Island day trip from Athens

Below are the ferry schedules Piraeus → Hydra for the week of April 20:

http://www.openseas.gr/PIR/HYD/2025-04-23/2025-04-23/itineraries

Note that the 20th is Easter Monday, the most important Greek holiday. Ferries are very crowded during this time. There are school holidays until April 28.

Hydra is fine but a better option may be Aegina which is closer, larger and has more options for things to see and what to do.

Poros is also good.

Any of the Saronic Islands would offer a good experience for a day trip but I think Aegina may be the better of the choices.

https://www.saronic-islands.com/

Another vote for Aegina. We took a blue star ferry (the slow boat) and it took a little over an hour to get there if I remember right. Charming place which we didn’t get to explore as much as I would have liked. But we had a wonderful time swimming and having snacks at a taverna. Just being on the ferry was a nice experience also. Enjoy!

Hydra is fantastic, but would be underwhelming as a daytrip. The magic of Hydra is to stay there for a few days and enjoy the quiet.

A lot of people like Aegina, but I've never been.

Poros is the place I would want to try, but I've only seen it from the Hydra ferry as we sail by. It looks absolutely magical.

Poros is close to Athens, and MUCH too close to the coast, ensuring a slightly drained suburby atmosphere. An island should be an island. The lacklustre experience was underwhelming. I felt I had been had and for the first, and only, time regretted travelling solo. For a day, going with somebody you enjoy talking to, visiting Poros could turn out satisfying, as there are some good enough beaches. But why go to an island if the island isn't really an island. Compare it to the Cyclades.

I always recommend Aegina -- with proviso that you go on a weekday (because Athenians flood in on weekends). I found it for a great day & overnight... but its also great just for a day. Here's a good photo-sequence of exactly what you can see -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/36264706@N03/sets/72157621604646139/detail/ This shows you can also enjoy a 1-hour "mini-cruise" if you take the larger open-deck ferry...views of large freighters, ocean liners, 3-masters, tiny sloops. Avoid taking hydrofoil, only inside seats no view. You can pick up ticket night before at any agency near where you stay, and get Metro to PIraeus in 30-40 mins.

On high hill inland a stunning temple ruin with 360° view of Saronic bay... locally, you can get around w rental car or lilmited bus service or, now, e-bikes. one main road leading thru island, little traffic weekdays. In late afternoon in port town, fun to wander back streets, explore little local shops, houseware stores, not touristy, have a portside beverage & take "sunset cruise" back to Piraeus.

Janet; Thank you for showing such a wonderful selection of photographs. Many of them could hang on a bedroom wall. Distant hills in the haze as the white carpet unfolds. Aegina... Now I feel I must go there soon. Nothing could go wrong when an island is crowned by a temple of Apollo.

Cherryplanter, thanks, but I'm not the photographer... I found this link on the internet 10 years ago, and every year have been thanking the person who posted it... I hope it's always available because it tells the whole story. In April the flowers will be even lovelier.