Paliachora

Paliachora is a ruined medieval settlement on a hillside in the interior of Aegina, about 6 km from the main port. Once the island's capital, it was inhabited continuously for around a thousand years before being abandoned in the early 19th century. What remains is an atmospheric scatter of crumbling stone houses, ruined churches, and Byzantine frescoes — over thirty churches survive in various states of decay, some still preserving fragments of painted plaster inside.

The site is unfenced and accessible at any time. Walking among the ruins, you get a vivid impression of what island life looked like before the age of tourism — a huddle of defensive buildings on a ridge, with nothing below but olive trees and rocky hillside. The views toward the sea are beautiful. Sturdy shoes are recommended as the paths are rough, and a hat is sensible in summer. The walk from Aegina town takes about 1.5 hours; a taxi or scooter cuts the journey considerably.

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A story
Paliachora served as Aegina's capital and main settlement for nearly a thousand years, from the 9th century until 1826. The location — inland, on a hillside, away from the coast — was a deliberate defence against the pirate raids that plagued the Aegean throughout the medieval and Ottoman periods. When Greek independence came and the pirates finally left, the population moved back to the coast almost immediately, abandoning their hilltop town within a generation.

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