Private Tour in Aegina, Temple of Aphaia and Pistachio Delights

Our driver will meet you at your hotel to transfer you to Piraeus port so as to get the ferry to reach the beautiful and traditional Island of Aegina.

We will visit the Temple of Aphaia (or Afea) which is one of the major attractions that one can see on the island of Aegina. Built on a hill, at 160 meters high, it is surrounded by pine trees and it stands out for its unique energy.

Since prehistoric times (1300 B.C.) it has been a unique place of worship, But it was during the Archaic period that the sanctuary flourished and three temples were built in succession at the same spot, with the last one still standing up till now.

The temple of Aegina was built between 500-490 BC on top of the previous temple, which suffered major damages after a fire burst out in 510 BC. The Aegineans therefore decided to tear it down while keeping the gate and the large altar with the purpose of rebuilding a new one that would display the works of the “Aeginean” School of sculpture.
The new temple took its final form in 500 BC and is an excellent sample of the archaic architecture. It should also be mentioned that Ictinus and Callicrates supposedly used this temple format as a model for the design of the Parthenon.

We continue to visit the second most popular Church in Aigina, the Monastery of Agios Nektarios. It was founded and inaugurated on June 2, 1908 by Saint Nektarios. It can be considered to follow the Byzantine style and has a beautiful wood-carved iconostasis with Byzantine icons as well as many temples and tributes from a large number of pilgrims.
The church has two tall bell towers and four rows of windows, all covered with red bows.
The Monastery of Saint Nektarios is one of the most important pilgrimages of Orthodoxy nowadays, with many believers visiting it every year and paying tribute to the newest Saint of our faith.

Once you arrive you will immediately notice the neoclassical buildings in earth colours, the narrow streets, the traditional houses with small courtyards filled with trees and flowers and the narrow alleys where you will explore the traditional shops and taverns, the narrow paved alleys between mansions, Churches with blue domes and popular art shops.
We suggest you to stroll around the local boats which have been transformed into floating grocery stores and don't forget to buy the famous peanuts from Aegina's unique peanut variety.
A worthwhile visit would be at the traditional ouzo taverns, where you can taste fresh seafood with ouzo or tsipouro.