AGISTRI: The Smallest Inhabited Island in the Saronic Gulf
Beautiful, verdant little island in the Saronic Gulf, 3.5 nautical miles west of Aegina. Although it is small (12 square kilometers), you can find some isolated areas and beautiful, secluded beaches there. Due to its proximity to Athens and its small size, it is an ideal destination for short trips, even one-day excursions.
Agistri is mentioned in texts by writers of antiquity (such as Thucydides), where it is called Kekryfaleia, which means "decorated head.” Relics of prehistoric facilities and immersed antiquities have been found on the west coast of the island. The highest peak on the island (294 meters) is located at Kontari, where archaeological finds have also been unearthed.
Small as it is, the island has a paved road network about 13 kilometers long, as well as several dirt roads that head southeast from the northwest coast to the interior of the island. If we take our own vehicle, we board the ferryboat that heads from Piraeus to Aegina and Agistri (total time approximately 1 hour and 35 minutes) and arrives at the port of Skala, southwest of the town of Aegina. If we take a flying dolphin (hydrofoil) instead of a ferryboat, the trip takes 55 minutes, and we disembark in either Skala or Mylos (the second port on the island, also called Megalochori, Myloi, Myli, Milos, or Mili!). You can rent various types of vehicles on the island, but we believe that if you have time (at least a weekend) the best, most enjoyable, and healthiest solution is to rent a bicycle.
