Area Focus Coast Holiday in Halkidiki
Holiday in Halkidiki
Holiday in Halkidiki: Halkidiki is a peninsula in northern Greece and is part of Macedonia nestled in the Aegean Sea. The coastline of Halkidiki is made up of natural outstanding beauty with mountain scenery, pine forest hills leading to secluded bays, clear blue sea and stunning beaches.
A Brief Look...
Halkidiki has plenty to offer with a good combination of old and new, there is history, culture, nightlife and sporting activities. Nevertheless if you choose to holiday in Halkidiki it is not impossible to still find peace and quiet here.
Modern tourist facilities and resorts such as hotels, villas and houses have been incorporated into the natural surroundings of the area; and have been designed in the traditional Macedonian style that characterises this outstanding region so as not to spoil the region commercially.
Holiday in Halkidiki
The region has three smaller peninsulas or prongs which are known as: Kassandra, Sithonia and Athos.
Visit Kassandra
Kassandra is situated in the western peninsula of Halkidiki and is the biggest and most popular of the three; here you will find accommodation to suit all holiday budgets, discos, bars, traditional Greek tavernas and water sports. If you prefer peace and quiet it is still possible to find it here with the rolling hills and pine forests leading to stunning golden beaches.
Stunning Sithonia
Sithonia has mountain Itamos or Dragountelis in the centre, and is surrounded by the rugged landscape, and deserted beaches great for sun lovers. Places to visit include an ancient city, castles, churches and windmills in Sikia. Picturesque harbours lined with Greek bars and tavernas all offering traditional Greek food and drink and friendly hospitality to visitors. A wide range of hotels to suit all kinds of travellers are available, with plenty of activities such as water sports, golf and horse riding is available here. Nightlife revolves mainly around the hotel resorts and local friendly bars.
Kassandra and Sithonia both offer a great holiday in Halkidiki, and have a good selection of watersports, windsurfing, waterskiing and diving. There are miles of paths in unspoilt forests to be explored by foot or bike. If you want to enjoy cool water springs and fresh air try one of the traditional guest houses in the mountains where you can get back to nature.
Athos, the Holy Mountain
Athos or Mount Athos is sometimes referred to as the Holy Mountain and is the eastern most prongs and the most beautiful covered by forests and surrounded by blue seas. It has been exclusively occupied by monks or men of God for thousands of years. It is the only place in Greece that is devoted to prayer and worshipping God, and daily life here is simple with only prayer and no modern facilities. There are many treasures, rare icons and ancient manuscripts describing how they have lived here.
Athos once had over 45 monasteries and over 40 000 monks, but today numbers have fallen and only 20 monasteries exist with about 1,700 monks. Mount Athos is only accessible by boat, and daily ferries visit monasteries along the west coast. Only men with special permits are allowed here, no women are allowed on the peninsula.
The climate here has a Mediterranean influence with nearly 300 days of sunshine every year and it boasts the longest summer season in northern Greece.
The Halkidiki peninsula attracts large amounts of tourists every year with the closest airport being Macedonia International, near the city of Thessaloniki. Depending on where you stay transfer time is usually between 1 – 2 hours. But to many tourists it is still relatively unknown in comparison to other parts of Greece, and there is still plenty of untouched scenery to explore. So why not try it yourself and book a holiday in Halkidiki...