When visiting Athens, a day tour around the islands in the Saronic Gulf that divide the regions of Attica and Argolides leaving from Pireaus is a refreshing change to the chaos of the metropolis. You may choose to visit all of them in one outing or you may like to take individual trips and visit them more in depth at your own pace. To fully enjoy their natural beauty it would be better to take such trip out of season when the beaches are almost deserted. The most popular islands are certainly Aegina for the splendid archaeological remains as well as the beautiful beaches, Poros for the green scenery and Idhra for its exclusivity.
Poros is separated by the mainland only by a 400m channel from where it is possible to swim across to the Argolides region in the Peloponnese. The scenery is characterised by stretches of pine, olive and lemon trees, the white houses typical of Greece are adorned by colourful flower arrangements. The monastery of Zoodohos Pigi is worth a visit for the beautiful views over the Argolides. The Sanctuary of Poseidon is also a good spot not just for the archaeological ruins that date back to the 6th century BC and the views but also for the cultural aura given by the belief that this was the last place where Demostenes found shelter and then killed himself in 312 BC.
Those people in search of a really exclusive place and rocky coasts, who travel by boat only, will find something to suit their needs on the island of Idhra. This long rocky island, where cars are off limits, is a VIP holiday destination hence the harbour packed with yachts during summer. The promenade by the seaside is lively with tourists going in and out of jewellery shops, traditional arts and crafts shops and typical bars. Excursions to the inner part of the island reveal unspoilt corners of truer Greek taste away from tourists.