Halkidiki

Halkidiki, Greece

General information about Halkidiki

Halkidiki is a peninsula, southeast of the city of Thessaloniki (Greece’s second largest city). With its characteristic three peninsulas (Kassandra, Sithonia, Athos), it resembles a trident piercing the Aegean sea. According to the legend the titans Sython and Athon couldn’t share the beautiful mermaid Pallini and caused the anger of Poseidon. He darted his trident and the three fingers-peninsulas of Halkidiki appeared.

Halkidiki belongs to administrative peripherie of Central Macedonia. The capital of Halkidiki is Poligiros, located in the center of Halkidiki (69 km from Thessaloniki).

Halkidiki is a magnificent natural beauty area with a unique flora with crystal clear sea. The length of the peninsula’s seacoast is 850 km. Sunny, golden sandy beaches, picturesque gulfs, traditional villages and modern tourist resorts, small islands and sheltered bays, pine-clad hills descending to the sea, Mediterranean climate and natural beauty attract people from all over the world. Halkididki is a favorite place of holiday as Greeks so foreign tourists. The population of the peninsula is app. 105 000 inhabitants, but it is increases many times over every summer season due to an inrush of tourists and visitors who own their own homes.

Mediterranean climate is very useful and positive for people’s health. The average summer temperature in Halkidiki is 28°С, in winter 0°С

Every-one can find the ideal holiday place according to his demands: he may choose the noisy and lively tourist villages with a large amount of tourists and active night life or smaller family village’s with less tourists and more lay back life style.

History of Halkidiki

Inhabited approximately 700,000 years ago, as revealed by the foundings from the prehistoric area of Petralona Cave.

Alexander the Great’s teacher and well known philosopher Aristotle was born in Stagira in 384 BC.

Halkidiki took its name from the city of Chalkis, located in Euboa, that was colonized in the 8th and 7th century BC. Kassandra took its name from Kassandros (King of Macedonia) , Sithonia from Sithon, a son of God Poseidon and Athos was named after a giant called Athos. In the 9th century the first monastary communities were established in Athos. Today, the monastic state of Athos (also called “Holly Mountain”), is a shelter of Byzantine monasteries, caves, monks, prayers, a “mountain-church” for the thousand-years Christian Orthodox religion.