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 Sithonia, the middle
finger of Halkidiki is lined with small,
picture-perfect coves, long sandy beaches,
thickly wooded stretches and tiny fishing
villages. It is a symphony of green and blue.
Pine forests cover many of its slopes,
particularly in the south, giving way to olive
groves on the coast. Sithonia boasts a wide
range of accommodations, including one of the
most impressive lush complexes in Halkidiki with
an 18-hole golf course. Tennis courts and water
sports are widely available, as well as
horseback riding through its pine forests.
Starting out from Nea Moudania, a paved road
takes to Olynthos, an ancient Athenian colony. A
little further up, Gerakini has a beautiful
sandy beach, crystal clear waters and all the
facilities of a modern tourist resort.
 A detour
takes to Ormilia with its characteristic
architecture and churches. Metamorfosi, ultra
modern, as well as Nikitas, are the next
villages with a fair number of tavernas and
sandy beaches lined with pines. At 4 kilometres
to the north is Aghios Nicholaos with its old
houses made of wood and stone, Pirgadikia with
its island look, Vourvourou and Ormos Panagias a
picturesque hamlet with a tiny harbour. The
cosmopolitan Neos Marmaras on the west coast
manages to successfully combine exciting
nightlife with traditional beauty, contemporary
pleasures and hospitality. On the southwest tip
lies the mysterious enclosed harbour at Porto
Koufo, called the "deaf" port because the sea is
so still it makes no sound here. On the south
side of Port Koufo, at the site of ancient
Toroni, visitors can still see the ruins of the
old fortifications dating back to antiquity and
continually augmented until Byzantine times, as
well as the ruins of early Christian basilicas. |
