow me on my next adventure!
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
International Itinerary 