Aegina: Discover and Relax…
By Maureen Jensen
In memoriam
We are saddened to announce the passing of Maureen Jensen, a pioneering Αmerican journalist in the field of hi-end electronics and the writer of this story. Maureen was a passionate lover of Greece, Gr2me, and her dear friend, our president, Theo Kalomirakis. We celebrate her spirit and legacy.
Maureen at the temple of Aphaea in Aegina last year
Trying to decide on our next summer holiday, I thought, “We should probably go to Rome, Nick, my partner has never been to Rome.” Within a second another thought, “After a few days in Rome, we can jump a flight from Rome to Corfu!”
Excellent, I smiled to myself, one of my better decisions.
After 44 years of constant travels to Greece…the country still has that effect on me. The only place on this planet that does. If you have travelled to Greece you understand.
Every holiday I take, I need to add a Greek destination.
Our first holiday was indeed to Corfu in 1981. My sister and I were young ruck sackers, our backpacks as tall as us. After three months traversing Europe, we found Corfu. Untouched, magical, wining and dining for a few drachms a day. Heaven.
The Greek islands, while there has been change, have remained consistently authentic. Consistently magical.
This past May we spent 10 days on the islands of Aegina and Agistri off the coast of mainland Greece, two of the Saronic Islands.
The Saronics are the perfect islands for a quick jaunt from Athens. Indeed, many Athenians and tourists pop over for just a day from Athens.
In our case, we landed from London Heathrow to Athens at 1pm and by 4pm we were stepping foot on Aegina. Taking one of the frequent ferries from the Port of Piraeus, about an hour from Athens main airport.
When you alight from your ferry, the fragrances of Aegina are all around you: pistachio trees, pine trees and the salty sea breeze.
If young, influencers are now the stock in trade of Mykonos, Pistachios reign supreme on Aegina, illustrating just one difference between the two islands. Stop and sample the pistachios, and the many pistachio concoctions from the sellers in the harbor, you won’t leave empty handed.
About a 20-minute drive south of the harbor Is Perdika, that’s where you can find the LaLiBay adults only resort. Our five-night stay was approximately $1,400. US, for a 5-star resort, an absolute steal. Of course you can pay much less on Aegina, but the location and visuals online sold us, and we were not disappointed.
The resort is covered in pine trees and winds down to the sea, past the pool is a manmade beach with a ladder into the sea. As it was May we had plenty of space for ourselves and whilst the sea was a bit chilly, it was worth it not to have the hordes of tourists.
I would highly recommend renting a car for a few days, you can take taxis and buses to most places, but we love the freedom of a car and coming and going as you please. I knew we would want to spend plenty of time at the resort, so two days of car rental worked for us.
We first visited the Temple of Aphaia, located on a 160-meter peak at the northeastern end of the island. Located above the beautiful Agia Marina. The Temple of Aphaia is older than the Acropolis with the first iteration in 500 BC. Getting there early in the morning before the crowds, we had the entire temple sanctuary to ourselves and it is indeed unforgettable.
While there are many beaches on the island to choose from, Klima seemed the most appealing as we needed an organized beach with umbrellas, sunbeds, etc. KIima is a further drive south from Perdika and you will find it near the southernmost point of the island. The sun loungers are uncomfortable, and we didn’t have lunch from the bar, but the view, water and the beach are undisturbed and look as if time has stood still since 1970. A beautiful little bay to while away the hours.
The harbor of Aegina is lovely with loads of sweet cafes, restaurants on the sea, and interesting shops that line the harbor. Everyone talks to you, locals and tourists alike, lending itself to a party-like atmosphere, you’ll want to spend much time there.
We ate every night in town. We loved the colorful Aegina town and wanted to spend as much time there as possible. The food is typical Greek cuisine, it was all very good, and any eatery along the water seemed very good, you really can’t go wrong. The standouts were Skotadis, Babis and Maistrali. Sit, sip the ouzo and watch the brightly painted horse drawn carriages ferry passengers along the harbor. You will want to stay a month.
Next time, come along with me to Agristi!
