Greek Islands

Aegina lies almost in the center of the Saronic islands and is the closest island to Athens with the exception of Salamina, just a few miles away.

Aegina can be reached by boat from Piraeus. The distance from Piraeus is about 17 miles to the city of Aegina, 16 miles to Agia Marina and 12 miles to Souvala and it takes the small Ro-Ro ferries about an hour and a half to reach it.

There several departures every day, the first ones to be at 6:30 (the sunrise in the sea offers magnificent photos and a nice Greek coffee) and then every hour or so.

Perdika - located on the Southern edge of the Aegina island it is small fishing village. This is one of the most picturesque spots on the Aegina island

Souvala - Souvala is located on the North East coast, about 10 km from, Aegina Town

Aegina island in Greece is exceptional not only for the wonderful climate , the peace and beauty of its landscape and its sandy beaches but also for its ancient history which goes back as far as 3.500 B.C.
 
On the Hill of Colona to the left of the harbor are ruins of eleven prehistoric settlements with their fortified walls and the remains of the Doric temple of Apollo " of the Dolphins".

From the 6th to the 7th century B.C. Aegina was the greatest naval power in Mediterranean and the first State to mint silver coins. Dating from this period are the ruins of the famous " Hidden Harbor " one of the most impressive achievements of ancient Greek technology. And the famous temple of Aphaia.

Temple of Afea:
An unparalleled work of craftsmanship, artistry and geometry, which has stood proudly on the promontory of a peak of hills in Aegina, since the 8th century BC. Information about Afaia,  to whom the temple was dedicated, has been handed down to us by Pausanias, from Cretan tradition. According to this tradition, Zeus and Karma gave birth to a daughter, Britomartis, who loved hunting, which endeared her to the goddess Artemis. However, King Minos fell in love with her, and in order to save herself from his unwelcome attentions, she plunged into the sea where she became entangled in fishing nets. The fishermen took her on board, but yet again, one of their number became infatuated with her so she had no choice but to jump in the sea once more. She swam away from the boat to the nearest island, which was Aegina. When she arrived on the shore, Britomartis immediately took the path into the woods and as the watching fishermen saw her slowly disappearing from sight, it seemed to them that a god had intervened - so they named her "Afaia" from the words "Afanti/Afaneri" meaning "invisible". In Crete she was known as "Diktina" (from the word for nets, "Diktya").

The temple is situated on the north-east of the island, 15 kilometres from Aegina town, and settlements have been found in the area which pre-date the temple. The oldest settlement dates from the 8th century BC. Around 510 BC there is evidence of a large fire which destroyed the first Doric temple on the site to such an extent that the inhabitants decided to pull it down, except for the tower and altar. In the rebuilding they made it even more magnificent, and decorated it with frescoes and sculptures in the style now known as the "Aegina School". 

The new temple took its final shape around 500 BC and since then there were no more additions. It is mostly made from local limestone, with 6 columns on the short sides and 12 on the long sides. In the sanctuary there were also buildings for the priests, a large gateway, a place for sacrifices and an altar as well as a treasure house for offerings.

In the centre stood a statue to Athena (Afaia) and the sculptures on the temple showed battle scenes. The west side depicted the story of Achilles' campaign in Troy, while on the east, were the battles of Telamon and Heracles against King Laeomedonta. (Unfortunately these sculptures are no longer in place. In 1811 Baron von Hallerstein with permission from the Turkish authorities, took them to Germany. They now adorn the Glyptotheke in Munich).
 
The temple makes an equilateral triangle with the Parthenon in Athens, and the Temple to Poseidon at Sounion. This was considered a holy triangle by the ancients

Mount Hellanion:
At 1.532 m. above sea level, Mount Hellanion is Aeginas highest point . On the summit there was a shrine to Hellanios Zeus ( Zeus of all Greeks).
You can get there along the road which goew from Aegina to Perdika, passing in front of the "Capodistrian Orphanage (also Known as old prison) and Aeginas High School. Turn left towards direction Legki - Tsikides - Pacheia Rachi. At the food of the Hellanion mount is the small Church of "Taxiarhes" (the Archangels) build on the top of the ancient sanctuary instalations. A stone road buildd at the time of Pergamos, leads up to the shrine. There is also some remmants of a large building of the time, thought to be a guest house . Remains of farm buildings and houses from 13th century have also been found on the site.

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