One of the favorite resorts of the Greeks themselves and foreign tourists is the peninsula in the north-east of Greece, with its outline on the map resembling an open three-fingered palm. And most of all hotels on the first, western finger of Halkidiki: Kassandra, that’s the name of this “peninsula on a peninsula”.
General information
The” finger ” of Kassandra protrudes 50 km from the land and its coast is washed by the clear waters of the Aegean Sea: the western coast faces the Bay of Thermaikos, and the eastern beaches of the peninsula are located on the shore of the Bay of Toroneos. At its widest point, from the western to the eastern shore, approximately 15 km.
What does the peninsula look like from a bird’s eye view? Unfortunately, the birds won’t tell us that. But shooting from a helicopter, paraglider or with the help of a controlled photodron will delight you with beautiful cozy coves and emerald hills with unique plants. Then the rich and bright greenery from the hills slowly descends and smoothly turns into an endless thread of the beach coast. However, in some places this thread breaks off, giving way to picturesque steep rocks and stones.
And in the shade of the green pines on Kassandra are hidden the necklaces of luxury hotels. There are restaurants, taverns and many entertainment venues here.
Unlike the other two fingers-prongs of Halkidiki – Sithonia and Mount Athos, some of the resort villages of Kassandra are bustling with nightlife. Kassandra Peninsula is the most populous and developed tourist destination in the Halkidiki region. All three summer months, at the peak of the season, coinciding with the holiday season, there is a real invasion of young people and just party lovers.
Weather
The sunniest days are in July and August, only one day at this time can be gloomy, and in the remaining 30-not a single cloud. In June, the sun shines in the sky over Cassandra for an average of 28 days. It is also warmest in the last two summer months, +29-30 ° C, and in June the daytime temperature is +26.4 ° C according to long-term observations. And the sea is also warmest in summer, + 24.9-29.9 ° C. In summer, the rain is not heavy, only 8 -20 mm.
You can swim on the beaches of Kassandra and Halkidiki in general from mid-May to mid-October.
In winter, Cassandra is + 10-13 degrees, and it rains most often in early autumn (about 3 days in September), in late winter, in February – 4 days, and in early spring (March) – also 4 days. It can rain both in January and February, but in March precipitation falls the most – about 52 mm, this is the wettest month on Kassandra. In winter, light winds blow over the peninsula – about 4.2-4.7 m / s.
Beaches and resorts
Many beaches in Kassandra are awarded the “Blue Flag” for meeting European standards, and the best beaches in Halkidiki are located here. We will take a short survey and visit some of the famous resorts and beaches of the peninsula.
Nea Potidea-the gateway to Kassandra
This town, located on both sides of the main road of the peninsula, is a kind of”gateway to Kassandra”. To get here, you need to cross the bridge over the ancient canal, which simultaneously connects two sea bays of the Aegean Sea and separates the northern part of the” palm ” of Halkidiki with Kassandra. Or simply take a pleasure boat from anywhere on the Greek coast. The canal was dug 2,000 years ago and reconstructed in 1930.
Although the modern settlement for Greek refugees from Turkey was founded here less than a hundred years ago (in 1922), the history of this place is ancient, rich and entertaining.
Now Nea Potidea is a multi-profile resort in Kassandra with excellent beaches, developed infrastructure and entertainment for every taste: windsurfing, diving, parasailing. You can play beach volleyball, billiards and tennis on the local beaches.
In this place there are both comfortable beach hotels (Potidea Palace, Pomegranate Spa Hotel), and inexpensive budget hotels that attract young people.
There are good sandy and pebble beaches and hotels in Nea Pontidea on both sides, but mostly they are located on the east: there the beach line is wider and longer. The sand is golden and the sea is shallow and clear. The promenade here is lively, with taverns, various shops and souvenir shops. Lots of bars and discos.
And on the west bank there is a small marina where fishing schooners are moored and you can rent a boat. This Halkidiki resort is popular with the local population.
Most of the hotels in Kassandra are located on the eastern shore, although the most famous complex Sani is located almost at the beginning of the western coastline.
Sani
Sani resort is the largest in Kassandra. The complex of 4-5 star hotels is built in the north-west of the peninsula and occupies a huge territory.
In the center of the complex is a bay for boats and yachts. The beaches from there stretch on two sides, the sandy strip is mostly wide. The entrance to the sea is convenient for children and adults and is also sandy. There are discos, animation for children. The beaches are always crowded.
We will continue our journey with Cassandra along the eastern part of the peninsula, “looking” at the Bay of Toroneos and the neighboring finger-Sithonia. From Nea Pontidea we move from north to south.
Beach holidays in Thessaloniki — where to swim
Nea Phocea
The best place on Kassandra for a relaxing family holiday with small children. Nea Fokea has two beaches on different sides of the bay, both of coarse sand and small pebbles. More visitors to the beach, which is closer to the tower, near the pier. The beach bar features umbrellas and air mattresses. On the beach a little further along the coast in a southerly direction, there are fewer people and it is almost wild. The picturesque estuary is always full of fishing boats, and in summer – yachts and cruise boats. The water, like everywhere else on Cassandra, is clean and clear.
There is a play area for children, all attractions are free, puppet theater performances are often held in the village center for children, and a local folk ensemble performs Greek dances and songs.
Afitos
“Stone balcony” of Halkidiki-this is the name of the small village of Afitos on the east coast of Kassandra in Greece.
The houses here are also made of stone, as well as the streets of the village – they are all paved with stone at different times.
A walk through the town is a pleasure: the central shopping street with shops and souvenir shops, and a leisurely walk through very quiet and shady side streets.
There are many potted flowers here, and hydrangeas of various shades have already become a distinctive brand name of Afitos.
The settlement is located approximately 500 meters above sea level, so the beach line of the village and the sea itself are all below.
The observation deck offers wonderful sea views of Toroneos Bay. Your vacation photos from Greece will be great if you do not forget to take a few shots with seascapes in this particular place on Kassandra. And in good weather, the outlines of the mountains on Sithonia are clearly visible from the height.
But the descent to the sea, and especially the ascent from the beach to the village on a hot day on foot is tedious and takes from 20 minutes to half an hour. You can drive up to the beach by car and look for parking near one of the few hotels on the beach.
The beach stretches for 4 kilometers, in some places it is divided into small separate beaches, each of which has its own name: Afitis, Aristotelis, Varka, Mudunu and Liosi.
There are also several taverns and cafes below, where you will be given a sunbed and an umbrella for the whole day if you take a drink at the bar. There are several shower points, but they are open, without cabins. You don’t need to take bottled water with you or buy it in a cafe: you won’t suffer from thirst, water taps are installed in several places, and the drinking water here is very tasty. The beaches are sparsely populated and quiet even in the high season.
The water in the sea is a wonderful color and clean, but the entrance for swimming is difficult-there are many huge boulders or gentle flat and very slippery stones. There is a danger of stepping on a sea urchin, so rubber slippers on the beaches of Afitos when swimming are desirable, or better-mandatory. Probably for these reasons, many tourists who have chosen this interesting place for recreation live in Afitos, and go swimming to nearby beaches in other villages on the coast.
Kalithea
Kalithea resort on Kassandra is the most popular destination in Halkidiki. A distinctive feature of the beaches on the coastline of Kalifei is the amazing properties of its sand. If you look at the sea floor on a sunny day, it seems that it is all covered with small, small sparkles. The sea here is always calm: the low mountains of the first two fingers of Halkidiki do not allow sea winds and elements to enter the bay, so even a small storm is a rare phenomenon.
The entire length of Kallitheas Beach is perfectly equipped. In addition to the obligatory sun loungers for a good beach, there is a sports town, a water sports center, and comfortable changing cabins. There is always coffee and a cheap snack available in the nearest tavern.
The most convenient place for swimming, especially with children, is near the Ammon Zeus hotel. There is no danger of meeting sea urchins, there are no rocks either, and the entrance to the water is quite gentle. There are shells, beautiful, though small.
According to the reviews of tourists, the sites on the segment next to the hotels Macedonia San and Afos are also good. The entire beach line is quite wide.
Kallithea is the center of nightlife on the Kassandra peninsula in Greece. During the season in the local clubs you can meet many famous and popular Greek pop stars, they come to the resort with their concerts.
The most popular club locations are Aqua, Pearl, Circo, and Ahoy Club. Entrance to the night clubs of Kalithea costs 10 euros, and the price also includes small one-time portions of alcoholic cocktails and beer. Night clubs are located at a considerable distance from the city limits and do not interfere with the sleep of vacationers.
Kriopigi
The Kriopigi beach line (between Kalifea and Polychrono) starts from the Alexander the Great Beach Hotel and stretches to the beach near Kassandra Palace.
7 km of white sand and small pebbles at the water’s edge, a pine forest near the sea, wonderful air, calm water, quiet measured rest in numerous hotels, guest houses and campsites, wonderful views-this is how the resort of Kriopigi on Kassandra looks to everyone who has fallen in love with this coast and visits Halkidiki from year to year.
There is very tasty spring water, and the warm current in the sea is sometimes interspersed with cold bands. Cryopigi is Greek and means “cold springs”. The village and all the resort infrastructure are located above, and the road from there to the central beach of Pigadakya at the campsite takes about 15 minutes, by car you can drive in 5-7 minutes.
The beach is equipped with sun loungers, showers and changing rooms, there is a boat rental service and a bar with a tavern on the terrace just above the beach. The entrance to the sea is gentle, but in some places there is a danger of stepping on a sea urchin.
A more detailed description of the resort with photos is presented in this article.
Hanioti
A small town closer to the south-eastern part of the Kassandra peninsula in Halkidiki. A wonderful beach with a full range of services, a wonderful large park, resort shops and cafes, taverns, restaurants. One of the best places to shop in Greece, where you can successfully buy good fur products. All fashionistas come here for fur coats. A detailed description of this resort on the Kassandra peninsula can be found on this page.
Pefkohori
This seaside town, the penultimate one on the eastern coast of Kassandra, is known not only for its beautiful promenade, beaches and pine trees. In the nearby mountains there are many apiaries that produce the best honey in Greece. There are also olive groves nearby, and the oil from local olives is of excellent quality. The resort is popular with European tourists. All details about the rest of the resort and its beaches are presented in this article with photos.
Where to stay and what to try to eat
Hotels and rental properties
On the Internet, on various tourist portals, you can choose from more than six hundred housing options in Kassandra. These are apartments, villas, guest houses and, of course, hotels. Exactly one and a half dozen hotels on the peninsula are huge resort beach complexes, the rest, about two hundred of them, are ordinary. Some hotels and apartments, thanks to the reviews of tourists, have the highest score on all comparable indicators – 10. Moreover, in such a rating, both elite five-star and small hotels with one star can coexist.
By the way, housing levels 1* and 2** and without them on Cassandra the most. At the height of the season, the room rate for two people per night ranges from 45-100 euros.
Prices for renting a class 3*** apartment in July here are approximately 45-200 euros, 4**** from 100 to 250 euros, and a five-star hotel room will cost tourists 120-500 euros.
Usually breakfast is included in the price, and sometimes dinner is also included. But to make your summer vacation in Greece on the Kassandra peninsula pass without surprises, worry about housing in advance, because by the beginning of the year, most of the rooms in local hotels are not available for booking. In addition, when booking early, you can sometimes save a lot of money.
If you are not a fan of package tours, but prefer independent travel, it makes sense to rent accommodation on services such as Airbnb or on the popular local Holiday Greece. At the first stage, Cassandra can not boast of a large selection, and at the second stage there are quite adequate and profitable offers.
For example, it is easy to rent a villa. 4**** stars for the whole family or a group of 4-6 people for 180-220 euros per day. Such a villa can be located in the area of large beach hotels, where all the resort infrastructure is nearby, and you can save on food in comparison with the hotel. In these variants, there is always a built-in kitchen unit, and on the cozy territory there is a barbecue.
A separate apartment (2-4 persons) in resort towns with excellent beaches in July can cost 55-75 euros per day, and in the peak of the high season in Greece it is very cheap.
Naturally, prices in early spring and October are somewhat lower, and many travelers who are interested in more than just beach holidays are willing to take advantage of this circumstance. After all, spring and autumn in Greece are also beautiful, and this is the most comfortable time for educational and walking excursions. And the photo archive of tourists traveling in Kassandra to Halkidiki not in the highest season is much more diverse and interesting than that of those who do not have a choice of “beachgoers” who are too lazy to go on excursions in the summer.
What to try on Cassandra and how much it costs
You can eat delicious food in Greece everywhere-the Greeks themselves love it, and guests will be prepared and offered wonderful dishes of national cuisine.
Just like all over the peninsula, restaurants, taverns and other establishments offer Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, seafood dishes and international cuisine. Most of the restaurants have indoor spaces, but almost all have seasonal outdoor areas with wonderful views of the sea bays and neighboring islands.
The average check for dinner or lunch for two in a good restaurant with reasonable prices will cost 45-70 euros. The menu offers a choice of meat dishes, seafood, fresh fish dishes, good wine, cheese and olives, honey. As a gift from the establishment, you can get a dish with fresh fruit. Many restaurants offer live music in the evenings.
Here are the approximate prices:
- huge portion of Greek salad – 7-10 euros,
- meat dishes – 10-15 euros,
- vegetables stuffed with meat and rice – 9-12 euros,
- large grilled shrimp served on a large platter – 18-25 euros.
There are small cafes, taverns and beach bars on the beach where you can have a quick snack or take your own food. The assortment includes local pastries with puff pastry with cheese, spinach and other fillings for 2-3 euros (piece), salad and simple snacks from 5 euros. A large pizza for the company will cost 12-18 euros.
All cafes and restaurants on Kassandra start working from 11-12 o’clock, and finish late in the evening or at night.
Attractions
Myths are the main thing that connects the history of every corner of Greece. The birthplace of Aristotle Cassandra is no exception, it is believed that many battles of the ten-year battle of the Olympian gods with the Titans (Giants) took place here.
Previously, the peninsula had other names: once it was called Phlegra, and it was also called Palini, after one of the daughters of the chief of the Titans. But when King Cassander appeared on these lands and built the city of Cassandria, the first finger of Chalkidiki also began to be called Cassandra.
In Greek villages and towns located both on the coast and closer to the center of the axis of the Kassandra peninsula, there are many ancient monuments and attractions.
But from the very beginning, a little bit about the modern sights of this resort region, which attracts many tourists from all countries and also the Greeks themselves.
Sani Marina
In the neighborhood of the luxury hotels surrounding the harbor, this place can easily be compared with a five-star yacht hotel. Sea vessels with a length of up to 25 meters can be moored at its 215 berths. The marina is huge – 32 thousand square meters. m. Here you can see the masts of luxury snow-white yachts worth millions, and colorful fishing boats, and boats of local fishermen.
A sidewalk is laid along the perimeter of the entire harbor. This is the place of the morning promenade of the public having a rest on a Sleigh: shopping, souvenir shops and fashion boutiques, which are plentiful here.
Fish swim here at the piers along the shore, and adults and children with pleasure and delight feed it from their hands.
In the evening, tourists take their seats in numerous cafes and restaurants along the boardwalk. Most of the establishments are open during the season on the outdoor terraces, so you can enjoy sunsets and views of the illuminated harbor and sea.
Tower and Church of the Twelve Apostles in Nea Phocea
There are many archaeological and historical sites in the vicinity of the modern settlement of Nea Phocea on the Kassandra Peninsula. One of them is a well-preserved high watchtower dating back to 1407, which has become the hallmark of the town of Greece. Then on these lands were located the metochias of the Athos monasteries. Stones in the masonry of the medieval tower are tetrahedral in shape of various sizes, there are small windows. Four centuries later (1868), the Church of the Twelve Apostles was built nearby. The church houses rare icons. Today, these are undoubtedly significant sights not only of the Kassandra peninsula, but of the whole country of Greece.
Temple of Zeus-Amon and Dionysius in Kalithea and Roman baths
The Temple of Zeus-Amun is the oldest surviving landmark on the Kassandra Peninsula in Greece, albeit in the form of excavations.
These ancient buildings, dating back to the 3rd-2nd century BC, were discovered relatively recently near Kalithea. Modern builders came across the remains of the sanctuary of the god Dionysius and the walls of the unfinished temple of Zeus-Amon in the 60s of the last century when building another new hotel on the beach.
Ancient people knew how to choose places of worship of the gods: the place is picturesque, hence the wonderful views of the neighboring Sithonia peninsula, and the” tail ” of Kassandra itself. Many interesting archaeological finds were transferred by the monks to Holy Mount Athos.
Roman baths in Halkidiki in Greece, historians refer to the 1-2 century AD. It is believed that they were used until the very end of the 4th century. During excavations, medical supplies were found in the back rooms: apparently, these small baths are a prototype of the current SPA salons. Ablutions were part of the worship of the god Asclepius.
There are no organized excursions to the excavations, but if you buy guides-prospectuses with detailed descriptions at the tourist kiosk, lovers of archeology can explore them on their own, there are signs with inscriptions everywhere, and the entrance to the ruins is free.
Church of St. Demetrius (Church Agios Dimitrios) in Afitos
Old bas-reliefs and icons, interesting architecture of the temple itself and its decoration can be seen by visiting the main church in Afitos. It was built on the site of the old Orthodox church in 1858. Halkidiki has no other similar church – a basilica with a dome. Inside, the temple doesn’t seem as big as outside. Now the old murals are being reconstructed and restored.
What to see in Thessaloniki first of all
Ethnographic Museum in Afitos
The museum is located in the same building as the library in a small village square. The building is stone, of traditional construction.
In the first basement there is an exhibition of household utensils and agricultural devices. A staircase from the hall just above leads to the local library, and on the third, steep, tourists climb to the top floor, leading to the exhibition of a typical Greek house, as it was in these parts 100 years ago.
In one of the rooms there is an exhibition of folk costumes, in the other the living room decor is shown (kafistiko) with an antique loom, there is a bedroom, kitchen, dining room and utility room.
So our virtual tour of the first “finger” of Halkidiki has come to an end. You can quickly explore all its main attractions by car in two to three days. And it’s not true that “Greece has everything.” There is no heavy industry and no big chemistry. There are no large deposits of any significant minerals, the development and extraction of which is always associated with significant damage to the environment.
You will not find all this on the Kassandra peninsula (Halkidiki), where we took a short trip today. Here is the cleanest sea and wonderful people who do everything possible to make tourists feel good.
