Aegina vs Agistri
Aegina or Agistri? Ferry times from Athens, beaches, prices and crowds compared side by side, with a straight answer on which of the two suits your trip.
Aegina
FamilyAegina (pronounced "EH-yee-na" in Greek, not "ay-JEE-na") is one of the islands Athenians travel to most, simply because it is so close. It is mainly famous for... its pistachios!
Read the guideAgistri
NatureThe greenest island in the Saronic Gulf. 87% pine forest, turquoise beaches and just three small villages. The perfect escape from Athens for anyone avoiding mass tourism.
Read the guideThe short answer
Travel time is not the deciding factor here. Both sit within a quarter of an hour of each other on the fast boat from Piraeus, 40 min to Aegina and 50 min to Agistri.
Agistri has the better swimming, 4 out of 5 against 3 for Aegina. Aegina has more of them, 9 beaches covered here against 6, but the swimming on Agistri is the better of the two.
Aegina is the cheaper base, around 65 euros a night against 80 on Agistri, roughly 23 percent more. Over a week that is about 105 euros of difference on the room alone.
Agistri is the quieter of the two. Both fill up at summer weekends when Athens empties into the Saronic, but Aegina carries more visitors through the season.
The numbers
| Aegina | Agistri | |
|---|---|---|
| Fast ferry from Piraeus | 40 min | 50 min |
| Conventional ferry | 1 h 15 min | 1 h 40 min |
| Ferry from | 10 EUR | 8 EUR |
| Departures per day | 14 | 17 |
| Beaches covered | 9 | 6 |
| Places and museums | 8 | 8 |
| Activities | 5 | 0 |
| Room per night from | 65 EUR | 80 EUR |
| Food per day | 25 EUR | 30 EUR |
| Recommended days | 2 | 3 |
| Population | 13,056 | 900 |
| Area | 87 km2 | 13 km2 |
| Visitor cars | Yes | Yes |
| Best season | Apr - Oct | Apr - Oct |
| Beaches | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Food | ||
| Nightlife | ||
| Connectivity |
Which one for your trip
Choose Aegina if
- You are short on time and want the shortest crossing from Athens
- You are watching the budget
- You only have a day and want an island that works as a day trip
Choose Agistri if
- Swimming is the priority and you want the better beaches of the two
- You want the quieter island