7 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.

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.