Kalimera! Today we are finally going island hopping on our day cruise departing from Athens. We were going to be visiting three islands today: Poros, Hydra, and Aegina. As we approached our first island Poros, the scenery seemed to get more beautiful with every passing minute. After several days of sightseeing, visiting Poros felt like a break and a chance to just enjoying being in Greece. Once we arrived, we were free to wander around and explore the island at our own pace. And by “explore”, I mostly mean walking around with no real plan and seeing where we ended up! The town was full of colorful buildings, tiny shops, winding streets, and restaurants. We spent most of our time simply strolling around and stopping every once in a while to go to a souvenir shop, and before we knew it, our time in Poros was over and we were back on the cruise.

Our next stop was Hydra, and this island came with one very important rule: no cars allowed! With no cars, buses, or other motor vehicles on the island, everyone gets around by foot, boat, or donkey. At first, I found that a little hard to believe until I came across several donkeys lined up near the waterfront under a tent, ready to go. The reason why cars and motorized vehicles are banned on the island is because the law treats the entire island as a historic monument. Banning vehicles ensures that modern infrastructure (gas stations, wide roads, parking lots) does not destroy the historic 18th century stone mansions and layout. Once I arrived in Hydra, I immediately set out on my mission to find gelato. I soon came across a gelato shop with a donkey on its logo, which seemed pretty fitting considering how many people I’ve seen riding donkeys around there. As we continued around the waterfront, I started noticing a lot of souvenir shops along the water. Between the Greek-themed decor, jewelry, magnets, and other trinkets, there was plenty to choose from. While I was souvenir shopping, some of us decided they hadn’t climbed enough stairs on this trip and climbed up to the Kavos Castle near the end of the island. The castle, also known as the Castle of Hydra, sits high above the town and was originally built as part of Hydra’s defenses. From its position above the harbor, it offered a strategic view of the surrounding sea and would have helped protect the island from attacks.  After our climbing and souvenir shopping, we continued walking around the harbor and enjoying the scenery before it was eventually time to head back to the boat.

For our last island hopping adventure, we arrived at the island of Aegina, the largest of them of all. Now what was important was that we had a strict time limit for each destination, meaning we would have to plan out our time usage accordingly. Aegina is known for its beautiful coastline, historic sites, and pistachios. However, before I checked the pistachios out I made my way to Aura Beach for some much needed time by the water. The beach had calm, clear blue water and a laid-back atmosphere that made it easy to forget about our busy schedule for a little while. Of course, I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to get in the water. We spent some time swimming, relaxing by the shore, and enjoying the warm Mediterranean sun. We still had some time left after to go to a pistachio store, so we decided to check that out. Unfortunately, I’m allergic to all nuts so I will never get the chance to taste the pistachios from Aegina. Based on the looks on my allergy-free friends’ faces, the pistachios there were no joke. Apparently, the island’s hot, dry climate, abundant sunshine, and unique soil create ideal conditions for growing them, and pistachio farming has become an important part of Aegina’s identity.

Before we knew it, our island adventures were over and we were heading back toward Athens. Although we only had a limited amount of time on each island, each one managed to leave a different impression on me. Tomorrow would be our final day in the country, and after everything we had seen and experienced over the past week, it was strange to think that our trip was almost over. It felt like just yesterday that we were arriving in Athens, meeting Eleni for the first time, and wondering what the next few days would bring. Now, after visiting ancient ruins, climbing mountains, performing concerts, exploring islands, and eating endless amounts of gelato, we were already approaching the finish line. However, we still had one more day left to make the most of it.