Hydra, Spetses, Poros, Aegina, Tzia/Kea: Welcome to the charming little islands near Athens, which offer history and style in abundance and are ideal for a quick getaway all year round.
With your own car or a rented one, take the national road, cross the Isthmus of Corinth and take the exit for Ancient Epidavros. Drive to Kranidi, Porto Heli and Kosta. The drive takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes. From Kosta, a sea taxi will take you to Spetses in 5 minutes.
The Argo-Saronic islands hug the coast between Piraeus, the port of Athens, and the Peloponnese, the stunning southern mainland of Greece. They could easily fill a holiday on their own but, combined with Athens and the mainland, would make for a trip that summed up the very best of Greece.
The Greek islands are traditionally grouped into the following clusters: the Argo-Saronic Islands in the Saronic gulf near Athens; the Cyclades, a large but dense collection occupying the central part of the Aegean Sea; the North Aegean islands, a loose grouping off the west coast of Turkey; the Dodecanese, another
The best Greek islands to visit in 2021
- Petra beach in Patmos island, Greece.
- A chapel on Sifnos island, Greece.
- Greek town Lindos, Rhodes island.
- Tinos, Greek Islands.
- A bridge to Cameo island, Zakynthos, Greece.
- Greek island of Symi in the Dodecanese, Greece.
- Hydra, Greek Islands.
- Corfu, Greek Islands. Oliver Pilcher.
Best places to stay in Kefalonia?
- Argostoli. Argostoli is the island's buzzing capital, with its main square coming alive at night with locals and tourists.
- Lassi. Lassi is an ideal place to stay for those wanting a traditional beach holiday with an intimate atmosphere.
- Sami.
- Skala.
- Fiskardo.
Purchasing an island in Greece is relatively straightforward. Regardless of nationality, anybody can be a property owner. The only exceptions occur when purchasing an island near a national border or military land. Non European citizens will not be granted permission to buy near national borders.
A couple of people who have holidayed in Kefalonia in the last few years told me that they found the Island to be generally more expensive than other Greek destinations. The Island was very quiet and the locals were really suffering, hence the reasonable prices to entice tourists to spend their money.
In particular, there is a chain of Greek islands lined up along the Turkish west coast (Lesbos, Chios, Samos, and the Dodecanese islands), some of them in very close proximity to the mainland. Their existence blocks Turkey from extending any of its zones of influence beyond a few nautical miles off its coastline.
Delos, measuring a mere 3 km², is a small island without any particular advantages for habitation due to its barrenness and lack of water. In Greek mythology, this is precisely why Leto, escaping the wrath of Hera, was able to find sanctuary here in order to give birth to Apollo and Artemis.
The Best Islands to Visit Close to Athens
- Agistri. This island is smaller and located near Aegina.
- Hydra. Although Hydra is not known for sandy beaches, that doesn't stop locals and tourists from swimming along the rocky shorelines of this unique island.
- Poros.
- Spetses.
- Kea.
- Andros.
There seems to be confusion between Poros and Paros. Change one letter and its the same island. To make it even more confusing there is a beach on Paros called Parosporos, (a great beach for body-surfing when there is a north wind by the way).
The Piraeus Poros ferry route connects Athens with Saronic Islands and is currently operated by 2 ferry companies. The Hellenic Seaways service runs up to 6 times per day with a sailing duration of around 55 minutes while the Saronic Ferries service runs up to 12 times per week with a duration from 2 hours 40 minutes.
: a coarse limestone found in the Peloponnesus and extensively used as a building material by the ancient Greeks.
There is a regular ferry connection between Hydra and Athens. Ferries depart from Piraeus port daily, almost 5 times per day. The trip lasts approximately 2 hours and the route is carried out by a high-speed vessel. Hydra is also connected by ferry with Poros, Spetses and the eastern part of the coast of Peloponnese.
