Aegina car rental in town

Aegina lies in the Saronic Gulf only 27 km from Athens, and hydrofoils from Piraeus reach the harbour in around forty minutes, while the regular ferry takes about an hour. That short hop makes it tempting to leave your own car on the mainland and rent one on arrival instead, avoiding the car deck and the queue to board. The rental office in our list is on Lada Leonardou in Aegina town, within walking distance of the main harbour.

What to see by car

The island is roughly triangular, about 15 km east to west and 10 km north to south, so nothing is far, but bus connections thin out away from the main routes.

• The Temple of Aphaia, one of the best preserved ancient temples in Greece, stands on a pine-covered hill on the east side of the island.
• Agia Marina, below the temple on the east coast, has one of the island's few sandy beaches and its own small port.
• The monastery of St Nektarios, a major pilgrimage site, is on the road between the town and the temple.
• Perdika, a fishing village in the south west, is known for its fish tavernas, and boats cross from there to the islet of Moni.
• The southern half of the island is volcanic and mountainous, rising to Mount Oros at 531 metres.

Pistachios and weekends

Aegina pistachios have protected designation of origin status, and orchards line many of the roads inland; the Fistiki Fest is held in mid September. Remember that many Athenians own holiday homes here. On summer weekends and Greek holidays the ferries are full and traffic around the harbour and Agia Marina builds up, so reserve a car early and plan to drive outside the busiest hours.