"Agistri, Greece" a Nisos Angistrion Travel Page by SWFC_Fan

Where?

The tiny Greek island of Agistri is located in the Argosaronic Gulf, just a few miles south of Athens and close to the western coast of the island of Aegina.

How to get there?

Agistri can be reached by boat from either Piraeus or from the neighbouring island of Aegina.

A fast boat, the "Agistri Express", makes the journey from Aegina Town frequently throughout the day with a crossing time of just 9 minutes. The boat stops first at the port of Skala and then stops further along the coast at Megalochori (also called Milos). The cost of the journey (as at October 2005) is 2.50 Euros each way, or 4.50 Euros for a return ticket.

The island of Agistri is very small with only a few hundred inhabitants and is a great place to "get away from it all".

There is a nice beach close to Skala which, in October, was near deserted. There were signs though that the beach is popular in summer (ie beachside bars, pedaloes on the beach, empty deckchairs) and the pictures on the postcards would seem to confirm this.

Also close to Skala, a road (which ultimately becomes a path) leads through the pine forests and along the coast to spectacular secluded bays. This area is a popular camping ground and a number of tents are set up in the forest and even on the beach.

Despite its small size, Agistri seemed to have a wide choice of rooms to let and more than enough tavernas and restaurants to cater for anybody wishing to stay here for several days. I suspect that tourists outnumber the indigenous population during the summer months and the island's population swells considerably.

A few observations from my few hours on Agistri:

Feeling of remoteness

Walking through the pine forests of Agistri or strolling along an empty beach, it is difficult to imagine that Athens is less than one hour away. Agistri has the feel of a lone island, cut adrift from the civilised world. Don't expect too much in the way of entertainment, but if you just want to chill out for a few days, get some exercise and swim in warm, clear seas then Agistri is the place to do it!