Aegina vs Salamis
Aegina or Salamis? 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 guideSalamis
CulturalThe largest island in the Saronic Gulf and the closest one to Athens. Famous for the Battle of Salamis (480 BC), where Themistocles defeated the Persian fleet. Today it is a weekend destination for Athenians.
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 30 min to Salamis.
Aegina has the better swimming, 3 out of 5 against 2 for Salamis. It also has more of them: 9 beaches covered here against 2.
For sights off the sand, Aegina is the richer of the two: 8 places and museums against 4 on Salamis.
Salamis is the cheaper base, around 45 euros a night against 65 on Aegina, roughly 44 percent more. Over a week that is about 140 euros of difference on the room alone.
Salamis 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 | Salamis | |
|---|---|---|
| Fast ferry from Piraeus | 40 min | 30 min |
| Conventional ferry | 1 h 15 min | 30 min |
| Ferry from | 10 EUR | 2 EUR |
| Departures per day | 14 | 40 |
| Beaches covered | 9 | 2 |
| Places and museums | 8 | 4 |
| Activities | 5 | 1 |
| Room per night from | 65 EUR | 45 EUR |
| Food per day | 25 EUR | 18 EUR |
| Recommended days | 2 | 1 |
| Population | 13,056 | 36,000 |
| Area | 87 km2 | 95 km2 |
| Visitor cars | Yes | Yes |
| Best season | Apr - Oct | Mar - Nov |
| Beaches | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Food | ||
| Nightlife | ||
| Connectivity |
Which one for your trip
Choose Aegina if
- Swimming is the priority and you want the better beaches of the two
- You want museums, monasteries and ruins as well as a swim
- You want somewhere with a bit more going on after dinner
Choose Salamis if
- You are short on time and want the shortest crossing from Athens
- You are watching the budget
- You want the quieter island
- You only have a day and want an island that works as a day trip