Kallithea Village Chalkidiki Peninsula
And here we are at the most popular and lively Kallithea village in Kassandra. It is located about eighty five kilometers from Thessaloniki on the central eastern side and its name means "beautiful view", you will understand the reason why we do not want to take away the surprise.
A country where you can discover a fantastic nature, an interesting history and a full-fledged nightlife. If you love nightlife and crazy parties, then Kallithea is right for you. But in addition to unbridled vices, the village also offers excellent alternatives for families, just do not go about a kilometer and a half from the center where all the nightclubs are concentrated.
Located on a gentle hill and framed by a lush pine forest, it offers everything you want for a comfortable holiday. There are many alternatives for accommodation ranging from simple pensions at low prices, to apartments, guest houses up to luxury hotels where you can indulge in the most unthinkable pampering. Also from a culinary point of view, Kallithea offers an infinite number of trendy restaurants, simple taverns where tradition is at home with dishes based on high quality and always fresh products, bars, cafes and ouzerie where to stop for a drink and maybe get acquainted with some local.
In winter it is populated by five hundred souls while in summer it is filled with people from all over the world, especially from nearby Thessaloniki which can only be reached with an hour and a half by bus. Let's say that the hilly part is much quieter than the coastal area which is full of clubs, beaches and hotels.
It too has very ancient origins, we are talking about finds dating back to 4000 BC. In the eighth century BC it was a colony of the city-state of Eretria on the island of Euboea where the survivors of the Persian invasion that was going to meet the army of Athens for the battle of Marathon in 490 BC took refuge. During the Greek-Turkish war of 1919, the influx of refugees from Asia Minor settled in Kallithea, making it grow and become an important center. Before 1919 it was basically inhabited by monks. Of high historical value we find the Temple of Ammon Zeus located right by the sea and discovered in 1968. Originally it was the cave where the God Dionysus together with the Muses were worshiped until the eighth century BC. After four hundred years the imposing temple dedicated to Zeus was built. A structure with a Doric courtyard and the grotto behind it with two rows of columns parallel to the temple surmounted by statues. The reason for its position is that for the cult of Ammon Zeus with Egyptian and Libyan origins, springs and waterfalls were necessary as the element of water was considered sacred and a sign of fertility.
In addition to Ammon Zeus was also worshiped the God Asclepius, the God of healing. In this regard the historian Serophon tells of a Spartan general who, wounded in the bay of Toroneaos, died while they were trying to take him to the temple of Ammon Zeus to cure him. In 200 AD, during the Roman domination, a bath was built and when it was demolished a basilica was built on top of it. In the 11th century, the monastery of San Panteleimon came to life near the ruins of the temple. Some remains of the temple are now kept in Mount Athos, the third phalanx of the Chalkidiki Peninsula.
Now let's talk about the beach. Well here we could write words and words but the best thing is always to go and see them for yourself. Expanses of white sand with a sea of a turquoise that seems almost fake from the seabed that descends gently therefore suitable for families with children and the elderly, almost all super-equipped with sunbeds, umbrellas and beach bars.
A dynamic village ideal for holidays or for a trip to discover the Halkidiki peninsula and to be included in the things to see in Kassandra.