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. |
