6 Best Hotels in Aegina, The Saronic Gulf Islands

About 9 km (5½ miles) from Aegina Town, at the small port of Souvala, this modern bed-and-breakfast is popular with Athenians seeking relaxing weekends away from the city, and its studios (including one larger suite) can accommodate two to five people each. Every one has been decorated in a unique and colorful style. The overall effect is reminiscent of a modern dollhouse, with pistachio-color cupboards and hand-painted tables in the common kitchen and cast-iron furniture outdoors.

Take advantage of this hotel's beautiful hillside location over a beach by relaxing on the restaurant terrace or renting a boat to water-ski in the clear blue waters; not surprisingly, guest rooms at this gracefully aging hotel, built in a typical 1970s style, have balconies and most of them sea views. The town center of slightly overdeveloped but lively Ayia Marina is a 10-minute walk from the hotel; a bus stop is 750 feet from the hotel, while the Temple of Aphaia is a healthy 30-minute hike away. The staff is friendly and the rooms are spotlessly clean in this family-run hotel, which is, officially, the highest rated (3 stars) on the island.

Irides Luxury Studios is housed in a slightly quirky building, just 100 feet from the seafront, so all guest rooms and studios here get a sea view. Enjoy breakfast on the terrace next to the asymmetric pool overlooking the Saronic Gulf. In the well-kept garden there is an outdoor chess board and nearby is a beach volleyball court that hosts a popular tournament every summer; the owners also host classical music evenings and Greek cooking workshops.

Quiet and secluded, this boutique hotel's peaceful quality is heightened by the landscaped mature Mediterranean garden filled with aromatic herbs, wild flowers, and pistachio trees. Wood pergolas, benches, and rattan armchairs, where you can curl up with a book or just spend the day staring out to sea, are inconspicuously placed throughout. Guest rooms have a sleek, minimalist feel; a sense of space and reliance on Asian wood trims and furniture adds to the Zen appeal. Many of them are designed to cater to families (special rates apply). The views from Rastoni are what people visit Greece for, a solitary ancient column of the temple of Apollo standing proudly, white against the backdrop of the sparkling blues of sea and sky. The latest attraction is the oldest: the owners have lovingly preserved the ancient ruins that came to light during construction in the lobby.