Saronic Islands
Why go?
These 5 islands - bustling Aegina, diminutive Angistri, painterly
Hydra, car-free Poros and elegant Spetses - have many of the charms
of the remotest Greek isles, yet are only an hour or two from
Piraeus by hydrofoil. The seas here, perhaps surprisingly, are
among the clearest in Greece, and if you come out of season and
midweek, the beaches (mostly shingle) are blissfully quiet, with
pine trees lapping right down to the water's edge. As for the
towns, both Hydra and Spetses have some of the handsomest houses in
Greece - tight-packed, white-washed seafarers' mansions, with
patterned, pebbled courtyards and art-filled interiors - as well as
enough boutiques and nightclubs to entertain the manicured
Athenians who flock here at weekends.
Being so close to the Peloponnese too, these islands make a handy
addition for anyone wanting to combine the capital (Athens), the
former capital (Nafplion) and one of the islands (we'd plump for
Spetses) in an adventurous train+bus+boat circuit.
What's where?
- Spetses: 2 hours from Athens by hydrofoil, historic Spetses has a handsome main town, pine-fringed beaches, limpid waters and hardly any cars Read More >>