The island of Aegina is one of the most popular tourist destinations as it is the island closest to Athens (only 16.5 nautical miles from the port of Piraeus). According to the myth, the island took its name from a nymph, daughter of the river god Asopos, whom Zeus fell in love with and took with him to the island! From 1827 until 1829 Aegina town was the temporary capital of the newly founded Greek state.

It was during that period when Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias had impressive neoclassical mansions built to house his headquarters that today are important tourist attractions. Even though the island is small, it boasts a great number of sights and natural beauties, the highlight of which is the famous Aphea Temple. It forms in fact an equilateral triangle with the Parthenon and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, the so-called “holy triangle” of the antiquity.

Aegina town, the capital of the island, stands out for its well-preserved buildings. On the outskirts you can find charming little villages with distinctive traditional character, such as Kypseli, Agii and Vagia as well as organized tourist resorts like Agia Marina, Perdika, and Souvala. Aègina is also surrounded by many smaller islands (Moni, Metopi, Diaportia, Lagouses, Kyra, Dorousa, Spalathonisi and Anonyma) that can be reached by boat from the port of Aegina.

Located at a short distance from the harbor, the area took its name from a standing Doric type column the only one remaining from a 6th Century BC temple. Mount Kolonas was the religious center of the ancient town. Archaeological research has revealed the presence of more than ten historical buildings dating from the most recent Neolithic era (5th millennium BC) to the Mycenaean period (1600- 1200 BC). In front of the archaeological site lies a museum bearing the same name.