What to see in Agistri
Agistri is not an island of ruins, and it would be misleading to dress it up as one. There are traces of ancient Kekrifalia and a Mycenaean fortification on Mount Kontari, but nothing you would travel for. What there is instead is 87 percent pine cover and three small settlements, each with a distinct character: Skala, the busy port with its blue-domed church on the headland; Megalochori, the administrative village of stone lanes, windmills and a hillside church; and Metochi, a hamlet of barely twenty residents on a ridge with the best view in the Saronic Gulf. The pine forest itself is arguably the main sight. If you need monuments to feel a day has been well spent, Aegina is fifteen minutes away by boat and has them.
Places of interest
Church of Agioi Anargyroi
The icon of Agistri. A white church with a blue dome looking out to sea from a rocky promontory that splits Skala beach in two. The most photographed view on the island.
Limenaria
The smallest, quietest village on the east coast of Agistri. A handful of houses, two family tavernas and a beach of green water where time stands still.
Megalochori (Milos)
The main village on Agistri, with its traditional stone houses. The highlights are the church of Agios Zoodochos Pigis and the folk museum in the cultural centre. Authentic and quiet.
Megalochori windmills
The old windmills of Megalochori are the most visible trace of Agistri's farming past. From their hill you get the finest panoramic views of the island and the Saronic Gulf.
Metochi
A small traditional village on a hill with striking views of Aegina and the Peloponnese. The quietest, most authentic spot on the island, perfect for escaping the tourism.
The pine forest of Agistri
A green blanket covering 87% of the island. Trails through Aleppo pines running down to the sea, the smell of resin and a silence broken only by cicadas. The green lung of the Saronic Gulf.
Skala village
The tourist hub of Agistri. This is where the ferries from Piraeus arrive, and you will find hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and the church of Agioi Anargyroi right by the shore.
Church of Zoodochos Pigi
The main church of Megalochori, built in the nineteenth century. It stands out for its carved wooden iconostasis and its elevated position overlooking the Saronic Gulf. One of the few historic monuments on the island.