The Greek island of Aegina: wildflowers, beaches and 4,000 years of history

Aegina is easily accessible from Athens — just an hour away — but the island feels like a different world from the capital.

Aegina is a small island, without many tourists. It’s popular with locals on public holidays, as Athenians make the journey south to the island for peace and quiet away from the capital. But Aegina has never seen mass foreign tourism, and remains delightfully Greek.

Aegina has many pistachio and olive farms

From wild beaches, ancient ruins and pistachio groves, to the sleepy harbour, traditional fish market and splendid Orthodox churches — Aegina is a wonderful island that’s perfect for getting away from it all.

The colour of the sea off Aegina is a dazzling blue-green even in winter. When I visited the island in February, I was treated to days of glorious warm sunshine. Daylight hours…