The Temple of Aphaia sits on a wooded ridge above the village of Agia Marina, about 12 kilometres from Aegina town. Built around 500 BCE in the Doric order, it is remarkably well preserved — 25 of its original columns still stand — and the setting, surrounded by pine trees with views down to the sea, is hard to beat.
Aphaia was a local deity unique to Aegina, a goddess associated with the hunt and with the island's identity. The temple's sculptural programme, which showed scenes from the Trojan War, was acquired by Ludwig I of Bavaria in the early 19th century and is now in the Glyptothek museum in Munich. What remains on-site is the structure itself, plus fragments in the small on-site museum.
The site is open most mornings and early afternoons; it closes in the early evening. Admission is a few euros and includes the museum. There is a small café at the entrance but no shade on the path up to the temple itself, so bring water and go early in summer. The views from the colonnade stretch across to Attica on clear days.
Buses from Aegina town to Agia Marina pass the temple turnoff. Taxis, scooters, and bicycles are all practical alternatives. If you are combining the temple with a swim, Agia Marina beach is a ten-minute walk downhill from the entrance.
Photo: Jebulon / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)