34 Best Sights in The Saronic Gulf Islands, Greece

One of the great glories of ancient Greek art, the Temple of Aphaia is among the best-preserved examples of Classical Doric architecture. Once adorned with exquisite pedimental sculptures of Trojan-war scenes—the originals are now in Munich’s Glyptothek—the temple still proudly bears 25 of its original 32 columns, either standing or carefully re-erected. Perched on a pine-clad promontory, it commands superb views across the Saronic Gulf: with binoculars you can pick out both the Parthenon and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion.

Legend has it that the Temple of Aphaia, the Parthenon in Athens, and Poseidon’s temple at Sounion mark the points of an almost perfect equilateral triangle—“Antiquity’s Sacred Triangle.” The site has held sanctuaries to Aphaia for centuries; the ruins you see today date from about 500–490 BC. Aphaia was probably a pre-Hellenic fertility goddess whose cult later merged with that of Athena.

A small on-site museum (no extra fee) displays plaster casts of the pediments, color fragments from the interior, and a 560 BC votive tablet recording the dedication to Aphaia. From Aegina Town, catch the KTEL bus for Agia Marina at Ethnegersias Square (the main station); buses run roughly hourly between 7 am and 6:30 pm in summer—ask the driver to stop at the temple. A gift-and-snack bar opposite is a handy spot for a drink while you wait for the return bus to town or the onward bus to Agia Marina’s beach.

Take a horse and carriage or stroll the seafront promenade to the old harbor, Palio Limani, from the bustling new harbor, Dapia. As you wander by the waterfront, you might imagine it as it was in its 18th- and 19th-century heyday: the walls of the mansions resounding with the noise of shipbuilding and the streets humming with discreet whisperings of revolution and piracy. Today, the wood keels in the few remaining boatyards are the backdrop for cosmopolitan bars, cafés, and restaurants; the sailing boats linger lazily in the bay. Walk up the hill to the ocher-hued chapel of Panagia Armata for unforgettable sunset views.

Boats ferry bathers from Hydra Town harbor near the Mitropolis church to pebble beaches on the island's southern coast, the best of which is Agios Nikolaos, where there are sun beds and umbrellas for a charge (starting at €5) and you can also rent canoes. Agios Nikolaos is located on the south side of the island, facing the Aegean Sea, and it is the largest organized beach on the island. It is mostly pebbled with some small sandy stretches that are ideal for children's play. The large boats heading to and from here have set fees (to Agios Nikolaos from Hydra Town is €10; water taxis, max eight passengers, charge around €180 for round-trip). Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

In front of a small park is Bouboulina's House, now a museum, where you can take a 45-minute guided tour (available in English) and learn about this interesting heroine's life. Laskarina Bouboulina was the bravest of all Spetsiot revolutionaries, the daughter of a Hydriot sea captain, and the wife—then widow—of two more sea captains. Left with a considerable inheritance and nine children, she dedicated herself to increasing her already substantial fleet and fortune. On her flagship, the Agamemnon, the largest in the Greek fleet at the time, she sailed into war against the Ottomans at the head of the Spetsiot ships. Her fiery temper led to her death in a family feud many years later. It's worth visiting the mansion, which is run by her fourth-generation grandson, just for the architectural details, like the carved-wood Florentine ceiling in the main salon. Tour times (in groups of up to 35 visitors) are posted on the museum website, in front of the museum, and in announcement boards at the port of Dapia.

Housed in an impressive mansion, this collection of historical artifacts and paintings has exhibits that date back to the 18th century. Heirlooms from the Balkan wars as well as from World War I and II are exhibited in the lobby. A small upstairs room contains figureheads from ships that fought in the 1821 War of Independence. There are old pistols and navigation aids, as well as portraits of the island's heroes and a section devoted to traditional local costume, including the dark karamani pantaloons worn by Hydriot men. Temporary art exhibits are also showcased from time to time.

In summer, caïques make frequent 10-minute trips from the fishing port of Perdika to the little island of Moni, a real heaven on earth inhabited only by peacocks, wild deer, relocated kri-kri (Cretan goats), and some remains of a 1960s campground. Shadowed by pine trees, hiking trails wind their way through the island's pristine landscape. Once the property of the Monastery of Chrysoleontissa, it is now a nature preserve. After your hike, take a most refreshing swim off the little sandy beach in the marvelously clear green waters by the quay. Note that the boatmen come back every hour, allowing you to leave whenever you wish (the round-trip ticket costs €10). A small beach bar operates in summer, offering cool drinks and toasted sandwiches, but if you plan to spend the day here, you would be better off bringing a full picnic lunch. In crowded peak season, Moni is a lovely way to escape the madding crowds. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming; walking.

Internationally renowned modern art collector Dakis Joannou acquired this former Hydra slaughterhouse, a leisurely 10-minute walk from the town (toward Mandraki), in 2009 to host artistic events and projects organized by his budding DESTE Foundation. Surprisingly, this is not what you might expect a chic and modern art gallery to look like: housed in an unassuming small building on a cliff by the sea, it can be missed if you don't actively look for it. But perhaps that is exactly the point that Joannou wanted to make with the Slaughterhouse, which has already acquired a leading role in Hydra's cultural life. Starting with the 2009 multimedia project "Blood of Two" by Matthew Barney and Elizabeth Peyton (which paid homage to the space's morbid past), every summer the space is now assigned to a different artist who is invited to stage a site-specific exhibition. Since then Doug Aitken, Urs Fischer, Paul Chan, Pawel Althamer, Jeff Koons, and Kara Walker, among others, have had works and installations exhibited there.

A fine and impressive late 18th-century archontiko, owned by the locally renowned Hatziyianni-Mexi family and built in an architectural style that might be termed Turko-Venetian, contains the town's municipal museum. Its modest interiors hold articles from the period of Spetses's greatness during the War of Independence, such as the famous revolutionary flag with "Freedom or Death" written on it. Sadly, both the flag and the remains of the heroic revolutionary general, Bouboulina, whose statue graces the harbor, are not given the honor they deserve. A small collection of ancient artifacts consists mostly of ceramics, Neolithic arrowheads, statuettes, and coins. Also on display are representative pieces of furniture and household items from the period of the Greek revolution.

This small but choice collection of artifacts was founded by Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias in 1829 and is regarded as the first national archaeological museum in the newly independent Greek state. Finds from the famed Temple of Aphaia and from excavations across the island, including Early- and Middle-Bronze-Age pottery, are on display. Among the Archaic and Classical works of art is the distinctive “Ram Jug,” a mid-Protoattic oinochoe (circa 650 BC) that shows Odysseus and his crew escaping Polyphemus the Cyclops, and a 5th-century-BC marble sphinx, a votive monument with a woman’s head, a lion’s body, and outstretched eagle wings.

Aegina was renowned as one of the best schools of pottery and sculpture in antiquity, and the exhibits here prove it. Just above the Archaeological Museum stands the ancient acropolis of Kolona, long the island’s religious and political heart. The settlement was first established in the Early Bronze Age (circa 3000 BC) and took the name Kolona (“Column”), popularized in Venetian times, because a single column of the Temple of Apollo still dominates the hill. Though the site is jumbled—archaeologists count 11 successive occupation layers—it’s a delight for archaeology buffs: you can trace fortification walls circa 1600–1300 BC, foundations of Classical shrines, and even modest Byzantine structures atop the ridge.

Set inside a handsome 1828 Neoclassical town house, bequeathed to the municipality by the Iriotis family, the museum re-creates island life in three vividly staged rooms. Upstairs you’ll find a parlor decked with period furniture, naïf paintings, lace curtaining, and wedding costumes that once graced local homes. Downstairs, a Fisherman’s Room features wooden floats, nets, and sponge-diving knives, while a Village Room displays hand-forged farm tools and an olive press from the interior hamlets. A small ground-floor gallery hosts temporary exhibitions.

Just beyond Marathonas, this mostly sandy bay with crystalline green water is fringed by eucalyptus and pine trees. Shallow depths suit young swimmers; the beach bar rents loungers, runs a volleyball court and hosts low-key DJ sets on summer weekends. KTEL buses to Perdika stop about 200 meters (656 feet) above the beach. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; water sports. Best for: sunset; swimming.

Favored by fashionable Greek socialites, the mostly sandy beach at Agia Marina is the home of the elegant Paradise Beach Bar, tavernas, and many water-sports activities. Sun beds and umbrellas are available for a fee. It's a 20-minute walk from Spetses Town on a lovely coastal path; alternatively, you can hire a horse-drawn buggy from town to arrive in style, or you can come by caïque. Warning: this beach can get pretty busy during the summer months with a younger, party-loving crowd. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking.

The best sandy beach on the island, Agia Marina is popular with the parenting set, as the shallow water is ideal for playing children. A rockier stretch just north of the pier offers good diving and snorkeling. Tavernas and cafés line the bay, and the Apollo Resort Hotel is a short walk away. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Pine trees, a canteen, sun beds, and umbrellas line Agia Paraskevi, a sheltered and popular beach with a mostly sandy shore (and coarse pebbles in other parts). The beach gets fairly busy during the summer months, and if you don't manage to snag a sun bed (€15 for a pair), you can sun yourself on the rocks bordering the sandy beach, but be aware nudism around those spots is still permitted. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

A clean and cosmopolitan beach, Agioi Anargyroi has a gently sloped seabed with deep waters suitable for snorkeling, waterskiing, and other water sports (rentals are available on-site). It is the island's best-known beach, 6 km (4 miles) away from town. You can also swim (or take a path) to beautiful Bekiris cave, a famous historical spot used by Greek revolutionaries as a hiding place during the 1821 revolution. Look for Taverna Manolis by the beach; nearby you can rent two sun beds and an umbrella for about €15 a day. There is also a pretty hotel (Acrogiali) right on the beach. Amenities: lifeguards; showers; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

The town's stone promontory is the site of the little 19th-century church, Agios Mamas—take your photos from a distance as the church is privately owned and often locked. Bring a swimsuit, as the beach here is great for a dip.

As you approach from the sea, your first view of Aegina Town takes in the sweep of the harbor, with quaint Neoclassical buildings in the background, the lovely vista punctuated by the gleaming white chapel of Agios Nikolaos Thalassinos (St. Nicholas the Seafarer).

Known as the inspiration for the school in John Fowles's The Magus, this institution was established in 1927 as an English-style boarding school for the children of Greece's Anglophile wealthy elite. Until 2010, tourism management students studied amid the elegant amphitheaters, black-and-white-tile floors, and huge windows. Today, the buildings are used for conferences, private seminars, and summer schools. Nevertheless, visitors can still take a peek (free) inside the school and stroll around the fabulous gardens throughout the year.

Founded in 1643 as a monastery, the Church of the Dormition has since been dissolved and the monks' cells are now used to house municipal offices and the small ecclesiastical museum "Agios Makarios Notaras." The church's most noticeable feature is an ornate, triple-tier bell tower made of Tinos marble, likely carved in the early 19th century by traveling artisans. There's also an exquisite marble iconostasis.

Ships dock at the modern harbor, Dapia, in Spetses Town. This is where the island's seafaring chieftains met in the 1820s to plot their revolt against the Ottoman Turks. A protective jetty is still fortified with cannons dating from the War of Independence. Today, the town's waterfront strip is packed with cafés, and the navy-blue-and-white color scheme adopted by Dapia's merchants hints of former maritime glory. The harbormaster's offices, to the right as you face the sea, occupy a building designed in the simple two-story, center-hall architecture typical of the period and this place.

On the headland sits Agios Nikolaos, the current cathedral of Spetses, and a former fortified abbey. Its lacy white-marble bell tower recalls that of Hydra's port monastery. It was here that the islanders first raised their flag of independence.

Trendy Kaiki Beach (otherwise known as Scholes or College beach due to its proximity to the Anargyros School) is a triangular patch of sandy beach that draws a young crowd with its beach volleyball court, water-sports activities (about €50 for 20 minutes of Jet Skiing), and the Kaiki Beach bars (yes, there are two of them!) and restaurant, the hippest on the beach in Spetses. It will cost you about €15 for a huge umbrella, two bamboo sun beds, two beach towels, and a bottle of water for a relaxing day on the beach. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

A semisecluded sandy beach, Klima (aka Keithi), which is just south of Perdika, has a finely pebbled bay of crystal clear waters that rarely kick up any waves. To reach it, turn left at the intersection toward Sfentouri before entering Perdika, and then go right at the crossroads and continue until you reach Klima. It is also a popular destination for yachts. There's a beach bar that rents sun beds and umbrellas during the summer months. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Aegina Town's beaches, notably the pine-surrounded Kolona, are pleasant enough with their shallow waters—and crowds—for a refreshing dip after a hot day. This largely undeveloped beach is within easy walking distance to a few tavernas and the archaeological site of Kolona, a wonderful backdrop for some great pictures (Hotel Rastoni is also not too far away); you can find some precious shade in the adjacent pine forest. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.

Impressed by the architecture they saw abroad, shipowners incorporated many of the foreign influences into their archontika, old, gray-stone mansions facing the harbor. The forbidding, fortresslike exteriors are deliberately austere, the combined result of the steeply angled terrain and the need for buildings to blend into the gray landscape. One of the finest examples of this Hydriot architecture is the Lazaros Koundouriotis Mansion, built in 1780 and beautifully restored in the 1990s as a branch of Greece's National Historical Museum. The interior is lavish, with hand-painted ceiling borders, gilt moldings, marquetry, and floors of black-and-white marble tiles. Some rooms have pieces that belonged to the Koundouriotis family, who played an important role in the War of Independence; other rooms have exhibits of costumes, jewelry, wood carvings, and pottery from the National Museum of Folk History. The basement level has three rooms full of paintings by Periklis Vyzantinos and his son, friends of the Koundouriotis family. Temporary exhibitions regularly rotate, showcasing Greek folk history and culture; check ahead for current displays.

One of Hydra’s only sandy stretches, Mandraki sits about 1½ km (¾ mile) east of Hydra Town—an easy 20-minute coastal walk—or you can zip over in a three-minute water taxi from the main port. The Mandraki Beach Resort rents sun beds and umbrellas (€30–€40 per set, depending on row). Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

Sandy Marathonas A beach offers excellent swimming on the island's west side. Beyond the village, Marathonas B provides another beautiful stretch. Both beaches feature rental sun beds and umbrellas but get crowded in summer—arrive early for prime spots. The western location delivers spectacular sunset views, making staying till evening particularly magical. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee). Best for: sunset; swimming.

Kamini’s small gray-pebble beach, known as Mikro Kamini, lies about 300 meters (1,000 feet) west of the sleepy fishing port, right in front of Castello Bar & Restaurant, which rents sun beds and umbrellas. Kodylenia’s and other tavernas cluster nearby, perfect for watching boats and yachts slide in. The water is calm and shallow, so the beach suits families with young children. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); rentals. Best for: swimming; walking.

A trip—and a bite—at the covered municipal fish market is a must in Aegina Town. Just behind the stalls, the mid-20th-century fish taverns I Agora and To Steki serve grilled octopus or sea-urchin salad that pairs perfectly with an ouzo—provided you don’t mind the smell of raw catch wafting over. Fishermen gather mid-afternoon and early evening on the pedestrian-only street, worrying their beads while seated beside glistening octopus hung up to dry—as close to a scene from the movie Zorba the Greek as you are likely to see in modern Greece.

The sandy and pebbled beach of Souvala is one the nicest on the island and was once famed for hot and cold sulfur springs, a trickle of which still reaches the sea near Loutra. Close to the village it offers umbrellas, sun beds, and a pair of new beach bars. Elsewhere along the coastline you can sunbathe and swim off the rocks. Stand-up paddleboarding is available near the hotel Irides. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; water sports. Best for: swimming.