DISCOVER AEGINA

The island forms part of the Piraeus Prefecture and, on a bigger level, the Attica. The capital is the town of Aegina, situated at the northwestern end of the island.

Due to its proximity to Athens, it is a popular quick getaway during the summer months, with quite a few Athenians owning second homes on the island.


GEOGRAPHY, ECONOMY & CLIMATE

Aegina is triangular in shape, 13 km (8 miles) long from northwest to south-east, and 15 km (6 miles) broad, with an area of about 106 km² (41 square miles).

Two thirds of Aegina constitutes an extinct volcano. The northern and western side consist of stony but fertile plains, which are well cultivated and produce luxuriant crops of grain, with some cotton, vines, almonds, olives and figs, but the most characteristic crop of Aegina today (1990s) is pistachio. Economically, the sponge fisheries are of notable importance.

The southern volcanic part of the island is rugged and mountainous, and largely barren. Its highest rise is the conical Mount Oros in the south, and the Panhellenian ridge stretches northward with narrow fertile valleys on either side. There are no marshes, which makes the climate the most healthy in Greece.

The beaches are also a popular tourist attraction. Speedboat ferries from Athens take only 20 minutes to reach Aegina. The regular ferry takes about an hour. Public transportation can take you from the port to the popular beaches on the other side of the island.


ATTRACTIONS OF AEGINA

Aegina is a famous tourist destination. It takes about 35 minutes to travel to Aegina from Piraeus, the main port of Athens. Notable attractions include:

• the Temple of Aphaea, dedicated to its namesake, a goddess which was later associated with Athena; the temple was part of a pre-Christian, equilateral holy triangle of temples including the Athenian Parthenon and the temple of Poseidon at Sounion marketed by tour companies as the "Golden Mean Triangle."
  
  
• the Monastery of Agios Nectarios, dedicated to Saint Nectarios, a recent saint of the Greek Orthodox Church.
  
  
• Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first leader of free modern Greece (1776-1831) had a large building erected intended for a barracks, which was subsequently used as a museum, a library and a school. The museum was the first institution of its kind in Greece, but the collection was transferred to Athens in 1834. A statue in the principal square commemorates him.

MYTHOLOGY

In Greek mythology, Aegina was a daughter of the river god Asopus and the nymph Metope. She bore at least two children: Menoetius by Actor, and Aeacus by Zeus.

When Zeus abducted Aegina, he took her to Oenone, an island close to Attica. This island would later be called Aegina. Here, Aegina gave birth to Aeacus, who would later become king of Oenone; henceforth, the island's name Aegina.


From Wikipedia

AEGINA HOTELS & RESORTS

GREECE TOURS & TRAVEL