Day 72: Exploring Aegina – Nectarios, Aphaia, Agia Marina, Ancient Olive Grove, Marathonas and Perdkia

Monday 29th August 2022

Making an Effort

I’d spent the past few weeks taking it very easy on Crete, with little in terms of sightseeing and therefore no fresh YouTube content. Arriving late yesterday on Aegina – an island I’ve never visited before – I was determined to make the most of my three nights here by exploring as much as I could.

I hadn’t expected breakfast to be included in my hotel booking but was told during check-in last night that it was, which was a pleasant surprise and gave me one less thing to plan. I hadn’t slept overly well despite the long day of travel yesterday. I woke early feeling quite drained but intended to push through the fatigue as best I could. I got down to breakfast at 7:30 and had a reasonable meal: the usual selection of bread, yoghurt, cold meat and some sweet biscuits and pastries, plus lots of coffee, water and fruit juice.

Moped Rental

Before leaving the hotel, I’d searched online for a local rental shop where I could hire a moped to get around the island. Having rented my first moped back in Astypalea, I felt confident in safely getting around on two wheels and was glad to save some money over renting a car or quad bike. Google Maps suggested there was a rental business (Sunrise Rent a Car & Scooter) down at the harbourfront, just a 10-minute walk from the hotel, and that it opened at 8:30 a.m. Armed with this information, I’d packed my rucksack and applied suntan lotion before going down to breakfast so that I could head straight out after eating.

I got to the rental shop a bit early and had to wait around for it to open. It was just a tiny kiosk, and it turned out they didn’t have any vehicles on site. After enquiring about the costs of a scooter (€30 for one day – a fair bit more than on Astypalea, but I expected it would be), the lady called her colleague, who came and picked me up and drove me a short distance west around the harbour to their main location (here). I had to wait while the staff sorted out some other customers, but soon enough, I was heading off on my little red 125cc moped!

First Stop: Church of Saint Nectarios

On the advice of the rental company, I revised my original itinerary. I made my first stop at the church of Saint Nectarios, a vast Greek Orthodox church in the centre of Aegina. As the island isn’t huge, it only took 15 minutes, and I was pleased to find that the roads were smooth and easy to navigate.

I spent some time exploring the church, which is a very impressive building and then found a quiet spot nearby where I could get my drone out for some aerial shots and video for YouTube.

I’d been flying for about 10-15 minutes when a man appeared in his truck and asked me to stop filming. Fortunately, I had all the footage I wanted, so I gave him a thumbs-up, landed the drone, packed it away, and headed to my next destination.

Next Stop: Temple of Aphaia

The most famous tourist attraction on the island is the ancient Temple of Aphaia, located on a hillside towards the island’s eastern side. Dating back to the 5th century BC, it’s in relatively good condition and well worth visiting.

https://youtu.be/he9didaROGE

The ride to the Temple took about 15 minutes from the Church, so it wasn’t far to travel. On arrival, I’d expected a long walk from the parking area to the temple, but there’s a reasonably large car park close by. A couple of tour buses were there when I arrived, but only a few cars, so it wasn’t packed.

Entry cost €6, which seemed reasonable, though it isn’t a large site – just the temple and some tiny ruins surrounding it. As I entered, a staff member asked me to remove the microphone from my primary camera – apparently, ‘professional’ filming isn’t allowed – though I’m not sure what difference my removing the mic really makes. I complied anyway and still managed to record some content for the YouTube video (see below).

Cafe Stop and Agia Marina

In need of refreshments, I noticed a small cafe opposite the entrance to the Temple. Expecting it to be a bit over-priced, I was surprised that a large bottle of Mythos was only €2.50 – bargain! I sat in the shade and enjoyed the cold beer while contemplating the remaining itinerary. I only had the moped for one day, so I wanted to get as much done as possible.

As it was approaching midday, it made sense to continue to the eastern resort of Agia Marina, where I’d hopefully find somewhere to have lunch and explore the village. The ride down was quite twisty but only took 5 minutes. Parking was straightforward, another benefit of a moped; I managed to find a spot just behind the main beach.

Before eating, I decided to try out the beach and go for a swim to cool off. The sea was relatively calm but a lot warmer than I’d expected – usually, this would be a good thing, but it didn’t help to cool me down as I’d planned.

Lunch in Agia Marina

Feeling slightly refreshed, I dried off for a few minutes on the sand, then walked past my moped in search of food. There were several tavernas, but I didn’t want to spend too much or eat a large meal. On the way down to the beach, I’d ridden past a small taverna called Pita Tom, which looked like the right place to get a cheap snack. I made my way back to it on foot and ordered pork gyros and Coke Zero (not wanting to overdo the alcohol while I was riding the moped). It was tasty and just what I needed to keep me fuelled for the afternoon.

Northern Coastline of Aegina

Having seen the two main sights, I planned to head back to the west of the island via the northern coastal road. Although there were no specific tourist sights on my route, I figured I would see each village as I rode through and decide whether to stop.

My first stop was at Vagia, where I spotted a small beach and harbour area. I got the drone out again, as it was pretty quiet and did some more recording.

As you can see, it’s a small village, and there wasn’t much to see besides the beach and a small marina, so I was back on the moped a few minutes later, heading west towards Vathy and the resort of Souvala.

Vathy / Souvala

Once again, there wasn’t a huge amount to see here. After my snack lunch, I was still a bit hungry, so I stopped outside a mini market on the way into Souvala and bought an ice cream and a can of Sprite. I ate the ice cream immediately but saved the Sprite until I was parked next to the beach.

I found a shaded bench beside the beach and enjoyed my cold drink. As far as I could tell, the beach was small and didn’t have many people, mostly local families. There is a big-ish port here, though, and while I was there, a ferry arrived, which I think connects the resort to mainland Greece.

I was tempted to swim, but the water didn’t seem that appealing, and I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t run out of time to see the rest of the island before I had to return the moped. Instead, I got back on the bike and continued my westward journey.

Coastal Road and Southwest Aegina

The road along the northwest coast runs close to the shoreline and is quite scenic. I enjoyed cruising with the sea beside me and some gentle hills to the left. At the northwestern corner, a small lighthouse sits on a flat, empty patch of ground with a little church behind it.

It’s a pretty spot with excellent views over the nearby islands. I stopped to take some photos and video, then continued, heading southbound towards the capital where I’d set off earlier this morning. I didn’t stop as I’ve got time to explore Aegina Town tomorrow on foot. I continued south, following the coastal road until I reached the beach at Marathonas.

Marathonas Beach and Detour to the Ancient Olive Grove

Stopping at Marathonas was a spontaneous act: I spotted the beach from a distance, and it seemed to be a popular location, with quite a few cars, quad bikes and mopeds parked along the roadside. I fancied a dip in the sea, so I parked at the north end, got my towel and walked down to the sand.

The water was stony at the shoreline but remained shallow and soon cleared to soft sand. Like Agia Marina, it was warm in the sea and not particularly refreshing, but it did wash the sweat away and was nice to float on the surface for a few minutes.

I’d read about an ancient olive grove in this part of the island and was keen to check it out, but unsure how to reach it. After drying off with my towel, I returned to the moped and continued south, hoping to see a signpost for the olive grove.

Despite paying close attention, I drove past the first sign, which was relatively small and pointed up a steep, narrow road just as I entered the next village. Turning around, I found the sign and followed the road carefully uphill. I managed to get lost a couple of times, as the olive grove wasn’t signposted at every junction and, despite stopping to check Google Maps on my phone, it was hard to find the right roads as it was quite a maze of small residential streets. Eventually, I reached the top of the hill and found a dirt track that seemed the only way ahead.

I followed the track for a while until I encountered a couple of mopeds parked under a tree near a fork in the road. Assuming this was a sensible place to dismount, I parked near the other bikes and proceeded on foot.

Thinking it would only be a short walk, I was surprised when the path opened up to a flat plain and seemed to stretch into the distance. I could see olive trees, but it wasn’t clear if these were the “ancient” trees or just normal ones. Another map check suggested I continue further east to reach the marker location. When I arrived, it was clear that these trees were indeed much older than the ones I’d passed:

Perdika and Back to Aegina Town

I’d spent longer than anticipated finding the olive grove, so I walked back to the moped at a fair pace and returned to the main road just after 5 p.m. The moped was due by 8 p.m., so I still had time, but I didn’t want to rush.

With that in mind, I made Perdika the day’s last stop. It’s the largest resort on the southwest coastline and is popular with divers and sailors for access to the tiny adjacent island of Moni Aegina. By the time I arrived, the sun had mostly disappeared under a haze of light clouds, making everywhere look rather grey and dull:

I parked down near the small beach and harbour area to have a quick walk around but to be honest, it didn’t seem like much of a tourist destination. Satisfied that I’d at least ticked it off the itinerary, I got back on the moped for the final journey back to Aegina Town.

On the way out of Perdika, I stopped at a petrol station I’d seen on the way there and filled up with fuel. It took about 20 minutes to return to the rental shop, then another 5-10 minutes to return to the hotel for a much-needed shower. It had been a great day, though, and I was pleased with all the sightseeing.

Dinner Time

Feeling revived after a cool shower and chilling in the hotel room, I returned to Aegina Town around 7:30 p.m. to find a taverna for dinner. Rather than exploring all the side streets, I stuck to the harbour-front again. I walked most of the way along it and back again, perusing some menus to decide where to stop. Just as I was starting to get frustrated with my indecisiveness, I had another look at the menu outside Porto Italiano and decided it was the place for me.

A little on the expensive side again, but the food was good, and I realised that Aegina prices are just higher than I’d become accustomed to from my time on Crete. I started with baked feta with tomato and peppers, then fresh pasta strozzapreti with chicken and mushrooms in a creamy sauce.

I didn’t stay out late as I was tired from a long day’s sightseeing. I returned to my room, spent some time downloading the photos and videos from my cameras and drone, and then went to bed.