Greece Guide
The Argo-Saronic
The rocky, partly volcanic Argo-Saronic islands, most of them barely an olive's throw from the mainland, differ to a surprising extent not just from the land they face but also from one another. Less surprising – given their proximity to the mainland and their beauty – is their massive popularity, with Égina (Aegina) almost becoming an Athenian suburb at weekends. Ýdhra (Hydra), Póros and Spétses are scarcely different in summer, though their visitors include a higher proportion of foreign tourists. More than any other group, these islands are best out of season and mid-week, when visiting populations fall dramatically and the port towns return to a quieter, more provincial pace.
Égina, important in antiquity and more or less continually inhabited since then, is the most fertile of the group, famous for its pistachio nuts and home to one of the finest ancient temples in Greece. The three southerly islands, upmarket Spétses, tiny, car-free Ýdhra and green Póros, are pine-covered to various degrees, comparatively infertile, and rely on water piped or transported in rusting freighters from the mainland. Accordingly, they were not extensively settled until medieval times, when refugees from the mainland established themselves here. In response to the barrenness and dryness of their new homes the islanders adopted seagoing commerce (and piracy) as livelihoods. The seamanship and huge fleets thus acquired were placed at the disposal of the Greek insurgents during the War of Independence. Today, foreigners and Athenians have replaced locals in the depopulated harbour towns; windsurfers, water-taxis and yachts are faint echoes of the massed warships, schooners and kaïkia once at anchor.
For all of these islands, hydrofoil services are faster and more frequent than ferries, and cost little more. If you hope to bring a vehicle for the weekend, reserve your trip well in advance.
Highlights
1 Temple of Aphaea, Égina The best-preserved Archaic temple on any island, set on a wooded hill with magnificent views.
2 Póros Town Climb the clocktower for a view over the Argo-Saronic Gulf and the Peloponnese.
3 Ýdhra Town A perfect horseshoe-shaped harbour surrounded by grand eighteenth-century mansions and traffic-free streets.
4 Spétses Enjoy some of the most alluring beaches in the Argo-Saronics along Spétses' pine-speckled coastline.