Agistri Island (or Angistri or Agkistri) is the smallest island in the Argo-Saronic Gulf. Other islands in the same group include Hydra, Spetses, Poros, Aegina, Salamina, and Dokos.

agistri island from a drone with small yachts
Agistri Island

It is very easy to fall in love with Agistri Greece, a small, low-key paradise of an island only an hour far from Athens. From the exotic beach Aponisos in the south to the scattered traditional tiny villages, Agistri island is a wonderful place for a day trip or a long weekend.

Aponisos beach with yachts and swimmers in Agistri island
Aponisos Beach

Agistri island’s coastline has many beautiful bays and gulfs while its land is almost completely covered by a sweet-scented pine forest. Agistri is not a cosmopolitan island. But It is a perfect Greek island for those who seek contact with nature, as it is blessed with an explosion of natural beauty.

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Athens Quick Reference

  • Where to stay in Athens with stunning Acropolis view: Niche Hotel or The Foundry Suites
  • Book your ferry tickets with no-hidden-fees at FerryScanner or FerryHopper
  • Rent a car with Discover Cars for reliable new cars at affordable prices
  • How to Get to Agistri Island

    Agistri island: the Megalochori port
    Megalochori Port of Agistri

    To get to Agistri Greece you need to take the boat from Piraeus, Athens’ main port. There are catamaran or flying dolphins that take only passengers and get you to Agistri’s capital town, Megalochori, in about 55′.

    If you take the slow boat (which takes about 1,5 hours and can carry cars/bikes as well) you arrive at Skala port. Book your ferry transfer with FerryScanner and get the best prices in the market with no hidden fees.

    Agistri island: Skala village and sea
    Skala village in Agistri

    From the ports, you can take the local buses, use taxis, rent a bicycle or a car and start exploring Agistri. As Agistri is only 14 square km surface, if you are an avid hiker, you can hike a large portion of this beautiful island.

    Agistri Greece Map

    What to do on Agistri island, Map
    Agistri Island Map

    Get your interactive map of Agistri Greece here, to drive to any of the places listed on our things to do in Agistri.

    Where Best to Stay on Agistri Island

    Saronis Hotel in Agistri island
    Saronis Hotel

    Saronis Hotel Agistri: This is a wonderful hotel that feels like you are staying in ..Mykonos in the Cyclades!

    Set nearby a pine tree forest, in Skala, with rooms tastefully decorated, a yard that reminds you of the Cyclades, and tasty homemade breakfast, staying in the Saronis hotel is going to be memorable.

    Best Things to Do on Agistri Island

    1. Megalochori Port

    Megalochori  (also known as Milos), is Agistri’s capital town and port with an authentic and less touristic character.

    If you arrive in Megalochori port, don’t skip walking its small alleys. You will be happily surprised by the picturesque cobblestones with two-story houses and the traditionally preserved mansions with beautifully flowered yards.

    A white Megalochori house in Agistri
    Megalochori house in Agistri

    If you feel like tasting some good local traditional Greek food, ask around for the “Konaki” or the “Sailor” taverns, you will not be disappointed.

     Megalochori houses with gardens and flowers
    Megalochori houses with gardens and flowers

    One of the best things to do in Agistri is to visit the Agistri Cultural Center in Megalochori which houses the Folklore Museum and the archaeological findings on the island. That way you will explore the local culture and tradition from Agistri’s previous centuries. Telephone +30 22970 91260.

    2. Metochi Village and the Panagia Church

    Metochi village in Agistri island
    Metochi Village

    If you like heights and great sea vistas visit/hike to Metochi, a small village between Megalochori and Skala. Metochi is a tiny village with only a few narrow streets, rusty old houses, and beautiful sea views across Skala.

    Evgenia pointing toward a church in Agistri
    Me arriving at the Metochi church

    There is a short trail towards Metochi and right before you get to the village, on the right side of it there is a beautiful chapel that I visited. I always check to see if the chapels are open as I love to visit and check the icons and the decoration of the church.

    3. Skala Seaside Village and Beach

    Skala is the most advanced settlement on Agistri island, with beach bars and tourist facilities, just 10 minutes far by bike time – 2 km – from Megalochori.

    Skala town in Agistri island
    Skala – Oasis Hotel

    It is a lively place with 2 organized beaches, one sandy and one with pebbles, that gather a lot of people and families, and many visitors find it a great base for trips to the rest of the island.

    I absolutely love strolling the sandy part of Skala beach all the way to the impressive landmark, the large white church of Agios Dimitrios with the blue dome.

     Agistri island: Copa Cabana seaside cafe
    Copa Cabana on Agistri island

    If you stay in Skala, try the breakfast at «Copa Cabana», with many tasty pancake options or more traditional choices like Greek yogurt with fruit and honey. I always have a coffee there as well, Greek coffee usually or espresso, I am not a frappe fun.

     Agistri island a dish with food
    Copa Cabana food

    Perhaps it is noon and it is time for your meal. Taste Greek “fast food” options, gyros, and souvlaki. Go to “Gyrokomeion” or “Gyrobank” shops and get full of some of the best gyros in Agistri.

    Plaka is also where we rented our bikes (€5 each, in good condition, mine had a basket!). We biked for 16 km in total but it wasn’t an even road, it had a lot of steep uphills and equal downhills. So, if you rent a bike, you have to be certain that you can deal with this kind of terrain – especially if you are visiting in the summer. Although I was complaining about the uphills, had to stop and walk at times, I didn’t regret it as the views while you are biking are magnificent.

    4. Skliri Beach

     Agistri island: Skliri beach
    Skliri Beach – M. karantzou

    Staying on the east side of Agistri along the coast and towards the south, you reach the lush green and organized (rocky) beach of Skliri. If you are visiting Agkistri with your partner seek the “lovers’ street” in Skliri, where couples take selfie photos.

    Alkyoni restaurant in Agistri
    Alkyoni restaurant in Agistri

    Fish Tip: For fresh fish with an amazing sea view inside the pine forest take a break at the Alkyoni tavern.

    5. Chalikiada Beach

    Popular Chalikiada beach, Agistri
    Chalikiada beach, Agistri

    If you head towards the south through a dreamy route of about 500 meters in the pines, you will find a natural deep creek with pebbles. This is the enchanting Chalikiada beach with unbelievable clear waters and beautiful views of Aegina island.

    The Chalikiada beach is not organized so you better have some water or food with you. And a hat for the sun!

    Two of the best things to do on Chalikiada rocky beach are snorkeling and ..nudism! It is a popular spot for nude swimmers and free campers, so be prepared.

    6. Dragonera Beach

    Dragonera beach from a drone
    Dragonera – Argosaronikos

    The two Dragonera beaches (small and big) feature exotic azure waters and you can get there by crossing the dense pine forest on the west side of Agistri island.

    A road flanked by trees leading to Dragonera beach
    Dragonera – Roman Boyzov

    On the left of the beach, there is an outdoor canteen with some basic food and drink options like souvlaki, sodas, beer, or water.

    I am not particularly fond of this beach because it gets a bit crowded, and the last time I was there I stepped on an urchin and was quite unhappy for the rest of the day! However, the place is gorgeous, so don’t mind me, go there and just be mindful of the urchins! Or buy mesh shoes to walk in the sea.

    7. Limenaria Village

    Agia Varvara Church and our bicycles!
    Agia Varvara Church and our bicycles!

    Just before you get to Limenaria village and the steep downhill to Aponisos, you come across the Byzantine chapel of Agios Nikolaos, where we made a much-needed stop to drink some water!

    The chapel is very old, the first one built on the island and it is protected by the Archaeological Service.

    Sea views in Limenaria village in Agistri
    The views going to Limenaria
    Limenaria

    Limenaria is on the southeast part of Agistri and is one of the most traditional settlements on the island. You will love walking its cobblestone alleys, passing by stone old houses, cafes, and traditional ovens where you can smell the freshly baked goodies all over the village.

    8. Mariza Tiny Rocky Shoreline

    Mariza beach with a yacht in dusk in Agistri
    Mariza Beach – Thomai Stergioti

    Mariza is not exactly a beach but a platform for diving into the deep pristine waters of the sea. Access is via a path that goes from the village of Limenaria to Mariza Bay.

    9. Lekani Lake

    Agistri Island and Lekani wetland
    Agistri Lake

    If you travel towards the east, past the very beautiful Byzantine church of Agios Nikolaos you get to Agistri Lake. The lake sits in a dazzling water landscape in the heart of a pine-covered paradise, between the village of Limenaria and the islet of Aponisos.

    In the spring, the colorful moorland (which used to be a salt lake, in the past) fills with numerous species of birds.

    10. Aponissos Beach

    As soon as you leave behind you the ​​Lekani lake of Agistri and through a wonderful dense pine forest you arrive at Aponisos.

    turquoise Aponissos beach and rocks on Agistri island
    Turquoise Aponissos beach and rocks on Agistri island
    turquoise Aponissos beach and rocks on Agistri island
    Aponisos, no filter photo from my camera!

    Aponisos is simply stunning! It is an exotic islet, joined by a small strip of land with the rest of Agistri island. The islet is private so you need to pay an entrance fee of five euros 5€ (inclusive of an umbrella and a sunbed). The beach is organized and stays open until the 15th of October.

    turquoise Aponissos beach and rocks on Agistri island
    Aponissos beach

    We stayed mostly on the open sea side of it and enjoyed one of the best days on a Greek island. The waters were slightly cool but not in an intimidating way, so I swam for some time in the azure crystal clear waters.

    The other side of the Aponissos beach with umbrellas
    The other side of the Aponissos beach

    There were ducks swimming nearby and peacocks walking freely and I could hear some hens laying eggs nearby, but I couldn’t see them.

    Evgenia in Agistri island on a swing
    Me fooling around 😀

    Aponisos is considered the best place in Agistri to see the sun setting in the waters of the Saronic Gulf and needless to say, this is my favorite beach on the island.

    11. Boat Visit to Islets of Dorousa, Metopi, Kyra

    Another great thing you can do is to get on a small boat from Megalochori or Skala, do the round of Agistri, and visit some of its beautiful islets:

    Dorousa islet in Agistri

    Dorousa

    Have excavated important Archaeological findings and worth visiting the Chapel of Prophet Ilias

    Metopi islet in Agistri

    Metopi

    You can visit the small Chapel of Agioi Theodoroi

    Kyra islet in Agistri

    Kyra

    Have excavated important Archaeological findings.

    12. Agistri Local Delicacies

    onion pie Folegandros island food
    Greek traditional pie

    Agistri farmers produce retsina, olive oil, olives, figs, oregano, thyme, almonds, pine honey, fresh fish, and seafood are caught daily. The veggies are all grown locally so, any salad, local pies with herbs, grilled octopus, or any fish, as well as doughnuts and pancakes, will make you very very happy.

    What Island Hopping Can I Do from Agistri?

    From Agistri Island, you can take the small boats that get you to Aegina Island.

    Or you can take the ferry to Methana, Peloponnese, and visit the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, where performances take place in July and August.

    Ancient theater of Epidavros
    Ancient Theater of Epidaurus

    Or you can go on a sailing guided tour from Athens:

    Agistri sailing tour

    Can’t bother to go by yourself to Agistri?

    Book a Full-Day Sailing trip to Aegina, Agistri and Aponissos on a pirate ship from Athens. The sailing tour includes:

    Aegina or Agistri?

    Aegina island with small fish boats
    Aegina island

    There is no fast answer if you are asking which island to choose, Aegina or Agistri. If you have time, go to both. Aegina has more sites to visit such as the Aphaia Temple, the large monasteries, the Medieval Paleochora, and the ancient olive grove, and is more touristically developed.

    Agistri is much smaller than Aegina but greener, and quieter and the beaches are really beautiful. Hiking is great on both islands.

    If you’re looking for deeper information, check out my in-depth Aegina Greece travel guide for a ton of details on accessing all these places.

    Other Awesome Things to Do on Agistri Island

    • Kayak in Plaka
    • Hiking Plaka – Metochi – Megalochori (easy with some uphill, 4 km)
    • Visit bougainvillea house of famous German painter Gerti Brauner
    • Discover the local delicacies of the Artorama bakery in Skala
    • Explore the area around Cape Akra Kapnodoki near Megalochori

    Survival Tips for Agistri Island

    • For the rocky beaches, slippery at times and with urchins at some points, you may need to bring some beach shoes
    • There are 2 health centers, one in Megalochori and one in Skala
    • In Skala, you will find the only ATM and the only pharmacy on the whole Agistri
    • During July and August weekends, the island is flooded with Athenians
    • Nightlife is low-key. However, there is a night-club on the island

    How to Get to Athens Port (Piraeus) from Athens Airport

    • Bus: If you are arriving at Athens International Airport you can travel straight to the port by taking the X96 express bus (€5.5, children <6 yo, free entrance), which departs every 40 minutes and the average trip lasts 1 hour – runs 24/7.
    • Metro: (€9 ) is easily found across airport arrivals (blue line – M3) going directly to Piraeus port. The average trip to Piraeus lasts 1 hour.
    • Taxis are available in front of the airport (around €40 to Athens, €55-60 to Piraeus (depending on the traffic in Kifisos), and take up to 3 or 4 people with small luggage)
    • Rent a car with Discover cars to rent reliable new cars at affordable prices
    • You don’t like driving but love hassle-free solutions? Book a Private transfer with an English-speaking driver from Athens International Airport to Piraeus Ferries, or anywhere else in Greece
    • Check out here a full post on Lavrio Port in Athens

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    Hi! I am an Athens-based Greek obsessed with exploring Greece and bringing you the best travel experience ever!

    2 Responses

    1. Elena Gilbert

      I love this post! I’m planning a trip to Greece this year and this post has given me some great ideas.

      • Evgenia Mataragka

        Hi Elena,

        Thanks for your kind comment, and I am glad you enjoyed my post on Agistri island! If I can help with your organizing the trip to Greece, drop me a line 🙂

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