5 Incredible Island Day Trips from Athens You Can Do for Under €50

Athens is one of the best city-break destinations in Europe, but the mainland summer heat can be brutal. While most tourists think they need to book an expensive domestic flight to Mykonos or a grueling eight-hour ferry to reach the islands, the truth is much simpler: the Saronic Gulf is sitting right in the city’s backyard.

If you are basing yourself in the Greek capital, you can wake up, take the metro to the port, swim in crystal-clear Mediterranean water, eat fresh seafood, and be back at your hotel by nightfall. Best of all? You can do it with round-trip ferry tickets that cost less than €50.

Skip the tourist traps and massive travel days. Here is your ultimate guide to the five best island day trips from Athens.

1. Aegina: The Classic First-Timer’s Escape

Aegina is the closest major island to the port of Piraeus, making it the most popular day trip for Athenians and tourists alike. It offers a perfect microcosm of Greek island life: a bustling port town, ancient ruins, and excellent food.

The Temple of Aphaia on Aegina is older than the Parthenon in Athens.. Πηγή: Alix Laincy / Getty Images

How to Get There

• The Route: Port of Piraeus (Gate E8) to Aegina Town.
• The Cost: €20 – €28 round-trip (depending on the ferry company).
• Travel Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes on a conventional car ferry (like Saronic Ferries or Aegina Ferries), or 40 minutes on a high-speed “Flying Dolphin”.

How to Spend Your Day

Once you arrive, rent a scooter right at the port (around €15-€20 for the day). Drive 20 minutes across the island to the Temple of Aphaia. Built around 500 BCE, this mountaintop sanctuary is incredibly well-preserved and offers sweeping views of the Saronic Gulf. Afterward, head down the hill to the coastal village of Perdika for a swim and a relaxed afternoon.

What to Eat

Aegina is the pistachio capital of Greece. Before you leave, walk the port promenade and buy a bag of roasted local pistachios. You’ll also find pistachio pesto, pistachio butter, and the best pistachio ice cream you will ever eat at Mourtzis traditional sweets shop in town.

2. Agistri: The Emerald Swimming Hole

If Aegina is for history buffs, Agistri is for nature lovers. Located just ten minutes past Aegina on the ferry line, Agistri is a tiny, densely forested island with no massive archaeological sites, no loud clubs, and almost zero cars. It is purely about pine trees and impossibly blue water.

The raw, unpolished beauty of Chalikiada Beach requires a small hike, but the water is worth it.. Πηγή: MDoculus / Getty Images

How to Get There

• The Route: Port of Piraeus (Gate E8) to Skala (Agistri).
• The Cost: €26 – €32 round-trip.
• Travel Time: 55 minutes via fast ferry.

How to Spend Your Day

You don’t need a car here. Rent a bicycle (€5 for the day) in Skala and ride along the coastal road toward Dragonera Beach. The scent of pine needles baking in the Mediterranean sun follows you everywhere. If you are more adventurous, hike through the pine forest to Chalikiada Beach — a stunning, dramatic pebble cove backed by a massive cliff (note: it’s a popular naturist beach, so expect a clothing-optional crowd).

What to Eat

Grab lunch at Toxotis in Skala, a traditional family-run taverna tucked just behind the main tourist strip. Order the moussaka or the stuffed vine leaves (dolmadakia).

3. Poros: The Sailor’s Secret

Poros is actually two islands (Sferia and Kalavria) connected by a small bridge. Separated from the Peloponnese mainland by a narrow, 200-meter sea channel, the water around Poros is as calm as a lake. It’s a massive hub for sailing and yachting, giving it a slightly more elevated, nautical vibe.

The iconic Clock Tower of Poros overlooking the calm sea channel.. Πηγή: MaxTopchij / Getty Images

How to Get There

• The Route: Port of Piraeus (Gate E8) to Poros.
• The Cost: €34 – €38 round-trip.
• Travel Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes on the fast ferry.

How to Spend Your Day

As your ferry pulls in, the town looks like it’s spilling down a green hill right into the ocean, crowned by a vintage clock tower. Climb the steps up to the Clock Tower first thing in the morning for a panoramic view of the Peloponnese coastline. In the afternoon, take a €1.50 water taxi across the channel to Galatas on the mainland—just to say you visited the Peloponnese for five minutes—or head to Love Bay (Limanaki tis Agapis), a gorgeous cove where pine trees literally touch the water.

What to Eat

Because of the sailing crowd, the waterfront is packed with excellent seafood. Sit down at Oasis Taverna right on the promenade for grilled octopus and fresh calamari with an ice-cold local beer.

4. Kea (Tzia): The Cycladic Teaser

Want those iconic, sugar-cube white houses and arid landscapes you see on Santorini and Paros, but don’t want to pay the ridiculous prices? Head to Kea. Because it requires leaving from a different port, Kea is blissfully ignored by most foreign tourists and serves as the weekend playground for wealthy Athenians.

The terraced Cycladic architecture of Ioulis, the main village on Kea.. Πηγή: Rawf8 / Getty Images

How to Get There

• The Route: Port of Lavrio (not Piraeus!) to Kea.
• The Cost: €23 – €30 round-trip.
• Travel Time: 1 hour.
• Transit Tip: To get to Lavrio port from Athens, take the KTEL bus from the Pedion tou Areos station in central Athens (approx. €6 each way, takes 1 hour).

How to Spend Your Day

Kea is rugged and entirely authentic. Skip the port town and take the local bus (or a taxi) straight up into the mountains to Ioulis, the island’s capital. Cars are banned in the village, so you will wander through steep, winding alleys of whitewashed houses. From Ioulis, take the ancient 15-minute stone hiking trail to the Lion of Kea, a massive, smiling lion carved directly into the bedrock in the 6th century BCE.

What to Eat

Kea is famous for its local sausages and loza (a type of cured pork similar to prosciutto). Try both at To Steki tou Stroggyli in the main square of Ioulis.

5. Salamina (Salamis): The Ultimate Local Hack

Let’s be honest: Salamina is not a polished, glossy tourist destination. It is a working-class, heavily local island with a massive naval base on its northern side. But if you want a ridiculously cheap adventure, pristine southern beaches, and zero tourist crowds, this is the ultimate hack.

Drive to the southern side of Salamina for clear, quiet beaches far from the tourist trail.. Πηγή: TETYANA LYAPI / Getty Images

How to Get There

• The Route: Port of Perama to Paloukia (Salamina).
• The Cost: ~€3 round-trip.
• Travel Time: 15 minutes.
• Transit Tip: Take the Metro Line 3 to Dimotiko Theatro, then catch bus 843 to Perama port. The ferries leave every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day.

How to Spend Your Day

The island is huge, so renting a car in Athens and bringing it on the ferry (it only costs about €6 for the vehicle) is highly recommended. Drive straight through the industrial northern half and head south to Kanakia Beach or Kolones Beach. You will find incredibly clear water, pine forests, and a quiet, relaxed atmosphere that feels a million miles away from the chaos of Athens.

What to Eat

Salamina is legendary among Athenians for its cheap, high-quality seafood. Stop in the village of Selinia and eat at Kakias. Order the fried red mullet (barbounia) and a small bottle of ouzo—you will pay half of what you would at the restaurants in central Athens.

Final Tips for Island Hopping from Athens

• Book ahead in July and August: While you can usually walk up and buy conventional ferry tickets on the day, high-speed catamarans sell out quickly in peak summer. Use apps like Ferryhopper to secure your spot.
• Check the Port Gate: The Port of Piraeus is massive. Ferries to the Saronic Islands (Aegina, Agistri, Poros) almost always leave from Gate E8. Don’t get out at the main metro station and expect to be right next to your boat—leave 20 extra minutes to walk to the gate.
• Watch the Wind: Ferries can be delayed or canceled by the Meltemi winds, especially the smaller high-speed boats. If high winds are forecasted, always book the larger, conventional car ferries, as they are less likely to be grounded.

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