Hotel Abatis
Skala - Skala
Surrounded by the lush greenery of Agkistri Island, Hotel Abatis features a lobby with free Wi-Fi access, just 200 metres from the sandy beach of Skala.
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A Greek island that couldn’t be more Greek, with little white houses, overflowing bougainvillea, restaurants serving freshly caught fish, churches with their inevitable blue-blue domes and enchanting beaches, all within an hour’s ferry ride from Athens. And what’s more, without so many tourists! A miracle? No, this island really exists, and it is called Agistri. A true paradise on earth, ideal for a wonderful, relaxing holiday, or a few days’ break before continuing on to neighbouring – and larger – Aegina.
Agistri, or Angistri as it is often transliterated from Greek, is a small island in the Saronic archipelago. You can get around it in a few minutes, since its surface area is only 13 square kilometres (by comparison, Mykonos, which is also very small, has 105 square kilometres), but as soon as you dock at the small port of Skala, you will fall in love from the first moment with this little piece of land, which condenses everything that Greece has to offer.
In terms of its conformation, the main town of Agistri is Skala, on the north-eastern tip of the island, little more than a village that practically only comes alive at the arrivals or departures of ships to and from Aegina or Piraeus. From Skala there is a small road that runs along the entire northern part of Agistri, no more than 2-3 kilometres long, leading to Megalochori, also known as Myloi, the second most important village on the island, which also has a small harbour, but this time overlooking the north-western tip.
Continuing along this road – which, moreover, is the only one on Agistri – one comes after a few kilometres to the inland village of Limenaria, inhabited by about 100 people, and continuing on to the islet of Aponisos, where the hues of the sea offer incredible colours.
Despite its small size, Agistri boasts breathtaking beaches. From the most ‘urban’ to the most isolated, here are the best ones. Make sure you visit them all!
It is difficult to say which beach is the most beautiful on Agistri, but Dragonera certainly deserves an honourable mention. Located on the west coast of the island, about halfway down, it is a mixed beach of pebbles, sand and rocks, the latter located at its ends. In the centre, in the sand and pebble part, there is a small bathing establishment where sunbeds and umbrellas can be hired, and behind it is a small bar where lunch, cooked on the spot, can also be bought.
Behind the beach and to its sides is an extensive pine forest, very popular with bathers, who have the opportunity to stretch out in the shade of the pine trees, which keep the temperature pleasant even on hot August afternoons. The beach also has an area where you can park for free.
We have not described the sea at Dragonera because words cannot suffice. We only give you one piece of advice: visit it. And if you don’t have your own transport, don’t be discouraged: the bus from Skala stops right at the turnoff to Dragonera along the main road.
Aponisos is a private islet located south-west of Agistri, from which it is only a few steps away. So much so that a footbridge has been built connecting them, forming a kind of bay where one can swim in the extraordinary water, with colours reminiscent of those in a swimming pool.
Access to the islet of Aponisos, however, is only possible for a fee, although it is not a large sum. Here you will find small platforms on which sunbeds and umbrellas have been set up; the setting is beautiful, but beware the fact that the islet of Aponisos does not have much vegetation, so you will have to do without shade when the sun hits your umbrella from the side.
The town beach of Skala is a delight, yet it is the most frequented beach on the island, both by locals and tourists, especially those arriving in Agistri on a day trip, as it is within easy walking distance of the harbour.
Skala beach is divided in two by a sort of sandy promontory, which vaguely resembles Zlatni Rat in Croatia or Skagen in Denmark. The part facing east, i.e. the one closest to the harbour, is in the shade in the afternoons as there are olive trees and other vegetation behind it, while the western part is more exposed to the sun, although made milder by the presence of some trees. There are also a few small bathing establishments in this section of the beach, but it remains largely free.
Along the road that connects Skala and Megalochori there are endless opportunities to plant a beach umbrella. You will find small coves, very often pebbly and never overly comfortable, but you will still be facing a crystal-clear sea, almost certainly alone and in any case very close to your car or motorbike.
As the name suggests (‘limani’ in eastern Mediterranean languages such as Greek and Turkish means ‘harbour’) Limanaki is a beach very close to the harbour of Skala, albeit in the opposite direction from the centre. More sheltered than the ferries and less frequented precisely because it is further from the town, it is a golden opportunity to enjoy a few hours of relaxation while waiting for the ferry.
Finally, the last of Agistri’s beaches is Chalikiada. It is a decidedly awkward beach to reach, as it can only be done on foot via a path that is not too easy, but once you get there, the beauty of the sea will surprise you.
The beach is completely free and without any services, so bring water, food and sunscreen, especially if you get there in the afternoon as it faces west. Of course, it is also always possible to get to Chalikiada by boat from the port of Skala, by taxi boat or by private boat.
Agistri is indeed very small, but you will want to discover it far and wide because of the beauty of its beaches. The obvious choice to make is to use a vehicle, either hired in Skala or boarded on the ferry. A scooter is better than acar, given the small size of the island, while quad bikes and electric bikes are also very common.
If you do not feel like or cannot rent a vehicle, the only way to get around Agistri is by bus. There is only one line, which departs from the church of Skala and arrives at the other end of the island at Aponisos, making a number of intermediate stops of which the most interesting for tourists are those at Megalochori, at the turnoff to Dragonera and at Limenaria.
For sleeping in Agistri there are not many alternatives: apart from tiny Limenaria, where at most you can find a few flats, the only urbanised area is the north coast, from Skala to Megalochori. These two villages are undoubtedly the best equipped from a tourist point of view, so here you will find services, bars, restaurants and a minimum of evening entertainment.
If you want to isolate yourself from everything and everyone, choose a hotel or flat halfway between Skala and Megalochori, although the choice is not great and the prices on average rather high.
We offer a selection of hotels at Agistri to suit all categories of travellers. The most booked by tourists are the sea-facing hotels, often right on the beach. If you want to play it safe, choose one of the following: they are among the most booked hotels in Agistri, sorted by number of reviews.
If you prefer space, privacy and the ability to prepare your own meals to a hotel holiday, book a holiday home at Agistri. We recommend a few below, but in this case we advise you to book early because houses and apartments for rent at Agistri are in high demand.
Agistri is part of the Saronic Islands, the closest Greek archipelago to Athens. Most ships arrive in Skala, while only a fraction dock in Myloi-Megalochori.
The Hellenic Seaways company connects the port of Piraeus precisely with Megalochori 4-5 times a day, using fast catamaran ships that make the journey in less than an hour. Beware that it is not possible to board scooters or cars on these ships. If from Piraeus you want a fast ship but prefer to go to Skala, use the Flying Dolphin company; in this case there are up to 10 routes a day, of more or less the same duration.
Slower ships are those of the 2way Ferries company, which take almost an hour and 40 minutes from Piraeus, but allow ships and scooters to board, and are also cheaper. There are only 3-4 direct trips per day.
In all, there are therefore about 15-20 ships a day from Piraeus to Agistri that run direct services. Pay attention to the season: in winter there are fewer, in summer more. However, if your arrival time in Piraeus does not match the ships’ departure time, consider the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri route. On the other hand, Piraeus-Aegina is a very busy route that operates all year round; from here, there are about 10 ships shuttling from Aegina to Agistri every day, with the route taking only 15 minutes. Always remember that if you want to embark your car or motorbike, you will have to use the 2way Ferries.
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