AD | 6 Wonderful Places to Visit in Halkidiki

*Why is this post marked AD? I was invited by Jet2 to experience their new April package holidays to Halkidiki. We received complimentary flights and hotel stay, with full board catering. We met all other expenses ourselves. You can trust that I will always be honest and truthful on A Brummie Home and Abroad, and being an invited guest will not influence my opinion in any way.

After a few days relaxing in our Sani Beach hotel, cabin fever was beginning to set in. Mr Fletche and I were ready to explore what lay beyond the gates of our glittering 5 star resort. The Guest Relations desk pointed us toward the Hertz car rental desk onsite at Sani Marina; a few clicks online and we had booked a hire car to pick up the next morning.

Driving in Halkidiki

Our hire car was a compact Fiat Panda Cross. Such a small car was great for negotiating tight corners in the towns and villages and parking in small spaces. It needed a little more oomph when climbing mountain roads but it got us where we needed to go. For two days rental (10am to 6pm the following day) and insurance, we paid approximately €90 (£79.50). We filled up the tank (from about a quarter full) for €50 (£44.50). A UK driving licence was accepted documentation, no additional non-EU citizen permits are required as yet.

The roads in Halkidiki were generally in excellent condition, with clear signage in both Greek and English. Designated driver Mr Fletche thought that driving was a breeze, although there were occasionally a few mishaps. Missing a junction. Or taking a junction when we should have carried on. And then there was the odd case of the missing road as we departed Arnaia…

On the main roads, drivers were mainly courteous, and we allowed room for other motorists to overtake. We stuck to the posted speed limits as Mr Fletche has form for speeding abroad. We’ve had fines from Vermont and from Switzerland to prove it. Speed limits in the city are 50 km/h; 90 km/h outside the city limits; and 110km/h on highways and 130km/h on motorways. Gas stations were plentiful, most with an attendant who will top up with as much fuel as you want to pay for.

So what’s a Jet2holiday in April to Halkidiki really like? And most importantly – what’s the weather like?

6 Wonderful Places to Visit in Halkidiki

After a tentative drive around the car park to adjust to a manual after 12 months of driving an automatic – and practising reverse parking without the luxury of cameras – Mr Fletche sets Google maps and we hit the open road.

Arnaia

This traditional and authentic village in central Halkidiki lies at the foot of the Holomontas Mountains. Stone houses with terracotta roofs line cobblestoned streets. The vibrantly coloured Macedonian architecture are very different to the picture postcard Greek scenes of whitewashed buildings. We stumble upon the town’s main square, where locals and a few hardy tourists like ourselves seek refreshment. After paying €7.50 for a frappe at our hotel we are delighted to find a €3 frappe at the quirky Aristoteles Cafe.

Driving through the village takes a little patience, as we seek to find a parking spot. Any hesitation and we are overtaken by frustrated local drivers. Yes, even when we are giving way to oncoming traffic on narrow two-way roads.

Afytos

Very few of my “real-life” friends had been to Halkidiki, so when Lisa dropped me a line to recommend Aftyos, we took her advice and paid a visit. Built on a cliff above Toroneos Bay, it offers breath-taking views over an infinite blue sea. Our April visit meant that we had almost the whole village to ourselves. Shutters were pulled down on some of the restaurants and stores, but most were open, bored-looking waiters hoping for the opportunity to provide a little Greek hospitality. We had a light lunch and a glass of wine (homemade lemonade for the designated driver) at Agora, before an afternoon Aperol Spritz at Notos Cafe Bar, with it’s Instagrammable flower wall. We were joined at Notos by a particularly cheeky kitty with a penchant for paprika-flavoured crisps.

Nikiti

On the Sithonia peninsula, Nikiti is a pretty seaside town famed for it’s honey. As we traverse the main road through the town there are verdant hills to the left of us, and glimpses of an azure sea to the right. It is to the right that we head first. The clouds look heavy and ominous, but we leave the car behind for a stroll along the seafront. A few hopeful café bars are putting out cushioned seats on their terraces, although we appear to be the only tourists in town. By the time we return to the car they are rushing to bring them inside as the heavens open. Undeterred – if a little damp – we drive up to the panoramic viewpoint above the Old Town. We pause to take in the views at the church of Agios Nikolas as the drizzle starts to relent. For now.

Neos Marmaras

We arrive at Neos Marmaras to torrential rain. It’s the largest seaside town on the Sithonia Peninsula and I fear we’ll see nothing of it but a drizzly landscape through the windscreen. After a quick lull though, we make a run for it to cafe bar Nuovo for a frappe and shelter. Eventually though, the sun comes out and we’re able to leave the sanctuary of Nuovo to explore the town a little. This is a much more bustling and busy community, with all the local services for tourists and for the 3,500 permanent residents. There are bars and restaurants aplenty, and lots of gift shops, selling beautiful wooden and ceramic souvenirs. This would be an ideal place to stay on Sithonia if you want to be in the hub. There are Blue Flag beaches at either end of the horseshoe-shaped cove, with shallow and calm waters.

Porto Koufo

Was it worth driving the 30 minutes south on winding roads through pine forests to an isolated fishing village with four or five seafood restaurants and not much else? Definitely. A narrow spit of beach fringes a sheltered natural bay; cats stretch out in sunny spots, patiently awaiting fishy scraps from diners. The waters are so calm and quiet that you can barely believe that the open sea lies beyond the 300m wide opening.

Parthenonas

Located in the centre of the Sithonia peninsula, on the slopes of Mount Itamos, Parthenonas was largely abandoned by residents moving to the coast in the 1970s. Recently it has experienced something of a revival with the restoration of some of the buildings. 350m above sea level, it looks like nature has taken over. with buildings sprouting from the greenery. The views back over the bay, all the way to Kassandra, are spectacular.

We stop at To Steki tou Meniou before our descent, an alpine style lodge with real fires for yet another frappe and a much welcomed toilet stop. It’s a winding mountainous road, with some switchbacks and a sharp drop on one side. Christos at Hertz had suggested that we exit the same way that we drove in to prevent a precarious detour through the mountains. Wise advice as memories of a similar drive in Croatia came to mind…

Is it worth hiring a car in Halkidiki?

Absolutely. Hiring a car allowed us to explore not only along the coast of the Kassandra and Sithonia peninsulas, but to travel inland and discover traditional towns in the foothills of mountainous regions. Excursions offered by our hotel were few and far between – two morning bus tours – and public transport wasn’t widely available so a hire car was the only way to explore the region on our own schedule.

If we’d had one more day of car hire then we would have headed to Thessaloniki, Greece’s cosmopolitan second city, or to Polygyros, capital city of Halkidiki. Which gives us an excuse to go back – after all it’s only a three and a half hour flight with Jet2 from BHX.