The Saronic
The Saronic Gulf islands sit between Attica and the Peloponnese. All of them are reachable by ferry or hydrofoil from Piraeus in under three hours. Hydra bans cars; Spetses keeps an aristocratic feel; Aegina is the workhorse weekend escape from Athens.
All Saronic islands
Aegina
Aegina (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!
Agistri
The 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.
Hydra
No cars, no motorbikes: just donkeys and boats. Perfectly preserved neoclassical architecture and international artists.
Poros
Separated from the Peloponnese by a 200-metre channel. A clock tower with a view, pine woods down to the water, and a lemon forest on the far shore. The green escape of the Saronic.
Salamis
The 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.
Spetses
Elegant and cosmopolitan. Horses and carriages at the port, secret beaches and nineteenth-century shipowners' mansions.
Nearby groups
Cyclades
A ring of whitewashed islands around the sacred island of Delos. Cubic architecture, volcanic calderas, and lively nightlife.
Dodecanese
Ten major islands strung along the Turkish coast. Medieval Knights' castles, hot springs, and the warmest waters in Greece.
Ionian
Eight green islands on the western side of Greece. Venetian old towns, vertical cliffs, and the lush feel of the Adriatic.