The paradise of Halkidiki is Sithonia
Sandy beaches, pine forests and vineyards, coastal settlements and state-of-the-art hotel units, beach bars, families and couples, foreigners and Greeks, all meet every summer in Sithonia, Halkidiki, in a vacation spot with a unique identity and beauty.
The lacy coastline of Sithonia, full of picturesque coves, endless sandy beaches with crystal clear waters, pine forests that end up as the golden sand and rocks sculpted for centuries by the power of nature, compose the natural scenery of a destination which knows how to gain travel impressions.
Follow us on a tour from one end of Sithonia to the other and discover how many secrets this earthly paradise of the Greek North hides.
Western Sithonia, from Nikiti to Neos Marmaras.
The west side of Sithonia is full of organized beaches and modern hotel units. It has, however, two of the most beautiful mountain villages, the old Nikiti and the Parthenon. Starting from the coastal and intensely touristic coastal Nikiti, which pulsates with liveliness and youthful pulse, you will see the old village of Nikiti, which has been characterized as a historic settlement. In a verdant landscape, a wonderful architectural scene emerges, full of beautiful stone houses, cobbled streets and cool squares, while from the courtyard of the church of Agios Nikitas, at the highest point of the settlement, the excellent panorama compensates the senses.
Leaving Nikiti behind us, the road continues to the south and reveals a series of beaches, which take your breath away with their surreal beauty. Ai Giannis, Kastri, Koviou beach and the extremely popular, Kalogria, with its amazing turquoise waters, its picturesque cove and the abundance of beach bars and tourist infrastructure, are ideal choices for endless moments of leisure, in an attractive holiday setting, fulfilling every expectation.
Parthenon.
Above the sea of the new Marmara, on the slopes of Mount Itamos and at an altitude of about 350 m, is one of the most beautiful villages of Sithonia, the Parthenon. The settlement is characterized as a real architectural diamond, maintaining unchanged, until today, its traditional physiognomy, which impresses everyone. Stone mansions with flowery and colorful balconies, emerge in every corner of the settlement, between shady, lush squares and a small labyrinth of cobbled alleys, which intensify the charming atmosphere that prevails throughout the area. Traces of habitation of the settlement are attested, already, from antiquity, while in Byzantine times the village was called Partheni or Parthenion. By the 1970s, the village was deserted, until the locals decided to give it a new lease of life. Gradually the stone-built Macedonian mansions began to be restored and, today, residents and vacationers enjoy their holidays, in a stunning landscape of authentic natural and architectural beauty. The sunset behind Mount Olympus, seen in the background, when the atmosphere is clear, is a spectacle that literally takes your breath away.
Neos Marmaras.
The former fishing village and rural settlement, founded by refugees from Asia Minor, after 1922, today stands out as a highly developed tourist destination, a pole of attraction for thousands of tourists, who enjoy the complete package of benefits offered by the settlement. Luxury hotels, tourist accommodation of all kinds, taverns and cafes and a multitude of shops in the new Marmara, compose a noisy, colorful and, very lively seaside resort, which also has an attractive beach. The picturesque port of new Marmara offers a nice beach, while the view to the bay of the same name, where boats and yachts dock, will excite every visitor.
Continuing further south, on a route dominated by extensive vineyards, olive trees and tall pines of Sithonian nature, follows the area of the large hotel complex Porto Carras, with the marina and the excellent beaches that surround it. Despite the cosmopolitan atmosphere of absolute luxury offered by the hotel, lovers of tranquility and seclusion will find their own paradise on the lesser known beaches of Koutsoupia, the islet Diaporti and the islet of Pounta, which can be visited even on foot , when the waters recede at low tide. The same isolation and tranquility are offered, generously, by the beaches of Monodendri, Alatobara and Azapiko, with the latter being divided in two by a large rock.
Toroni.
Seaside, picturesque and very developed in terms of tourism, the settlement of Toroni welcomes, hospitably, every visitor, with its amazing beaches and great historical tradition. The area, inhabited since prehistoric times, was soon transformed into the most important city of Halkidiki, as evidenced by its numerous and remarkable historical monuments. The castle of Lykithoume, the temple of Athena inside it, the remains of its fortification walls, but also the early Christian settlement of Toroni, reflect the historical prosperity and glamor of the city, which today stands out as a tourist resort of high standards.
The route ends at Porto Koufo, at the southern tip of Sithonia. The landscape is evocative. Steep and extremely imposing rocks enclose the present port, where the ancient Toronean port of historical sources was located, the largest and safest port of ancient northern Greece. Today, with the velvety sandy beaches, the crystal clear waters and the wonderful nature that surrounds it, Toroni proves that the western side of Sithonia is an earthly paradise, full of special and unexpected surprises that will not leave anyone unmoved.
The east side of the peninsula.
The journey of acquaintance with the peninsula of Sithonia in Halkidiki continues, with the eastern side, this time, starring and gaining, deservedly, the travel impressions. And, the truth is, that Sithonia manages to seduce everyone, since, once again, it turns out that the Halkidiki peninsula is a place gifted to the fullest by nature, offering unique holiday experiences and a special package of benefits, in from its perfect and integrated tourist infrastructure. Beautiful picturesque settlements, state-of-the-art luxury hotel units, accommodation of all kinds and extensive and organized camping, literally drowned in green and tranquility, offer great emotions, highlighting the leading role played by Sithonia in each travel options.
East. At Vourvourou.
Ormos Panagias.
Starting again from Nikiti, we head east this time, with the first destination the coastal settlement of Vourvourou. Through a green route full of dense pine forests, we reach the Bay of Panagia, the picturesque port of the village of Agios Nikolaos, from where the boats depart, making excursions to Mount Athos. In the footsteps of a tourist destination, fully organized to welcome and serve every visitor, Ormo of Panagias offers a wide range of options and is an ideal destination for an unforgettable summer vacation. With the nature that surrounds the bay, really raging and the small boats floating in the sheltered waters of Skala, the landscape looks like an imaginative summer postcard, full of color and liveliness.
Vourvourou.
A combination of landscapes of unreal natural beauty and modern tourist infrastructure is the seaside settlement of Vourvourou, an extremely popular resort, which is ready to meet all expectations. The modern tourist amenities of the settlement and the cosmopolitan air that hovers everywhere, promise a holiday experience of great demands. Near Vourvourou is the picturesque settlement of the teachers, with its houses of Macedonian architecture, spread in a dense pine forest, literally above the water. However, the impressions are stolen by the amazing beaches that surround the settlement, hidden in numerous rocky coves and all-white velvety sandy beaches. The exotic coves Mikro and Megalo Karydi, with their beautiful white sand and crystal blue-green waters, is an earthly paradise, which undoubtedly shocks all the senses. Nowhere else does the turquoise of the sea and the sky combine more harmoniously with the white of the sand and the deep green pines, while scattered rocky "sculptures", sculpted by the water and the winds, complete the heavenly setting, which only euphoria can cause.
Armenistis and Kavourotripes.
Continuing further south, completely surrounded by the green of nature and the blue of the sea and the sky, stretch the beaches of Koutloumousi and Zografou, where there are large campsites for lovers of alternative holidays, until the route ends in Armenistis, the most famous and popular camping of Halkidiki. A natural spectacle welcomes the visitor immediately after, as in the same area are Kavourotripes, the most beautiful beach of Sithonia. The words are, really, poor, in trying to describe the unspeakable charm and allure that this beach radiates. The small coves with the turquoise waters and the extensive beach with the fine white sand, create an unreal exotic landscape, equal to the exotic Caribbean landscapes, as rocky formations in the water and pines, which scatter, touch their shadow, almost, on the beach, complete the charming scenery. "Lying down", bravely, by the water, in the last bay, is a huge mermaid carved in the rock, undoubtedly causing admiration and excluding the insurmountable majesty of the nature of Halkidiki.
Sarti and Kalamitsi.
The natural spectacle continues along the route to Sarti, the seaside resort of exceptional natural beauty, founded by refugees from Asia Minor in 1922 and named after the homonymous ancient city of Sarti, the ruins of which still, to this day, reflect the great historical tradition of the place. Over time and following the great tourist development of Halkidiki, Sarti was transformed into a resort of high tourist benefits, noisy, colorful and full of live pulse, which ensures an unprecedented holiday experience. The huge sandy beach of Sparta is organized in many places and has areas for beach volleyball, sailing and other water sports, with wind surf lovers discovering their personal paradise, enjoying the big and impressive waves of the beach.
The next huge beach is Sykia (or Skala Sykia), which offers endless moments of recreation, while with its natural beauty it captivates the senses. Various small coves compose the lacy coastline of Sithonia, up to the beautiful, coastal Kalamitsi, which stands out as another travel option, of great demands and expectations. In this spectacle of nature with its endless sandy beaches and surreal crystal clear waters and endless unique destinations, Sithonia proves to everyone that if there was a paradise on earth, then he would find his most perfect incarnation, in some corner of this peninsula.
