The villages west of Sithonia Chalkidiki Peninsula

The Sithonia Peninsula is the second finger of the Chalkidiki Peninsula. It is much loved by families with children for its beautiful beaches of soft sand and the gently sloping seabed making them perfect for the little ones to play safely. The sea is beautiful everywhere, there is no place where you can say okay, the colors are crazy and mixing with the other colors of the surrounding landscape they form real natural postcards.

Sithonia, offers many opportunities for recreation as well as relaxing moments by the sea, you can break the days with trekking routes surrounded by a lush and varied ecosystem or get lost in villages full of charm, history and a long gastronomic tradition.

In this story we want to tell you about the villages of the western part of the peninsula, where there are picturesque villages to be discovered and which will give you a vision of how life flows slowly and in complete harmony with nature in this particular area of Greece.

We start with Geraniki village which is located in the beautiful bay north of the peninsula right in the middle between Kassandra and Sithonia. A country that began its strong development in the 60s as regards tourism, thus becoming a charming seaside resort with all comforts and capable of satisfying all needs. Nothing to do with the classic Greek village, rather a modern town with a beautiful promenade where you can take a walk, playgrounds for children on the beach and not, water sports centers, taverns where you can delight yourself with excellent fresh fish or with delicacies of Greek cuisine, picturesque ouzerie where you can breathe the true Hellenic atmosphere both from a culinary and cultural point of view, cafes, beach bars and a choice of accommodation ranging from the hotel, to the apartment to the simple guest house. The long and narrow city beach is equipped with sun beds and umbrellas and has everything within easy reach. Before the advent of tourism, however, the village of Geraniki was known for its natural deposits of magnesite, a mineral widely used especially in sports. Geraniki is a great base as a base for exploring Sithonia and also the west part of Kassandra.

Here we are Ormylia village, a rural village at the foot of Mount Holomota surrounded by olive groves and pine trees. Inhabited by about three thousand and five hundred souls all originally from the place who mainly deal with tourism and agriculture, with a great historical value. It is built on the ancient city of Sermyli, an area inhabited since prehistoric times and dependent on the monastery of Dohiariou, one of the twenty hermitages of the Orthodox Church today existing in the peninsula of Mount Athos, dedicated to the archangels Michael and Gabriel, his official protectors. Of great interest is the Kallipolis castle today an archaeological site. In 1821 the town was set on fire but immediately rebuilt again exactly as we find it today. Its architecture exactly reflects the characteristics of the old settlements of Halkidiki with dense buildings, narrow and mysterious alleys with few open spaces especially north of the old city. To visit Saint George Curch from 1818 with its beautiful bell tower, the old windmill where the view is a spectacle and ideal location for a perfect souvenir photo, the Convent of the Annunciation and the monastery of San Arsenio near the village of Vatopedi. In the village there is nothing missing from relaxing cafes to take a break, local cuisine taverns and shops with all the basic necessities. If you are visiting Ormylia, try the fresh fruit and honey from street vendors.

We continue with Vatopedi village five kilometers south of Ormylia. On a hill on the east side of the Havria River, it owes its name to the Vatopedi monastery of Mount Athos which owned the area. Vatopedi, was born with the refugees in the sad period for Greece called the Asia Minor Catastrophe who gave life to the village by expropriating it from the monastery. Today it is inhabited by about three hundred permanent people and is the classic mountain village, with its slate-roofed houses, shops, quaint taverns and accommodation ranging from apartments to villas with spectacular views. The Vatopedi beach is long and of sand mixed with gravel with clear blue waters. The seabed is low at the beginning of the beach but in some areas it has rocks. It is not equipped so bring everything you need if you want to spend the day there. Not very well known, it is always very quiet and offers peace and privacy.

We pass to Metamorphosis village which has five hundred inhabitants and is located at the beginning of the Sithonia Peninsula. Above a green slope of thick pine forests that extend to the sea, it is perfect for those looking for a quiet holiday without giving up small comforts and staying in close contact with Mother Nature. Metamorphosis has the best climate in Greece with cool summers and mild winters making it an aerial and therapeutic spa for people with respiratory problems. In the center of the village there is a park with paved paths, palms and maritime pines where you can take a moment perhaps sitting on a bench to enjoy the shade, the scent of the trees and of course the sea view. There is no shortage of shops, taverns, bars, cafes and a promenade where you can take a stroll in the evening. Its long and narrow beach with natural shade given the amount of trees present, is made of sand and gravel with a blue sea with crystal clear waters. If you want a very nice beach not far from the village then Makrya Lagada beach also called Porfi is for you. Awarded with the Blue flag, it is equipped with sunbeds, umbrellas, water sports centers and some beach bars. If you fancy a trip out of town, go to Olyntos the most important ancient city in northern Greece.

We arrive at Nikiti village in the northwestern part of the administrative capital peninsula of Sithonia. A pleasant combination of sea and mountains that gives visitors a wide choice of how to spend their holidays in Greece with sandy beaches to the south and landscapes full of pine and olive groves to the north. In the thirteenth century one of the twenty abbeys present in the sacred place was owned by Mount Athos under the jurisdiction of the Xenophon Monastery. In the fourteenth century, however, there was already a settlement but since there are no writings in favor of this, total security cannot be attributed to this verbal source. It was destroyed several times in the period of the pirates, only to be subjugated by the Turks again until the period of the First World War when it began to develop again. He began to make himself known in the late 1950s with the inhabitants of Thessaloniki who, being only a hundred kilometers away, began to build holiday homes. The main activities of the population were agriculture and beekeeping but in modern times only a few families have continued these ancient crafts while most have converted to tourism. There are currently three thousand permanent residents, reaching over twenty thousand in the summer. The village of Nikiti is formed by the old village which is located two kilometers inland from the coast and is the classic Greek village with its narrow streets, and a typically Macedonian architecture with stone houses and in the center a church dedicated to St. Nikiti of 1867 (it is celebrated on September 15 with a beautiful celebration), around which the whole urban settlement was then developed. From the church courtyard you can enjoy an enchanting view of the bay. Cafes, taverns with traditional menus and local dishes await you in the old town. Also worth visiting is the 5th century Basilica of Sofronios one of the oldest Christian churches in Macedonia with fine mosaics on the floor. The new part of the town is located right on the sea below the main road. Here 'you will find everything more' from hotels, apartments, guest houses, souvenir shops, taverns, restaurants and a large playground for children. Every Friday there is a picturesque market of local products such as fresh fruit and vegetables. Its favorable position is an excellent starting point for visiting both Sithonia and Kassandra. The long and well-equipped city beach is sandy and in some places there is a shoal perfect for the little ones. The sea is clean and with changing colors and hardly ever crowded due to its large size. In the surroundings there are many, the ones that we advise you not to miss Agios Ioannis beach, Lagomanda beach and Kalogria beach.

Parthenonas village is about five kilometers from Neos Marmaras and is located near the forest at the foot of Mount Itamos at three hundred and fifty meters above sea level. In 1970 it was completely abandoned by its inhabitants who moved to Neos Marmaras for work needs but thanks also to an intervention by the Greek government that put it in the list of places to be preserved in Chalkidiki, it has come back to life by returning people to live who have restored the ancient stone houses. A café-bar, taverns and a few guesthouses are available to visitors, but the rural and sincere atmosphere is priceless. The village of Parhenonas seems to date back to the 10th century but there is not much information about the past and its role, however it was already mentioned in the writings of Herodotus. A few years ago, moreover, while exploring a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus, ceramics from the 10th century were found. To visit the Folklore Museum with a collection of folkloric objects and the village distiller who produced the “Tsipouro” the classic Greek liqueur. During the year a beautiful walk is organized called the crossing di Dragoudeli (the second name of Mount Itamos) where locals and tourists, if they want to join, walk the mountain to get to the village where they are rewarded with indigenous delicacies and obviously rivers of tsipouro.From Parthenonas a splendid view of the olive groves, Toroneos Bay and the Kelifos island.

We arrive at Neo Marmaras village also called the princess of the northern Aegean. In the center of Sithonia, nestled on three hills between pine forests and beautiful beaches, this beautiful location has become one of the largest holiday centers of Chalkidiki. An idyllic landscape at the foot of Mount Itamos with olive groves and a rich and abundant wildlife with paradisiacal beaches awarded the Blue Flag for the clarity of the shallow waters. Here you will find many accommodations for all budgets, from hotels to campsites to apartments, cafes, taverns, restaurants, fast food restaurants, night clubs for all tastes super-equipped bathing establishments for a holiday full of fun and relaxation. It has three thousand and five hundred inhabitants all year round who deal with beekeeping, tourism, fishing and agriculture. With its twenty kilometers of coastline you will be spoiled for choice as to where to put your towel. If you are walking the beach in the southern part of the village is ideal, besides having all the equipment it has many beach bars and restaurants to eat something. If you have a vehicle instead, many coves and small bays to discover in addition to the more famous beaches such as Agios Giannis beach with its picturesque kiosks, Spathies beach, Lagomandra beach and Paradeisos beach just to name a few. For trekking lovers, instead, a series of trails with various difficulties to explore the surrounding area, a real delight for those who love nature. Neo Marmaras is located right where there was the ancient  Galepsos city dating back to the 7th century BC. Until 1922 the whole area was abandoned and then repopulated with refugees from the Greek-Turkish war.Like many places in Chalkidiki, it too returned to its beginnings in the 70s after being forgotten for a long time. For your holiday in Greece where you do not give up anything, Neo Marmaras will surely be the perfect place.

Toroni village is located in the southernmost part of the Sithonia peninsula. A small town that offers the bare necessities and not even a large number of accommodation facilities but which has a perfect beach for families with children awarded the Blue Flag for its crystal clear waters. For campers and camping fans, Toroni offers an area between two bays of the pitches, while a well-equipped campsite surrounded by fresh pine trees will certainly give you the type of holiday you are looking for. Just three kilometers from the picturesque village of Porto Koufo. Toroni has a long and important history behind it as it was one of the most important cities of the Chalkidiki Peninsula. Its birth is around the VIII -VII century BC then destroyed in the IV century AD by the barbarians. According to Greek mythology, its name derives from the wife of Proteas son of Poseidon who was called Toroni. The ancient city was divided into three parts which consisted of the Acropolis located between the fortress and Porto Koufo, the historic center in the southwestern part of the Acropolis up to the coast where there was also the periphery on the tongue of land between the fortress and the city. Destroyed by the Ottomans to recover the building material, today it has ruins that can give an idea of the size of the settlement. Lecythus fortress was built during the Peloponnesian war by the Athenians to protect the area from Spartan attacks before being restored in the Byzantine period. Some excavations also reveal the discovery of a burial place with tombs from the 2nd and 9th centuries. Parts of the ancient town including its port have sunk into the sea and can now be visited with an exciting dive. Now let's talk about its beach, the country's greatest attraction. About two and a half kilometers long where there are caves to explore by swimming or by boat, points where snorkelers will be happy to visit, it is mainly of coarse sand with turquoise-emerald waters always very clean and calm. It will be very difficult to find waves in this area, the sea is usually flat. The seabed drops slowly making it suitable for the little ones who can have fun while the adults enjoy the sun. It is partly equipped and partly free so you can choose what kind of day to spend. At sunset it is a real sight not to be missed and to be marked on the list of things to do in Sithonia. Endless beaches in the surrounding area to go and see such as Kalamitsi beach, Kriaritsi beach, Klimataria beach and many others that we don't want to tell you so as not to spoil the surprise.

Last but not least, Porto Koufo village. A quiet fishing village where the best fish taverns are located, immersed in a landscape of pine trees with an intense scent and idyllic views. It is the deepest natural harbor in Greece with a decent offer of accommodation such as hotels or apartments (there are not many so if you want to spend your holidays here it is better to book in advance), excellent taverns, mini markets and small cafes to relax contemplating the sea. A nice walk along the harbor will be the end of a sumptuous dinner and an exceptional day. The meaning of Porto Koufo is "Porto Sordo" as there is no sound of the sea and this is due to the fact that the inlet is very narrow. The view from the top of the bay is breathtaking with large rocks that seem to magically emerge from the water. In the past it was used as a hiding place for pirate ships and in the First World War it was the landing place for German ships, recognizable by the still well preserved fortifications. Its sandy beach is long and in the part equipped with sun loungers and umbrellas there is a vast shoal perfect for the little ones because in reality the whole coast has very deep waters. An ideal location for a relaxing stay where nightlife and confusion do not even know what it means. Nearby the Destenika beach, Kalamitsi beach and Klimataria beach are alternatives to the city beach. For cycling enthusiasts Porto Kofou the island in the southernmost tip of Sithonia, is a real fun, among olive trees, dirt roads, rocky paths up to the isolated and remote Ambelos beach where refreshing with a regenerating swim. It should also be noted that from September to October there is the possibility to try their hand at deep sea fishing as bluefin tuna and yellow fin tuna pass through the waters of the bay.

We believe that even here there are things to do and see without the possibility of getting bored and discovering a part of Greece still intact and where the Goddess Gaia certainly did not spare herself.