You don’t have to go far from Athens to experience Greece’s beautiful islands. In fact, it’s possible to visit the three nearby Saronic islands, Hydra, Poros, and Aegina, in one day. Here’s what you need to know about visiting Hydra, Poros, and Aegina as a day trip from Athens.
Getting to Hydra, Poros, and Aegina from Athens
We booked tickets for the Athens One Day Cruise, a ferry that takes you to all three islands. The ticket includes transportation between islands, lunch (which was surprisingly good), a greek dancing show, and the opportunity to book additional tours on the islands. The boat leaves at 8:15am and got back around 7:30pm. You can either book the ferry ticket directly or through a tour company that will provide transportation to and from the port.
Hydra
After about 2.5 hours, we arrived at our first stop, Hydra. There are no cars or motorcycles allowed on the island, but you can always take a donkey taxi to get around! We had about an hour and a half on Hydra. We did a walking tour that stopped at the Clock Tower, a monastery, and a bakery. Hydra is also a good place for a swim.
Poros
Poros was about 1.25 hours from Hydra. It’s a small island so we only had 50 minutes to check it out. We hiked up to the Clock Tower for some breathtaking views of the island. Poros kind of gave me Venice vibes…if Venice wasn’t so flat.
Aegina
After two more hours of sailing, we arrived at our last stop, Aegina. Aegina is the largest of the three islands and we had two hours to explore. We took a bus tour that drove around most of the island. The highlight of the tour was a stop at the Church of St. Nektarios. Aegina is a good place to grab some food or a drink and look out at the water. Make sure to buy pistachio nuts in Aegina!
Final Thoughts
This tour is a great way to see Hydra, Poros, and Aegina in a short amount of time. Of the three islands, Hydra was my favorite. I wouldn’t mind visiting Hydra again for a full day since the beaches were so beautiful. Aegina seemed like a good place to rent a house for a week since there was much more to do. While the tour was a bit crowded, this is the most efficient way to see all of the islands in a day. If you aren’t interested in swimming, I’d recommend going in April or October to avoid the crowds.
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