Avra Beach (Kolona)

The accidental beach in the centre of town

Avra is not a “destination” beach. It is the beach you walk past: the one that appears on your left as you climb up to Kolona from the port, a narrow cove of about 120 metres, wedged between the headland of the Kolona site to the south and a small breakwater to the north. Anyone who arrives by ferry with an hour to spare before dinner ends up swimming here. It is the only beach on Aegina you can reach on foot from the centre, in 5 to 7 minutes, and that gives it more value than the sand itself would justify.

What you will find

The beach is a mix of fine sand and small pebbles, with more pebble towards the south (next to the Kolona rocks) and more sand in the middle. The bottom slopes gently for the first 10 metres and then drops away to smooth rock, which makes it excellent for easy snorkelling: there are sea urchins, small moray eels and the odd octopus if you are patient.

The sea is usually clean because the harbour current skips past it, but on days with a southerly wind some foam and plastic come in, as on any town beach. It has no Blue Flag and makes no claim to one: this is the neighbourhood cove.

Facilities are minimal: a couple of basic showers (not always with any pressure), no official changing rooms (you change on your towel or at the campsite next door), sunloungers for hire in season at 5-7€ a day and a single beach bar that opens from June to September with beers, slushies and sandwiches. If you want a proper meal, the tavernas on the harbour are 10 minutes away on foot.

Pain points

• Shade: there are a handful of tamarisks in the central section (worth noting, coastal trees are scarce on Aegina). Get there early and grab one: they are the most sought after thing here.
• Crowds: moderate. A good deal fewer than Agia Marina but not solitude either: there are regular locals, mostly older people who come every mid-morning.
• Noise: you get the sound of the port (ferries, lorries, the departure announcements every hour). Not one for deep meditation.
• Dogs: allowed on a lead, outside peak hours.
• Accessibility: yes, a paved walkway from the port and a gentle ramp down to the sand.
• Snorkelling: yes, good. Fins and a mask are worth it on the south side.

The plan that makes sense

If you arrive on a morning ferry and do not fancy dealing with the bus, the Kolona plus Avra combination is perfect for 3 or 4 hours: walk up to the site and the archaeological museum, come down to the beach, have a swim, lie about for a while and then head up into the centre for a seafood lunch by the harbour. It comes to less than 15€ (the Kolona entrance fee) and you need neither a rental vehicle nor a bus.

It is also a superb afternoon beach: the sun sets directly opposite, over the sea, and at 19:00 to 19:30 in July and August the column of Apollo lights up against a red sky. Take a cold beer and a couple of tomatoes: the best sunsets on Aegina are here, not on the harbour.

What Avra is not

What you should not expect: length, white Cycladic sand or postcard turquoise water. For that you need to move on to Marathonas or cross over to Moni. Avra is the useful other side of the coin: the beach five minutes from the boat, with an archaeological site next door and the old town at your back. On a small island, that combination is not easy to find.