We are sitting at the top of the Halkidiki Peninsula. Often referred to as “Poseidon’s trident” which consists of three smaller peninsulas: Kassandra, Sithonia, and Athos. Athos is the place of religious monasteries with restrictions on access, Sithonia peninsula is the one we explored 2 years ago and so this time, we going to take a toot around Kassandra.

The charms of Halkidiki, the three-fingered peninsula below Thessaloniki in northern Greece, are at first glance easy to bypass. Its critics will tell you the public sites are nothing, there are no fresh discoveries to be made and it looks just like the Algarve. Halkidiki, in short, has been sifted by archaeologists, brutalised by developers and is overrun by tourists from Germany and Bulgaria who converge here in the summer months to enjoy sea, sand and sun.

Reasonably quiet beach – we took the photo from the van, parked right on the beach

We begin our journey on Kassandra and our first stop Agia Triada.  A lively Greek resort but still with a sense of tradition.  After visiting the supermarket (we call it Houdini’s as we have no idea how to pronounce it, help!) for our favourite Greek wine we parked up right on the beach and enjoyed a day playing ball with the Mac n Tosh.  In the evening, we enjoyed a nice meal at one of the many beach taverna before retiring to Vin for candlelit aperitifs on the beach.

Our Bumble wild camping spot Agia Triada N040.503144, E022.898600

Night out with hubby

Saturday morning and Agia Triada attracts the Thessaloniki crowds.  It is s a 45 minute drive through sudden green pines and wooded slopes bringing you into the isthmus of Sithonia. Pine and olive trees yield to vines beyond the little fishing ports and then to close growing thorn bushes and rock.

Boat yard

We cross the canal into Nea Potidia where the Peloponnese War broke out.  These days, it’s a village of two halves that sits on the narrowest point of Halkidiki. With eastern half the town full of motorboats, beach brollies and estate agents. The western side with quiet residential apartments, rocky headland and park.  More storms stir in the evening, so we snuggle down and giggle along with the infamous film, My Greek Wedding.

Another storm brewing

Our Bumble wild camping spot Nea Potidia N040.196167, E023.321814

An hours drive from Nea Potidia through a flat, dry landscape with clean shaven peaks to our next stop. Our road trip takes us through rocky peaks rising from fields scattered with unfinished buildings, enormous petrol stations and billboards screaming the hottest nightclub this summer. We stop for breakfast at Nea Fokaia and lunch at Kalithea.

Breakfast at Nea Fokaia Tower

Two modest resorts on the east side both offering a good selection of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants.  Our final leg of the journey takes us along the unmarked coastal road that hugs the packed white sandy beaches. Here, there is no road to cross between boutique hotels and ocean. Cars park in every spare inch of land and the tourist swarm to the beach.  We drive by, watching flocks of people wade up to their knees a hundred yards out to sea.  The majority looking like bewildered flamingos in baseball caps. 

Lunch at Kalithea

By late afternoon, we arrive at St Nickolas church a few kilometres out of Paliouri.

Our Bumble wild camping spot Paliouri N039.932702, E023.73494

Our little headland spot is quiet, peaceful and home for a couple of days. Mac n Tosh spend hours dipping in the water, crabbing and chewing on drift wood. 

Around the bay a cobbled track leads past half a dozen caravans.  We are not sure on their purpose, as it looks like they are here to mark their spot and claim land?  Further up the coast the knobbly grey path is like an elephant’s knee covered in moss.  The only sound, the rustle of lizards in the dead leaves, which drives Tosh bonkers.  Human settlement is yet to reach this point.

Time to move on and travel up the west coast. The coastal drive is a pleasure with little traffic and plenty vantage points.  During low season this place will be a wild campers paradise with fresh water point on most beaches and harbours. 

About half way along the west coast, the road branches left, culminating after seven kilometres but we continue.  All of a sudden we find ourselves driving through a massive 5 star tourist resort.  Clearly we had entered the back way or missed a sign? First the gardens then the spa area and finally the lawned sun deck before we reach a point were we can turn around….and repeat out 5 star drive through in reverse.  At this point, I ducked and let Craig take all the omg what is that thing driving through our posh resort!

A lovely afternoon and evening at the very quiet beach of Trikorfu.

Our Bumble wild camping spot Trikorfu N040.265955, E023.455615

Classicists and geologists disagree about the origins of Halkidiki. To the former, this is the scene of a battle between earthly giants and Olympian gods, a game of rock tennis that ended badly for the big guys. To the latter, it is the product of a volcanic embrace between the geotectonic units of the Vardar Axios Zone and the Serbo Macedonian Massif. Take your pick. Either way, the result on the west is a landscape as dramatic as an Aeschylus play, rugged red mountains plunging down to sandy coves, heavy with the scent of pine and flowering gorse. The beaches are said to be the best on the Med but our preference for beaches is still on the second finger, Salonica.

Today our drive takes us back to one of old haunts, Nikiti.  The long sandy stretch of beach in Nikiti is where most visitors spend their relaxing hours. Other than the promenade with its restaurants and beach bars, the Nikiti beach is not very organised with sun beds and umbrellas. There are open areas where families lie on their beach towels and enjoy the sand and swimming in the shallow water.  We park on the quiet harbour front and enjoy a section of beach all to ourselves.

Our Bumble wild camping spot Nikiti E023.661796, E023.661796

The view of the water is nothing less than spectacular with different shades of blue and green that is sure to dazzle the eyes. Since we are on the west coast, the sunsets are almost always eventful. Here the beach gets busier as the sun goes down and the locals come out fish and enjoy the winding down of the day.  The evening we revisit the harbour front restaurant and enjoy a free meal (don’t ask cause we still don’t understand why). 

That evening our quiet parking spot becomes the centre of attention for all the fruit, veg and balloon vendors in Nikiti.  Its the place where they all go to, to bed down under the stars. A sleepless night surrounded by open air mattresses housing very loud snorers, grunters and farters.

The following day, we headed over to another of our favourite haunts, Liverochio but we didn’t stay when we realised the beach was full of motorhomes and caravans.  Too many wild camping and setting up their stall, which only attracts the police because people take liberty too far.  Sure enough just as we were leaving the police turn up and take everyone’s passport and registration details.

Our bay from the headland

What next? Huge the coast and head towards Turkey! But, have to say we have once again we loved our Greek beach tour. A holiday on Halkidiki for 14 days in the peak season with little or no traffic and easy to get to and drive around.  It certainly possess authentic attractions even if the locals have not found a way to market these.  Whatever you do, steer away from the resorts and you will find secluded coves, peaceful headlands and idyllic beaches.