When I visited Greece, I was a little discouraged. My cousin and I started our little island trip on Mykonos (overrated) and then Santorini (incredibly overrated). I was disappointed in the food, the people, the vistas, even the beaches. I was seriously confused. Everyone seemed very image conscious and prices were wild. I suspect, though, it was due to the recent switch to Euros.

After a confusing first week, I was nervous about heading to our last island spot on Aigina, where my mom had studied art when she was my age. Dang mama, you were right again.

Aigina is a lovely hidden gem floating close to the mainland. It is full of culture, smiling locals, fresh air, fruit, flowers, and natural beauty.

Aigina is a very special place that has a great vibe. When you arrive just hop off the boat and find a hostel on the main port drag. The owners are young and family oriented and all the rooms I saw were clean and decorated in a way that relaxed you as soon as you entered.

Our room had a beautiful view of the ocean. We ate breakfast there everyday and watched the locals walk by, sell fruit from boats, eat fresh fish, and bathe in the sun. After breakfast, we joined in! Here locals and friends and foreigners are locals are friends too. I felt very welcomed, in stark contrast to the other islands where I felt like another sweaty over-paying tourist.

My favorite part of this trip, though, was that it was election week. Watching another community prepare for elections is fascinating. There were two trucks driving up and down the main roads with the actual candidates preaching from the microphones and promising a richer pistachio crop for the following harvest. The street is bursting with balloons, banners, bureaucracy , and noise!

So, while Aigina might not be the most glamorous island in Greece, it is certainly the most relaxing one I got to see and I recommend it to all back-road travelers. Not to mention, there is a whole other uninhabited side of the island to be explored.