10 April 2025 – Sithonia

Miles driven today = 70

Total Miles to date = 3,268

Halkidiki is another of Greece’s famous olive growing areas. We were presented with a complimentary jar as we left Oelia Camping this morning and the road taking us across to the neck of the Sithonia Peninsula led us through an almost constant area of olive plantations and past a large processing plant where we saw huge barrels of oil stacked up in the yard.

We took the Rough Guide’s advice and followed the road around Sithonia in a clockwise direction so that we could take in the views of Mount Athos across the Singitic Gulf en-route.  Our first stop was at the single street resort of Vourvourou.

Lots of very expensive looking beachfront villas here in a beautiful setting.

For the next 30 km the corniche road follows the rocky contours of the coast, but it was far wider and in much better condition than we experienced recently on the Pelion, so the drive was really quite enjoyable, especially with so much mature pine woodland hugging the roadside.

From time to time we spotted coves and beaches below us, all of which seemed to be accompanied by a campsite so we decided to explore at Armenistis as the access road looked to be well paved.  The bay is almost entirely taken up by a campsite of the same name and we had to walk for a while behind a chain-link fence, unable to reach the tempting looking sand on the other side.

Eventually we found a way through.  There was nobody around other than a couple of workmen setting up some fairly impressive looking safari tents, each of which appeared to have its own toilet facilities.

And what a beach it was.  Brilliant white sand in absolutely pristine condition with crystal clear waters.

Very soon these places are going to be absolutely heaving with holidaymakers so it’s been a real pleasure being able to enjoy them with next to nobody around.

We moved on again to the much larger, but still well spread out and relatively low-rise resort of Sarti where we pulled up beside the beach for lunch.

Once again a cracking stretch of sand with plenty of people busying themselves with preparing for the first visitors who will no doubt be arriving for the Easter Break next week.

This is the best view we had of Mount Athos which dominates the third and final prong of Halkidiki.  The Athos Peninsular is largely a nature reserve.  The only people who live there are monks in 20 monasteries dotted around the mountain.  Athos has been Secular since the 11^th Century.  No women are allowed there and even female farm animals are banned to remove all temptation from the monks, so I’m guessing they probably went without the majority of dairy products in the past.  If you are male and over 18 you can visit Athos provided you have a genuine interest in the monastic lifestyle but you require a specially arranged pass and you must adhere to strict rules around attire and behaviour.

We moved on again, taking the road up and over the peninsula to the Western coast.  The vegetation became much more sparse now and we could see interesting patterning in the rocks caused by millennia of erosion.

On reaching the West Coast we pulled up just along the beach from the resort of Toroni.  The Bay is sheltered but quite deep and as such has been a natural harbour for ships trading across the Mediterranean for some 5,000 years.

The remains of a Byzantine Castle sit on a nearby headland so we went to have a look.

But we were distracted by a footpath which led to some ruins which were simply signposted as “Cannons”.  So we followed it for a bit of a yomp.  The path led us through yet more olive groves.

And past carpets of wild flowers.

And as we gained a little bit of height we could look down on the rocky coastline.

In the distance we could look back at Kassandrha where we were yesterday.  Of the 2 peninsulas Sithonia gets my vote any day.

In total the trail to “Cannons” is 2.7km each way and by all accounts it gets a lot more challenging the further you go.  We had come out without walking boots, poles or water so we felt it prudent to turn back when we got about halfway.  But we called in at the Byzantine Lekythos Fortress on the way back.  It looks as though it should really be out of bounds but those gates haven’t been locked for a while.

There’s another little beach on the other side of the headland but it’s stonier and not as well sheltered.

From this angle the fortress doesn’t appear particularly big but it’s much larger than it looks once you’ve clambered up onto the ruins.

You can see why they don’t particularly like people wandering around up here.  There are some fairly deep unprotected drops in places.

There we are, parked up next to the beach a little way around the bay with only our Swiss off-roader neighbours for company.

We decided to put something back into the community in gratitude for letting us stay in such a lovely location so we wandered along the front in search of a taverna for our tea.  But other than one small bar nothing was open.  So we retreated back to the van where Lisa rattled up pasta with a sauce made of assorted veg from the fridge, which was probably a lot more healthy than anything we would have had if we had eaten out.  Plus we got to watch another great sunset out of the van door while we ate.

11 April 2025 - Last Day In Greece