GEOGRAPHY

Aegina is the first of the islands in the Argosaronic Gulf out from Piraeus and takes about 45 minutes to reach.

With bright sunshine, warm clear blue sea, excellent weather and rich archealogical history, it makes the perfect place to stay and combine with Athens.

The island's interesting terrain provides plenty of opportunity for extended walks through pine woods, rocky paths or coastal routes.

Aegina is the second biggest island in Argosaronikos - with an area of 83 sq km and a population of 17.000 - after Salamina and its land covers 85 square kilometers. It's 16 nautical miles from Piraeus. The coastline is 57 kilometers long.

The biggest part of the island has a volcanic origin. That can be observed in the central and southern part of the island which consists of hard rock lava. Aegina has many hills most of which are covered in pine trees.

It's highest mountain is Mount Oros which is 532 meters high and it doesn't have much vegetation except for buches and other plants.

In the south and east, mount Oros forms steep rocky shores with only a few small bays and the only big bay is that of Santa Marina. The rest of the shores are smooth with big or small bays.

In the west and northwest of the island, there are residential areas and the big bay of Marathonas as well as the port of Aegina. Most of the peanuts and grapes are grown in that area. There are also olive trees, big trees and almond trees.

The valley of Mesagros is in the north and from there we can see the mountain from the lower parts that spread along the north coast.

The flora of the island consists of holm-oak trees, olive trees, cypresses, brushwood and bushes. The fauna of the island consists of hares, foxes, dabgers and different kinds of birds. The climate of the island is dry, mild in the winter and cool in the summer.