Kassandra Island Greece
As the nearest region to Thessaloniki, the Kassandra peninsula of Halkidiki has been the most heavily developed for tourism. Purpose-built hotels and apartment blocks have swamped once tiny villages, doing wonders for the local Halkidiki economy but little for traditional Greek culture. Restaurants have an American/Italian bias with steak burgers and pizzas the staple offering. Holidays in Kassandra tend to be restricted to the all-in hotel and beach as there is not a great deal to see if you decide to venture inland, just mile after mile of featureless road with the odd tacky Halkidiki cafe or roadside club to attract the eye. he beaches in Kassandra though are splendid and those holidaymakers looking for all-in beach holidays will find few better in the rest of Halkidiki. The Kassandra resort reports start in the north-west and work down towards the narrow neck of land at Nea Potidea. They then follow the east coast resorts down to the southern cape and finally the west coast resorts, from north the south, heading to Nea Skioni.
- VISITORS FIND
- Buses
- Boat hire
- Camping
- Car hire
- Cash point
- Tavernas
- Taxis
- Watersports
Kallikratia beach
The first resort area reached out of Thessaloniki is Nea Kallikratia, about 35km south of the airport on the far north-west coast of Kassandra.
Nea Kallikratia is a huge holiday resort with several good beaches nearby, most notably Vargia beach which hoists the Blue Flag. Golden sand at Nea Kallikratia seems to stretch on forever.
The Nea Kallikratia town beach is packed with holidaymakers and day trippers but there are less crowded spots to be found further along the coast, most of them easy to reach.
The longest stretch of sand is the Geoponica-Mykoniatika, depending on which end you arrive, and also carries a Blue Flag. There is about 1km of golden sand on a 30m deep beach, backed by summer apartments and pine woods beyond them. The beach is a favourite with young people.
Nea Kallikratia itself has plenty of shopping and a very busy nightlife. There is a cinema, several parks, cafes, bars and restaurants.
The Azure beach is about 800m of sand in the central part of Nea Kallikratia near the main public square. This is very much a 'town beach' with all the usual tourist facilities and a pleasant public park nearby.
Nea Plagia beach
The resort of Nea Plagia was built by refugees 1924 on the site of a swamp and it has now turned into fertile farmland producing tomatoes, melons, melons, olives and grapes. The village has a population of around 1, 200.
Nea Plagia resort has several long, clean and sandy beaches and several small and shady parks behind them. There are the usual ranks of sunbeds you expect on a popular beach and cafes and tavernas nearby.
The Nea Plagia sands are long and very deep and the water shallow, so it's a good beach for families. In the town behind there is every kind of shop, from supermarkets to confectioners as well as the usual bars, cafes and tavernas.
During summer months Nea Plagia village organises several cultural celebrations, with local dancing groups performing in the street and several folk art exhibitions on display.
- Ruins
Long sandy beach at Nea Flogita
The village resort of Nea Flogita was founded in 1923 by refugees from Turkey and today has a population of about 1, 500, though the numbers swell to ten times that in the summer. It is found perched on the hillside about 45km from Thessaloniki.
Nea Flogita resort has a long, clean sandy beach stretching more than 1.5km along the shore and a good 100m deep and with natural shade behind, notably around 100 palm trees. A reef about 50m offshore helps keep the sea calm and it is shallow and sandy underfoot, making this popular with families .
There are long, well-paved roads for walks, many quiet family tavernas and dozens of cafes and bars to meet the tourist demand as well as nightclubs, even an outdoor cinema.
There are several archaeological sites within striking distance of Nea Flogita and excursions are organized daily from the village. Bus services are frequent throughout the summer season.
Dionisou a purpose-built resort
Dionisou is much prettified, purpose-built tourist resort with a long sandy beach located on the north-west coast of Halkidiki about 50km from Thessaloniki and about 3km north of Nea Moudania.
Tavernas and bars line the back of the deep, long and sandy beach on the inland side of a paved walkway that is dotted with street lamps, raised flowerbeds and occasional wooden benches. A line of tamarisks between the walkway and the Dionisou beach provides plenty of shade during the day.
The northern end of Dionisou beach curves out to a headland where the sand, and the crowds, eventually peter out. To the south the beach gets deeper and sandier until the sunbeds eventually give out. The far south of Dionisou beach is ideal for those who prefer it less crowded, but there is little to be had in the way of shade.
Dionisou resort has a couple of large hotels and about 40 apartment blocks. Nearby is a fully equipped sports centre with swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts plus a soccer pitch and go-kart track.
Each evening Dionisou market traders set up stalls selling local farm produce, clothing and some crafts. Festivals in early August have dancing and drinking in the streets. There are frequent buses to Thessaloniki.
- Ferry
- Museum
Moudania beach
Basilica of Panagia Koryfini
Nea Moudania is the main town resort on this stretch of coastline, about 60km from Thessaloniki and one of the biggest fishing ports in Greece.
About 6, 500 people live there and the commercial port does a brisk trade in pilchard while industrial areas on the outskirts have light industrial units and packing plants.
Nea Moudania is wrapped in very fertile farming land and the surrounding plain is covered in apricot and peanut fields as well as the usual olive and citrus groves.
The beach at Nea Moudania is nothing special, just a narrow man-made strip of sand and shingle with rocks under the water. There are watersports galore though and tavernas and cafes line the beach. The rest of the town is stuffed with bars and restaurants so there is no shortage of entertainment.
The main sights at Nea Moudania are the huge basilica of Panagia Koryfini, a modern brick affair. The town has a 2, 000 seat open air theatre on the waterfront that holds summer concerts under the stars. Other interesting local sights include the Zografou Tower, a 14th century Byzantine tower, with a church built in 1842.
