If the thought has crept into your head without fail to visit Greece with your children, it's time to start choosing a vacation spot.
I propose this time to consider the Halkidiki peninsula, which annually attracts thousands of families with big and small children with countless magnificent sandy beaches (many of which have been awarded the Blue Flag), shallow sea, mountain slopes with green dense forests and lush vegetation, numerous attractions and an abundance of children's clubs.
It is located in the northern part of Greece and belongs geographically to Central Macedonia. And this is the main resort place on the mainland.
The Halkidiki peninsula, which looks like a trident fork on the map, is divided into three areas: the left “tooth” is the Kassandra peninsula, beloved and frequently visited by tourists, the middle prong is Sithonia, also a popular resort region, but calmer, and the third “tooth” of the Chalkidiki peninsula is purely masculine and sacred Agion-Oros (or Athos) is a place for reflection and peaceful rest.
Athos is a peninsula with 20 monasteries and the only male monastic republic in the world. Only men can go there, and then with special permission. Women are left to admire Athos from afar from pleasure boats or yachts.
The climate of Halkidiki
Average water temperature by months: May +19°С, June +23°С, July +26°С, August +27°С, September +25°С, October +21°С. June, July and September are the best months for families with children, with a total season from May to September.
The best resorts and beaches of Halkidiki for families with children
Almost all the beaches in Halkidiki (they, like in all of Greece, are municipal) have been awarded the Blue Flags, and most of them are located in the resorts of Kassandra and Sithonia. The beaches are mostly sandy or a mixture of sand and small pebbles. The peninsula also has many wild beaches in beautiful secluded bays.
Resorts and beaches of Kassandra
One of the “fingers” of Chalkidiki is the Kassandra peninsula. According to ancient myths, this peninsula was called “Flegra” (“burning land”) in ancient times and it was the birthplace of the Greek Giants. It is unlikely that you will be able to meet one of the mythical Giants today. But on the other hand, it’s good to relax with children on the most beautiful peninsula with a Mediterranean mild climate, clear and warm water of the Aegean Sea, excellent beaches will definitely succeed here.
Kassandra is a party and fun place, resort life is in full swing here day and night and, accordingly, there is less peace and quiet here than in Sithonia. But still, for outdoor activities with children who want not only to disappear all day on the beach, but also to study the history of Ancient Greece, the coast of Kassandra is better suited (by the way, with more developed infrastructure and more densely built-up hotels).
A quiet place, if desired, can be found here. For example, it can be a “compromise” Pefkochori or the resort village of Afytos.
The resorts of Kassandra are 50 kilometers of well-groomed beaches, the gentle sea, secluded picturesque bays, and grandiose water parks. There are the most hotel complexes and entertainment centers in all of Halkidiki. Excellent clean sandy beaches, warm clear water, shallow depth, hot but dry climate that makes it easy to endure even forty-degree heat - a great reason to come here with children.
By the way, visiting the thermal spring in the pine forest in the village of Agia Paraskevi, whose waters have healing properties, you can also get rid of some diseases.
Kallithea is a lively resort town (party, with a vibrant nightlife) with kilometer-long beaches of amazing cleanliness and a turquoise sea. The distance to Thessaloniki is 90 kilometers.
This option is more suitable for young people. Although with children you can find a suitable place. For example, in the village there is a clean sandy beach (the disadvantage is the descent and ascent of a steep and long staircase).
The resort of Nea Fokia (western coast of Chalkidiki) is located on the site of an ordinary fishing village in a picturesque bay with a Byzantine watchtower near the sea. Nea Potidea is a small resort with amazing sandy beaches with blue warm waters of the Toronic Gulf in a beautiful small town built on the ruins of a Corinthian colony.
Afitos is a quiet resort town in a small village with buildings that have preserved the national architectural style (white 2-3-storey houses, with grapes climbing the walls and cobbled streets). The sea here is clean, warm and beautiful, a beautiful beach with turquoise water in the Gulf of Kassandra. Not much greenery. But there are few people. Apart from the minus location of the resort on a hill, along the steep slope of which you have to go down to the sea, in all other respects this beach is ideal for families with children.
One of the magnificent beaches, well-groomed, surrounded by palm trees, coniferous forests, eucalyptus trees with white sand, is located on the territory of the Alexander The Great hotel.
Chanioti is a resort in a small village surrounded by flowers and greenery with small cobbled streets, which can be walked in just 10 minutes. Here is a sea with clean sand and blue water. You can practice various water sports, many taverns with traditional cuisine and lively nightlife.
Pefkohori ("Sosnovka") is an ecological resort where a reasonable balance of civilization and nature is observed. Located almost at the southernmost point of the peninsula in a mountainous area with a pine forest. It is notable for its unusual climate and beautiful landscapes, combining the azure sea, mountains, pine trees, incredibly clean air, saturated with the aroma of coniferous trees and resin.
The beaches of the resort are constantly awarded the Blue Flag for their well-equipped and ecology. The best of them are: Kanatitsa, Glarokavos and Kira Maria.
Resorts and beaches of Sithonia
The middle “finger” of the trident is the peninsula of Sithonia with the ancient cities of Toroni, Galypsos, Sarti, Singos and Derra. There are a lot of hotels of different class here. From the airport in Thessaloniki to the desired place (70-100 km), guests are delivered by scheduled buses.
Sithonia is not as noisy as neighboring Kassandra. It is much calmer here, the resorts are located far from each other. If you wish, you can relax without getting out of the village at all. It is more like it for those who want to relax away from a large crowd of tourists.
This place is often chosen by families with children. Also because the cleanest beaches of Sithonia, which are always comfortable and warm, are covered by mountains covered with pine forests from the winds. The nature of the peninsula is unusually beautiful. There are many unique caves, monasteries and historical sights.
The beaches of Sithonia are on the list of the cleanest beaches in the world. A large number of small bays protect them from strong winds and storms. It is very quiet here, the water is clear and always calm. And soft sand and small pebbles attract sunbathing without any sun loungers.
Places from Nikiti to Neos Marmaras (western shores of Sithonia) are considered the best on the peninsula. Nikiti and Metamorfosi are villages with sandy beaches and pine groves.
The beach in Metamorfosi - a natural pearl of the peninsula - is located in a very small village without nightclubs and discos. The water here is calm, warms up well, excellent fine sand, water sports are available, even in the season there are few tourists. An excellent place to relax with children.
The resort village of Neos Marmaras is located on the slope of a mountain, the descent from which leads directly to the sea. In the town everything is provided for tourists. Equally well suited for those who like to lie on the sand, and for those who dream of walking in a pine forest, in some places approaching the water itself.
The beach in Toroni is nothing special, except for silence and a small number of tourists, it is not remarkable. The water is always clear, the sand is quite coarse. A local attraction is a river in which turtles are found.
The beach in the resort of Vourvourou in a bay with 9 islands covered with olive groves is considered the most exotic and natural pearl of the peninsula on the peninsula. Each small island that can be reached by boat has a secluded tiny beach with very white and very fine sand. The coast of the bay is indented by small picturesque bays. Behind the beach is a pine forest on a mountain range.
Nea Kallikratia is a resort town located, as it were, on the "palm" of the Chalkidiki peninsula. Its attractiveness is in the vicinity of Thessaloniki Airport (25 km), in small cozy hotels, a wide beach (sand and pebbles), many shops, taverns, clubs and cafes.
Hotels for families with children in Halkidiki
Hotels on the peninsula are represented in large numbers and variety. These can be traditional boarding houses, cheap apartments, and the largest hotel complexes.
Almost every hotel offers a variety of activities for children, temporarily freeing parents from the need to look after the children and mind their own business.
Almost every hotel has pools for swimming and water games. Most of the hotels (especially high category) are located on the coast and away from the resort towns themselves.
On the peninsula of Halkidiki (Kassandra), tourists will be pleased with the warm sea, beautiful beaches, a variety of entertainment for adults and young guests of the Sani Resort hotel chain. They are located on the territory of an ecological private reserve:
- Sani Beach 5 * is a hotel with white sand beaches and a high level of service, recognized in 2015 as one of the best for family holidays in Europe and Greece.
- Sani Club 5* is the perfect place for the whole family. Located among greenery and gardens in a secluded and quietest place in the resort.
- Porto Sani 5 * is an elegant luxury hotel located near the beautiful harbor of Sani Marina. Ranked among the 25 best family hotels in Greece in 2015.
- Sani Asterias 5 * is a boutique hotel with a luxurious atmosphere in new suites for large families. It was also among the winners of Greece's family-friendly hotels in 2015.
The beaches of Sani Resort for children are a shallow seabed and a golden seven-kilometer beach with crystal clear water, free umbrellas, sunbeds, beach towels. In addition, a Babywatch service is provided for babysitting. For teenagers, there are special spa treatments in all spa centers, a nursery, a mini-club, a club for teenagers.
The hotel chain Xenios Hotels is another opportunity for a serene and comfortable stay. It includes hotels of different star rating and different levels: 3*, 4*, 5*, apartments, each of which is individual and at the same time all of them are united by a developed infrastructure, strict requirements for service and, accordingly, the cost of living.
- Modern Xenios Anastasia Resort & Spa 5 * (Kassandra) with a beautiful author's design, a large territory. Of all the hotels of this chain, it is better than others under the Family category for a quality family vacation (participant in the project for children under 4 years old - "Mom and Baby")
- Hotel Xenios Theoxenia 4 * is located on the third peninsula near Mount Athos (2 km from Ouranoupoli)
- Xenios Possidi Paradise 4 * (Kassandra) - a good choice for families with children
- Xenios Dolphin Beach 3 * (Kassandra) - well located in the resort town of Possidi, but with a lower price and less expensive vacation
- Inexpensive "three rubles" Xenios Port Marina 3 * (Kassandra) is recommended for families with children
- Xenios Faros Apartments (Kassandra) - for the category of vacationers who like to relax in conditions close to home. This is a complex with fully equipped apartments in the middle of an orchard, 100 meters from the sea.
Popular family-friendly hotels in Halkidiki
Hotels on the Kassandra Peninsula:
- Istion Club & Spa 5*
- Possidi Holidays 5*
- Kassandra Palace 5*
- Pomegranate Wellness Spa Hotel 5*
- Ammon Zeus 4*
- Flegra Palace 4*
- Simantro Beach 4*
- Grecotel Pella Beach 4*
- Pallini Beach 4*
- Portes Beach 4*
- Potidea Palace 4*
- Macedonian Sun 3*
- Daphne Holiday Club 3*
Hotels in Sithonia:
- Anthemus Sea Beach Spa 5*
- Athena Pallas Village 5*
- Porto Carras Sithonia Thalasso & Spa 5*
- Danai Beach Resort & Villas 5*
- Assa Maris Bomo Club 4*
- Village Mare 4*
- Blue Dolphin 4*
- Lagomandra Beach 3*
- Acrotel Elea Village 3*
- Simeon 2*
In addition to hotels and hotels in Halkidiki, there are many inexpensive family apartments and individual apartments.
Entertainment and attractions in Halkidiki
Much time has passed, but the ruins of the temples of Dionysus and Zeus in Kallithea, the fortress of Lykythos and the church of St. Athanasius in Sithonia will eloquently tell about the past history of the peninsula. But, no matter what resort you have, you should go to Athos, Thessaloniki, climb Mount Olympus, visit Meteora.
Walk around Mount Athos
You can go on an exciting sea voyage with the whole family on a boat and learn a lot of interesting things about the life of Athos and its monasteries.
Adventures at Waterland
Caught with the whole family on a hot day in Thessaloniki, you can go to the water park. Of course, this is not an azure sea with soft warm sand, but you will enjoy it anyway. It is the only water amusement park in Northern Greece and the largest in Europe. It is located in the suburbs, 8 kilometers from Thessaloniki.
With kids, you can stay in the children's pool, and with older children, go to all sorts of attractions, of which there are a lot. Where there is no water - a children's playground, a football field, sports grounds for volleyball and basketball.
Amusement Park Magic Park
This is another entertainment place for kids of all ages near Thessaloniki with rides and a 28-hectare botanical garden.
Zoo in Thessaloniki
The zoo is located on Kedrinou hill among a green island of cedar forest. In its luxurious gardens, you can meet a wide variety of animals and waterfowl in the reservoirs.
Other attractions
There is something to see with children in the ancient city of Thessaloniki, walking along its streets and promenade. The main attractions of the city are the Arch of Emperor Galerius (Roman period, 3rd century AD). At this place in the city center, dates and meetings are usually scheduled.
Not far from the Arch of Galeria there is a tomb rotunda, the Basilica of Demetrius of Thessalonica (the main patron of Thessaloniki and a saint), the Roman Agora and the Forum, the 15th-century defensive fortress White Tower with an observation deck, a statue of Aristotle in the city center.
There are interesting museums in Thessaloniki - the Museum of Byzantine Art and the Archaeological Museum, the Olympic Museum. And you can visit the birthplace of Aristotle in the city of Stagira or the ancient city of Olynthos.
Or go to the cave of Petralona (50 kilometers from Thessaloniki). The skeleton of an ancient European, which is 700,000 years old, was found in a cave of unique natural beauty. It is interesting for everyone, but especially for children and adults who are fond of all kinds of archaeological antiquities. The Anthropological Museum is also open here.
It is interesting to take a trip with children to the soaring monasteries of Meteora. Orthodox monasteries are built on the tops of giant precipitous rocks in the Hasia mountains (northern Greece, Pindus mountain range), which were once the rocky bottom of the prehistoric sea.
