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Voykit pocket guide · Greece
Aegina
Αίγινα
Go for one night, or as a day trip from Piraeus: 40–70 min by ferry, €10–14 each way, and the Temple of Aphaea is the one sight worth the crossing.
Aegina is the closest island to Athens, an hour by hydrofoil from Piraeus, and it works as a beach suburb with an old port rather than a full island trip. Come for the pistachios, the fish tavernas and the Temple of Aphaea; two nights is the ceiling unless you are escaping the city heat for a week.
- Country
- Greece
- Local name
- Αίγινα
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–early Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat, Athens weekend crowds), Nov–Mar (many tavernas and boats shut)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards are widely accepted; card terminals are required in many businesses.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €170+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Cosmote, Vodafone and Nova sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at the airport; a passport is needed to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Fire 199 · Tourist police 1571
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European round two-pin plugs.
- Tipping
- Café: Leave the coins, €0.50–1.; Taverna or restaurant: 5–10% in cash on the table; not expected at gyros shops.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night.; Boat crew or guide: €5–10 per person for a day trip.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in Athens, Thessaloniki and most of the mainland. On many islands it is desalinated or hard: ask locally and buy bottled if unsure.
- Toilets
- Use cafés (buy something), museums and sites. Paper goes in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or frappé on the waterfront | €2.50–4.50 |
| Souvlaki or gyros | €3.50–6 |
| Taverna meal with wine, per person | €18–30 |
| Beer: taverna draught / kiosk can | €3–5 / €1.50–2.50 |
| Aegina pistachios, 500 g from a kiosk | €8–15 |
| Taxi across the island, one way | €15–30 |
| Temple of Aphaea entry | €6 |
| Archaeology Museum (Temple of Apollo) entry | €4 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ATH · Athens Eleftherios Venizelos
- Metro or bus to Piraeus, then ferry; allow 2 h 30 min door to door to Aegina town
Typical fares
- Piraeus → Aegina town, hydrofoil
- about €14, 40 min
- Piraeus → Aegina town, conventional ferry
- about €10, 70 min
- Island bus, one ride
- €2 cash on board
- Water taxi Perdika → Moni
- about €5–10 return
Get around
Buses run three routes from the stand by the harbour (north coast, east to Agia Marina via the temple, south to Perdika), roughly three departures a day on weekdays, €2 cash on board; they are built for villagers, not sightseeing. Five rental agencies near the harbour do cars, scooters and motorbikes — book ahead. For a single day, a taxi tour costs less hassle than a rental.
See and do
Known for
- Temple of Aphaea
- Aegina pistachios (PDO)
- Old port and fish market
- Agios Nektarios monastery
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Temple of Aphaea | Blue bus route 2 from the harbour stand, or 20 min by car/taxi | About 45 min |
| Agios Nektarios and Paleochora | Same blue route, get off at the monastery | About 30 min |
| Perdika and Moni | Orange bus route 3, or 25 min by car; then a 10-min water taxi to Moni | About 45 min |
| Agistri | Seasonal ferry or hydrofoil from Aegina town | About 30 min |
| Athens and Piraeus | Ferry or hydrofoil back to Piraeus, then metro | 1 h 30 min–2 h |
Sleep
- Aegina town
- Around the harbour and north along the coast: walk to ferries, tavernas and the fish market. Best for one night.
- Agia Marina
- East-coast beach strip, 30 min by bus from town and closest to the Temple of Aphaea.
- Perdika
- Southwest fishing village with a row of tavernas; quiet, needs a car or taxi for everything else.
- Souvala–Vagia
- North-coast beach hotels and studios; good swimming, thin bus service.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Γεια σαςya sas |
| Thank you | Ευχαριστώefharisto |
| How much is it? | Πόσο κάνει;poso kani |
| The bill, please | Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώton logariasmo parakalo |
| Where is the bus stop? | Πού είναι η στάση;pu ine i stasi |
| Can I pay by card? | Δέχεστε κάρτα;deheste karta |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'kaliméra' (morning) or 'kalispéra' (evening) on entering shops and tavernas; avoid: Launching straight into a question
- Hospitality: Accept offered coffee, sweets or raki; it is part of the welcome; avoid: Refusing flatly — take a little
- Churches: Covered shoulders and knees; quiet voices; a small candle donation; avoid: Turning your back on the altar for photos during a service
- Gestures: Wave with the palm turned towards yourself; avoid: The open palm pushed forward (moutza)
- Conversation: Family, food and football are easy topics; avoid: Lecturing on the debt crisis, Türkiye or the name of North Macedonia
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries or wine; arrive a little late; avoid: Leaving food on the plate if you have been served more
- Dress: Casual; long trousers or skirt for monasteries; avoid: Swimwear in town, shops and churches
Scams and watch-outs
- Sun and dehydration: the sea breeze hides how fast you burn.
- Bus timetables are thin and destinations are posted in Greek only; ask the driver.
- Some rental scooters and cars are in poor condition — check brakes and tyres before you pay.
- The south prong of the Perdika peninsula is private scrub and officially off-limits.
- Hydrofoil and ferry schedules change by season and operator; confirm the day before you travel.
Very safe for tourists; the real risks are sunburn, dehydration, scooter crashes on island roads and the occasional weak swimmer at exposed beaches. Keep cash for buses and small tavernas.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Aegina yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Temple of Aphaea
- Aegina pistachios (PDO)
- Old port and fish market
- Agios Nektarios monastery
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Hellenic Seaways: www.hellenicseaways.gr/en-gb
- Blue Star Ferries: www.bluestarferries.com/en-gb
- Saronic Ferries: www.sf.gr/en
- Wikivoyage: Aegina, revision 5181599 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5181599
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
AeginaΑίγινα
Σε αυτή τη διεύθυνση, παρακαλώ
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on Aegina; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish missions are in Athens. Consular help for lost passports means a trip back to the mainland.
Ferry gate at Piraeus is normally E8 for Aegina; check the electronic screens as it can shift.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/aegina). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.