About Halkidiki
Shaped like Poseidon’s trident, Halkidiki’s prongs jut out into the Aegean Sea. Lush green forests extend all the way to the beachfront where reflections of golden sunlight add sparkling hues to turquoise waters. Long stretches of beautiful ever-changing shoreline, unique archaeological sites, world-renowned Christian monuments, lesser-known natural wonders and man-made masterpieces have all helped shape the region’s diverse identity, made even more interesting by the rich local culinary and cultural heritage.
Things to do in Halkidiki
Hiking
Halkidiki is home to pockets of paradise and those of you who love wooded mountains will no doubt find their own paradise here. Follow the hiking trails or go mountain biking through forests of pine, oak, fir and chestnut. Enjoy the invigorating feel of the clean mountain air and quench your thirst in the cool waters of gurgling streams and springs hidden in the vegetation.
Beaches
Pine trees that reach right up to the water’s edge, white sand, beautiful bays, crystal-clear water, hidden coves. Halkidiki’s beaches are so great in number that you can’t possibly count them all, but take out a map and have a go all the same: Kavourotripes, Mikro (small) and Megalo (large) Karidi, Kalogria, Kriopigi, Agios Mamas, Sani…You better not have given up. You’ve only just started.
Arts
In the summer, there are some great art festivals that take place in Halkidiki. Enjoy the music and outdoor theatre performances as well as other performing arts events.
Don’t miss out on going to Sani Festival. It’s been running since 1993 and it hosts painting exhibitions, music and dancing performances, some of them on Sani Hill. The area is a green promontory dominated by Sani Tower, a medieval stronghold dating to the 14th – 15th c. located on the hilltop. Visit Sani Art Gallery, in the mall by Sani marina and enjoy the scheduled events.
Kassandra Festival should also be high on your list. It takes place in Siviri Amphitheatre every summer and it hosts art events, painting exhibitions etc.
Discover Petralona Cave and the 700,000-year-old man
Prepare to be awe-struck by this masterpiece, sculpted over eons by nature’s own hand. With stalactites that sparkle in the dark and ‘dwarf stalagmites’, it’s one of the most stunning caves in Europe. It also tells a very old story: Here, hidden among the stalagmites, the 700,000-year-old skull of an early human (Archanthrapus) was discovered. Aged 30-35 years, he was considered elderly for that time.
Eat & Drink
Try delicious local dishes; taste table olives; savour white, rosé and acclaimed red wines from native varieties (mavrotragano and xinomavro); taste seafood delicacies such as mussels; and don’t miss out on trying the fragrant top quality local honey. In addition, there are some of the best award-winning restaurants in Greece with national awards “Xrysos Skoufos”. “Squirrel” at Danai Beach Resort, “Treehouse” and “Budo Fine Dining Restaurant” at Ekies All Senses Resort and “Mpoukadoura”.
