The 'Argo - Saronic Gulf Islands' refers to the islands within the Saronic gulf proper as well as those running down the 'Argoid' or east Peloponnesian coast to Kythira and AntiKythira (Kithera and Antikithera), which is quite close to Crete.
The Saronic Islands are dotted in the great seas south of Athens, and they appear like giant colourful stepping stones to the wider Aegean world.
Often, Methana, which is a beautiful and picturesque peninsula situated on the eastern board of the Peloponnese peninsula, southwest of Piraeus, is included with the cluster of Argosaronikos Islands, and are collectively labelled the Argo - Saronic Greek Islands.
With being so close to the mainland, many of the islands in this group can be accessed by way of a short, convenient ferry ride. In fact, Salamina is so close that it is quite often dismissed as a mere suburb of Athens; yet this historic island can boast of quiet, rural areas, and a few modest beaches, that would look well, even if it were situated in the far reaches of the Aegean Sea.
Next of course, comes the brash and cheerful, Aegina, just a short one hour trip from Piraeus by hydrofoil, while near neighbour Angistri is considered a genuine holiday island, but with reassuring corners of tranquillity, even in high season.
Aegina’s landscape is more varied than that of many Saronic Gulf islands.
The northern third offers up wooded, low-lying mountain scenery and plenty of sandy beach coves for - given the closeness of Athens - somewhat dubious bathing. Pine scented Angistri is a popular day excursion destination for beach loving Athenians too afraid of the pollution in the Saronic Gulf to venture to beaches closer to home.
In addition, Angistri is increasingly finding a summer role at absorbing the overflow of her larger neighbour, but, lacking sights or centres, the prevailing atmosphere is very much of a beach resort island and many visitors fail to venture beyond the pretty-ish beaches near the main port of Skala.
Where to Go - Saronic Gulf Islands
Salamina (Salamis) lies behind the shipyards and rows of rusting ships anchored West of Piraeus; it has few visitors. It's great claim to fame comes from the battle between the Greek and Persian warship fleets in 480 BC which took place in the narrow straits between the north-east side of the island and the mainland.
Unfortunately, Salamina has been in decline from this high point ever since, and after 2500 years, this means things are pretty bad in parts. Being close to Athens has resulted in it becoming little more than a suburb of the capital, and it continues to remain in its neighbour's shadow.
Salamina is actually quite an attractive island in parts, in an understated kind of way, but the bulk of the island's looks not dissimilar to the outskirts of Athens: consisting of totally bare, sun-bleached hillsides, with ribbons of modern buildings (many three or four storeys high) rolling around coastlines and along major roads.
Aegina is very close to Piraeus. In fact, it is only 20km south of the ferry terminal, and therefore it is probably one of the most visited of all the Greek islands.
It is a very popular island with Athenians because of its close proximity to Athens which makes it a very popular day- tripper destination. It's also a great place in which to fill a day that you may have in hand, before your flight home. , Despite this,I can honestly say that it doesn't get that crowded, with the exception of August, of course.
Angistri is so close Aegina that I am sure you will not be able to resist a daytrip, or perhaps an even longer stay. Angistri is an island which is best visited out of the high season, as it is also a very popular day excursion destination for beach loving Athenians.
There is little to see on Angistri, but caïques are on offer for those who fancy sunset cruises around the island, and travel agents offer more excursions to nearby destinations than you will find on most Greek islands.
The Island is an excellent base for quite a few day-tripping excursions, besides the obvious ones of Athens and Aegina there are the more appealing, and unique excursions to ancient Corinth and the Corinth Canal, and to the famous ancient theatre at Epidavros.
Methana is not, in the strictest terms a Saronic Gulf island, it is actually a peninsular that connects to the region of Argolida in the eastern Peloponnese, which is separated by the narrow passage called 'Steno'.
It's a very popular destination for visitors to Greece, an area of immense beauty with stunning scenery and magnificent landscapes. There are several characteristics of the peninsular including the volcano, the natural hot springs and the gorgeous beaches with crystal clear waters.
The entire region is one of pure tranquillity and beauty and is therefore an ideal choice for a peaceful relaxing holiday.
Poros is positioned across the water from the Peloponnese, which is just a few kilometres away. In Poros town the large ferries dock at the western end of the town's long harbour front, whilst smaller boats go back and forth between the island and the mainland town of Galatas.
Behind the harbour front, lanes and steps lead up to a maze of other lanes that link small squares on the focal points of a prominent clock tower and the cathedral. It is actually made up of two islands, Sphalria and Kalaureia.
Poros town occupies most of Sphalria whilst the majority of the large island of Kalaureia is manily unoccupied. The town is a useful base from which to explore the ancient sites of the adjacent Peloponnese.
Spetses is a place where you can relax; it is a small island and close to Athens, which of course means it is quite well-connected in terms of ferries, so you'll not face too many difficulties in actually getting to this particular Saronic Gulf island. Although small, the island is busy enough to keep you entertained for at least a week or two.
The port in particular, is very attractive and very picturesque and we really enjoyed it in the evening with the many small lights twinkling light candles in a Christmas scene. The one special thing about Spetses is there are no cars, only carriages and bikes for transport.
Renting a motorbike for a day can be fun as it gives you the opportunity to whiz around the island and see many of the lovely beaches. By 7:00p.m. - 8:00p.m. you can make your choice as to where you will best positioned and able to see one of the many lovely sunsets on offer in The Saronic Gulf islands.
Hydra is the 'diva' of all Argo - Saronic Gulf islands, and she comes out every night in full blaze. If it's peace and tranquillity that you seek, stay well clear of this part of the Saronic Gulf islands.
The island is like a meeting point for all types of travellers, including charter holiday tourists, Athenians, wealthy yacht owners and cruise ship passengers. As a consequence of being such a favourite to many, it it has become a little on the expensive side, but it is nevertheless, well worth a visit if your wallet is big enough.
An attractive feature of the town is the absence of prolific scooters and hell-raising motorbikes found in most other island capital towns. The island does have motorised transport, but it is restricted to council services transport such as sanitation and construction. For the tourist, donkeys and mules are the main means of transport; I am sure you will enjoy it!
Kythira is perhaps one of the last unspoilt, large Greek islands and is isolated from all other island groups. Unfortunately, the fact that it is so remote presents problems as a consequence. One major issue is that it has very few ferry connections. So, the number of visitors who travel to the island is lower than the number of visitors who go to other islands.
Not 'being part' of an island chain to call its own, has always left Kythira at something of a loose end. Historically, the island was administered as part of the Ionian group, but although sharing similar history (of Venetian rather than Turkish rule), its appearance has more in common with the Cyclades islands.
Nowadays, it's position is further complicated by the fact that the island is now being administered directly from Athens, and the population, which consists mainly of migrants. (Ausralians with 'roots' in the island, returning to build holiday homes)
The tiny island of Antikythira which lies just 38 km (24 miles) southeast of Kythira with a population of just 20 people (approximately), is the most remote island in the Ionians or the Saronic Gulf islands. (See the note above)
Athenians love to escape for week-end breaks, which are very popular because of the closeness of the Saronic Gulf islands, and Poros fits the bill perfectly, being just a few hundred metres from the Peloponnese. The jewel in the crown of this particular Archipelago is the ‘diva’ island of Hydra, where tiers of pastel coloured homes rise spectacularly from a harbour-side that is always bustling with life.
Poros marks the limit for the landing craft ferries running out of Piraeus. It is actually made up of two islands (Sphalria and Kaqlaureia), separated by a narrow canal and connected by a bridge, and takes its modern name from the narrow strait that separates it from the mainland; Poros meaning passage.
Hydra has overcome the disadvantages of a generally dour appearance to become one of the most visited spots in Greece. This is due to a combination of a very attractive four to five harbour-town and the close proximity of Athens (making it a perfect day-tripper island).
Map of Saronic Gulf Islands
Sadly, the numbers calling have turned the place into a tourist trap, and the island is now arguably one of the least idyllic in the whole of the Aegean, with a constant procession of hydrofoils and tour-boats bringing in the crowds and encouraging the most expensive island prices in Greece.
Spetses, which is covered in pine trees sits in a position close to the mainland, yet is furthest south of Athens; it still has an alluring sense of escape from the mainstream.
It is sufficiently far from the capital to escape the worst of the day-trippers, yet still close enough to be served by daily Piraeus ferries. Spetses is a gentle, small, pine scented island, particularly popular with English tourists (suburbia, rather than the fish and chips brigade).
There's a variety of beaches on all of the Saronic Gulf islands, but of course some are better than others. In my opinion, Angistri and Spetses probably have the best of the bunch. None of the islands are particularly rich in architectural glories, although Aegina’s Temple of Aphaia is a Premier site. So, if neither beaches nor archaeology are your ‘bag’, then the Saronic Gulf islands of Greece offer authentic and rewarding island experiences within easy reach of Athens.
How will you get into Greece is going to be largely determined by the nature of your holiday. If you want to maximise the time you spend in the island's the best way is to fly, possibly plugging into the Greek domestic air system.
The great majority of visitors to Greece now choose to arrive and depart by air; the market is dominated by a mix of short-haul charter flights, mostly from Europe, and long haul regular services focusing on countries with significant ethnic Greek immigrant population. The two largest being the USA and Australia.
Cheap charter flights from Europe are the most popular and cheapest way for visitors to get to the Saronic Gulf islands, Greece. Because they are 'piggy-backing' on holiday flights, travellers opting to fly this way have to accept certain limitations.
The most important of these, is that once booked, these flights cannot be changed and you will never get a refund for any reason whatsoever, and most require you to return a fortnight later (though with a little effort you can find operators who will offer you a 28 day return flight only ticket).
On an island hopping holiday/vacation, the arrival/departure point is an important consideration, since you will have to plan your movements with a view to getting back there.
Of the various destinations available, Athens remains the safest in this respect, since its port of Piraeus is accessible on a daily basis from most islands in the Aegean.
Whenever we go to the islands for a period longer than 28 days, which is often, my husband and I normally purchase one way tickets only.
Within two to three weeks of returning home, we usually go on-line to purchase our return tickets. Some of the charter companies do offer fairly good deals, for what ever reason, to visitors travelling in this way.
However, I would only recommend you do this if you are not faint-hearted or concerned about getting back by a certain deadline.
Out all the ferry groups that operate throughout the Greek islands, and there are many, the Saronic Gulf islands are serviced by one of the finest, with many fast hydrofoils and catamarans, racing to and from Piraeus at regular intervals every day.
More conventional services go several times a day to and from Aegina, Poros, Methana and Hydra in high season, but less so in winter. There is currently one daily service to Spetses throughout the year.
You should always check details, close to the date of your planned trip. In the table below there is detailed information for the conventional ferries.
However, I would reiterate that it is always a good idea to check the details before you actually travel.
Cruise ships offer daily mini-cruises from Piraeus to the islands of Aegina Poros and Hydra.
The cruise ships generally leave from Piraeus at 9 a.m., returning about 7 p.m., and allow all for about one hour onshore at each island - just about long enough for drinks and snacks or perhaps a little souvenir shopping.
The official price is €93, including a buffet lunch, but there are bargain deal tickets if you book through your hotel.
More recently, easyCruise came into the market, and they offer several Greek island cruises, which are very popular with the younger travellers. They offer three-night midweek mini-breaks from Piraeus to Poros, and Spetses (all return).
It costs around €51.50 per person (high season from €79.50). Longer cruises to the Cyclades and to a mix of the Saronic Gulf islands and Cyclades are also available.
FERRIES FROM PIRAEUS' GREAT HARBOUR
Departure
Destination
Duration
Fare
Frequency
Piraeus
Aegina
1¼hrs
€8.00
8 daily
Piraeus
Angistri
2hrs
€8.80
2 daily
Piraeus
Poros
2½hrs
€11.60
5 daily
Piraeus
Hydra
3¼hrs
€13.20
daily
Piraeus
Spetses
4½hrs
€15.30
daily
With the northern Saronic Gulf islands travel is very easy; so any will serve as a springboard to adjacent islands.
Poros is the best of these, offering day trips to Athens (Piraeus), Hydra, Aegina, and Spetses, as well as the mainland Peloponnese. Irregular hydrofoils also make very expensive day trips to Epidavros at the height of the high season.
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The Saronic Islands are dotted in the great seas south of Athens, and they appear like giant colourful stepping stones to the wider Aegean world. 
Next of course, comes the brash and cheerful, Aegina, just a short one hour trip from Piraeus by hydrofoil, while near neighbour Angistri is considered a genuine holiday island, but with reassuring corners of tranquillity, even in high season.
The great majority of visitors to Greece now choose to arrive and depart by air; the market is dominated by a mix of short-haul charter flights, mostly from Europe, and long haul regular services focusing on countries with significant ethnic Greek immigrant population. The two largest being the USA and Australia.
Out all the ferry groups that operate throughout the Greek islands, and there are many, the Saronic Gulf islands are serviced by one of the finest, with many fast hydrofoils and catamarans, racing to and from Piraeus at regular intervals every day.
