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Home / Islands of the Saronic Gulf
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Islands of the Saronic Gulf (0)
Saronic islands are all within an hour or two from Athens by Flying Dolphin, which makes them not only convenient for day trips, but Hydra,Spetses,Aegina, Poros and Angistri can be used as a place to stay while commuting to Athens to see the sites.
There are many ferries/boats ,mini taxi cruise, a day and Hydrofoils can run hourly or more.
Aegina island
was a city state in it's own right in ancient times, and at times a visible thorn in the side of classical Athens. Aegina is a vert nice day trip from Athens. Take the ferry rather then the hydrofoil so that you can relax and enjoy the scenery of the short trip...
Agistri,
is a small island near Aegina with beautiful sandy beaches and a devoted following. Angistri is famous for being one of the first places in Greece to experiment with naturalism, (or in plain English it was one of the first islands to
have a nudist beach)...
Hydra,
Former home of Leonard Cohen and jet setter haven. No beaches but who cares? Magnificent village and swimming off the rocks is good enough for recovering from the previous nights festivities. Restaurants and cafes on waterfront are for people-watching
Spetses,
Nice beaches. Pine trees. Water-taxis and Nightlife in the old harbor plus one of the oldest wooden boat building yards in Greece. Spetses is most famous for being the setting for the John Fowles book The Magus which is suggested reading for your visit here.You can travel all around the island by bicycle or water taxi and there are excursion boats and buses to the various beaches...
Poros
Imagine an island so close to Athens that you can wake up in the morning and in a little more than an hour, be walking around the acropolis, shopping in the flea-market or wandering around the Plaka looking for gifts or a nice place for lunch. Imagine an island that is a three minute boat ride to the Peleponisos and places like
Salamis island
According to myths and legends Salamis is named after the Nymph Salamina the daughter of the Corinthian river Asopou and Koulouri from the ancient cape (Kolouris Akra) where the ancient city was built in 4thcentury. According to myth , Poseidon fell in love with Salamina and she gave birth to Cychreus the first king of Salamis who was half man half fish.The next king of Salamis was Telamon who married the daughter of Cychreus, Glauce. After her death he married Erivia or Periboea and the legendary AIAS (AJAX) was born, who was the leader of the Salaminian and Megarian army at the Trojan war. Ajax (Aias) had a half-brother from Hesione whose name was Teucros, they both took part in the great Trojan war having 18 ships under their command. After the Trojan war and the suicide of Ajax (Aias), Teucros along with the son of Ajax (Aias), Eurysaces, returned to Salamis and faced the anger of Telamon, because Teucros did not revenge the death of his brother, Ajax (Aias). Teucros abandoned the island and went to Cyprus were he established a new city, naming it after his birth place, Salamis. Salamis Island was inhabited from the Neolithic centuries, as the archeological findings reveal on the southern part of the coast of the island. Because of it’s geographical location it was the reason of many disputes from the larger cities that wanted to control the island. The greatest event of Salamis history is the great battle of Salamis, which changed the course of history at that time, where the Greeks defeated the Persians and ended the quest of the Asian barbarians to conquer Greece and Europe.
On Salamis island at the time of the great battle of Salamis the three greatest play writers of all centuries met. Aeschylos, who took part in the Great Battle of Salamis and afterwards wrote it’s history, Sofoclis, a teenager at the time, took part in the victory celebrations and last but not least comes the most tragic of the three Euripides, Who was born on Salamis on the day of the Great Historic Event.
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Υποκατηγορίες
The picturesque island of Hydra is situated 35 nautical miles away from the port of Piraeus, between the islands of Poros and Spetses.Hydra has a total area of 52sq.km. and a population of approximately 2,300 inhabitants. Its highest peak is that of mountain Eros, (592m. high).
The main characteristic of Hydra is that there are no vehicles at all. Instead, all people use donkeys for their everyday transportation. All houses follow the traditional architectural style and the old mansions are stone made. The island is the ideal destination for romantic walks through the narrow paved alleys.
The visitor gets to choose among several rocky, sandy or pebbled beaches, accessible by donkey or sea transportation. Some of those beaches are as follows: Hydronetta, Kamini, (a natural harbor with fishing boats), and Spilia, (meaning «cave» in Greek, a beautiful rocky area close to the harbor).
An organized beach, accessible by boat or sea taxi, is that of Mandraki. Here, you can find various water sports, including windsurfing and skiing.
Hydra has been one of the most significant cultural centers, connected with various painters and writers, such as Gikas, Seferis, Elitis, Henry Miller and many others. Every year, many cultural events take place here. If you happen to be on the island around the 21st of June, do not forget to participate at the popular festival called «Miaoulia». The festival lasts for three days and it is part of the «Navy Week». Of great interest is, also, the International Festival of Puppet show, taking place every July.
If you come to the island, do not forget to try the local traditional sweets of «amigdalota».
Hydra, offers to the visitor all kinds of facilities, including hotels, apartments, cafeterias, tavernas, nightclubs and tourist shops.
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Spetses Island is another graphical island, which situated at the entrance to the Argolic Gulf It’s a rocky island with some pines trees on it Its narrow and graphic streets, the beautiful coasts and the friendly people make a magic atmosphere…The romantic plays presented by the neoclassical houses, the horse-drawn carriages (no cars allowed) and the greeness of the island Spetses- is apparent the moment you step foot on this luminous ArgoSaronic island, which is often called the noble lady of the Saronic Gulf. Spetses - like the other Saronic islands - contributed greatly to the struggle for freedom with its naval power and the heroism of natives such as: Bouboulina and Botsaris, the most famous heroine and hero of the War of Independence of 1821. The ancient name of the island was Pityoussa (meaning pine-covered) and it is true since, even today, most hills are verdant contrasting the dry and barren landscape of the neighboring Hydra.Take the coastal route which unrolls from both sides of the harbor. One direction takes you to the Old Harbor, where the caiques, sailing vessels and yachts moor. The other direction leads you to Kounoupitsa Beach and even further to Lighoneri and Zagheria. The famous Ntapia Square awaits you for a nice stroll and a taste of the delicious sweets at the surrounding cafes and pastry shops. Roussos is famous for waffles, the hang-out of many young visitors. Visit Aghios Mamas, with the charming archontika with the high fences and blossoming yards. The homes of Bouboulina and Botsaris and that of Hatziyiannis Meksis where the Museum (of heirlooms from the Revolution) is housed (open Tue-Sun from 8:30am to 3pm). The Metropolis of Aghios Nikolaos a Byzantine church - near the harbor - is worth seeing. The best beaches can be found in the northern part: Saints Anarghyroi and Aghia Paraskevi.In the west you will encounter Zogheria and if you prefer shorter distances the seashores of Aghios Nikolaos and Kounoupitsa will suffice. Night life is animated and intensified in the old harbor, where bars - such as: Sailing, Figaro, Bracera, Mouraghio (with Greek music), Padrino, Blueberry's, Beach Bar and more- abound.
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The picturesque island of Poros is situated 32 nautical miles away from Piraeus. It has a total area of 31sq.km. and a population of approximately 4,000 inhabitants. The island’s name means «narrow strait» and is separated from the Peloponnese and the town of Galatas by a 370m. canal. Poros is, actually, made up by two islands, namely Sphairia and Kalavria. The two islands are connected by a bridge over a narrow isthmus. Opposite to the harbor of Poros lies the small island of Bourtzi with a castle built in the year of 1827. Also, worth of visiting is the famous area of the so-called Lemonodasos, (meaning «lemon forest» in Greek). The place, covered in lemon trees, is ideal for long and romantic walks.
If you come to Poros, do not forget to visit the Russian Dockyard, situated in a beautiful bay. It has been announced as a historical monument for its unique architectural significance.
Poros is a green island with hills and a beautiful coastline. Its highest peak is that of Vigla, (358m. high). The beauty of the island, covered in pine and olive trees, has been praised by many literary people, such as Seferis, Palamas, Henry Miller and many others. All fishing and mountainous villages are characterized by their traditional architectural style with several neoclassical buildings. The wonderful and clean beaches of Poros are ideal for swimming, many of which offer to the visitor a great variety of water sports. Monastiri, on the eastern side, is a peaceful beach with traditional tavernas and the «Love little port» is perfect for those wishing to swim under the pine trees.
Every year, many cultural and artistic events take place here, including painting and sculpture exhibitions. Especially on the first days of July, the locals celebrate the sailors week.
Throughout Poros, the visitor can find a great number of hotels, apartments, tavernas, cafeterias, nightclubs and souvenir shops.
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Egina, (also spelled as Aegina), is situated only 12 nautical miles away from the port of Piraeus. Egina is the second biggest island in Argosaronikos with a total area of 83sq. km. and a population of approximately 17,000 inhabitants. The island has many hills covered in pine trees, while its highest mountain is that of Oros, (532m. high). Opposite to Egina, lies the island of Agistri which can be reached by daily small ships.
Egina, with the numerous beach coves, is known worldwide for being the main centre in Greece growing pistachio nuts.
The town of Egina, (built amphitheatrically), is the capital of the island, situated on the west side. The town retains its traditional architecture with impressive neo-classical buildings running along the waterfront. In the Metropolis street, you can see the library of Egina, together with the houses of various famous artists, such as Zografou, Liberopoulou and Peppa. Worth of visiting is, also, the tower of Markello, built around the year of 1880 by Spiridona Markello, (member of the island’s Parliament).
Egina offers to the visitor a great variety of beautiful beaches. In Souvala, (a traditional fishing village 10km. away from the capital), has a beach with hot springs known as Therma.
In Vagia, (4km. to the east of Souvala), you can find the sandy beach covered in pine trees, ideal for swimming and relaxation. Another good choice for swimming is the pebbled beach of Portes, (meaning «doors» in Greek). Additionally, 4km. away from the island’s town there is the organized sandy beach of Marathonas.
In general, Egina offers to the visitor all kinds of facilities, including hotels, apartments, tavernas, cafeterias, nightclubs and tourist shops.
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The island of Salamina is the largest one in the Saronic Gulf, situated only 1 nautical mile away from the port of Piraeus. It has a total area of 36sq. km. and its highest peak is called Mavrovouni, (meaning «black mountain» in Greek), (365m. high).
All beaches are ideal for swimming with crystal clear waters, some of the best being those of Resti, Kiriza and Kolona. The visitor can find in Salamina all kinds of facilities, such as hotels, apartments, cafeterias, taavernas, nightclubs and commercial shops.
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The island of Agistri, (meaning «fishing hook» in Greek), is situated in the heart of the Saronic Gulf, only 20 nautical miles away from the port of Piraeus and 4 nautical miles away from Aegina. It is a small island with a total size of 14 sq. km. and a population of no more than 1,000 inhabitants. That number doubles during the summer period.
Agistri is the ideal destination for family vacations in a relaxing environment, covered in pine trees. It consists of three main settlements, namely Mylos, (where most of the locals live), Skala, (a 30 minute stroll along the coast road from Mylos) and the small village of Limenaria. The most popular beach on the island is that of Halikadha, made up of beautiful pebbles.
If you come to Agistri, do not forget to try some of the local products, such as olive oil, fruits and figs. There is, also, a great variety of hotels, tavernas, cafeterias, bars and tourist shops.
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