Athos Halkidiki
Kassandra
The most frivolous and youthful finger.
There are many villages with their own beaches, bars, discos, entertainment, color and charm.
Kassandra, the westernmost end of Halkidiki, being the closest to Thessaloniki, is the most popular and populated of the three peninsulas.
Its white beaches and rocky, fir-studded promontories were the first to attract visitors, both Greeks and foreigners.
Here you will find all the amenities hotels in every price range, traditional Greek taverns, beach-bars and other entertainment,
as well as a wide variety of recreation facilities, especially for water sports. But if you require peace and quiet, you can easily take pleasant and unique hiding places. Its plains are golden with cultivated fields, while its rolling hills have lush vegetation and serene fir forests. Its inland villagers are farmers, who follow the traditional way of life and preserve the principles of hospitality.
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Areas in Kassandra
Sithonia
Sithonia is an excellent choice for a relaxed family holiday.
Known for its slightly lush wilderness and secluded beautiful beaches.
Most of this finger is considered a protected area, so it is forbidden to build new hotels here.
Sithonia is the second peninsula of Halkidiki. The rugged, exciting landscape of the middle end appeals to nature lovers and holiday makers, who seek refuge from the traps of civilization.
The coasts present a wide variety - a succession of fishermen’s hamlets, picturesque little harbors, deserted beaches of all sizes surrounded by trees and bushes. Sithonia is a symphony of blue and green; names do not exist for all the shades and hues of vegetation, sea and sky that you will see there.
But you don’t have to “rough it” in Sithonia. There are hotels of all standards to choose from, including the only deluxe complex in Halkidiki with an 18-hole golf course among its many facilities. Tennis courts and water sports can be found everywhere, while riding through the fir forests is unequalled anywhere in Greece. As for nightlife and other entertainment associated with resorts, Sithonia manages to combine traditional beauty and hospitality with modern pleasures.
Areas in Sithonia
Athos
The world's largest concentration of Orthodox monasticism on the Halkidiki peninsula. Located on the northeastern coast of Greece, between the bays of Ayion Oros and Ierissos of the Aegean Sea.
The last finger and the most beautiful of all.
Civilization has not intruded into the Holy Mountain, which is inhabited solely by monks. Rising majestically from the sea to a height of 2033m, Athos is covered with forests, its natural beauty is almost overwhelming.
This magnificent peninsula has been the sole province of people dedicated to the worship of God and Virgin Mary.
In 885, the Byzantine emperor Basil I proclaimed it the exclusive domain of monks and hermits. In 963, the first organized monastery was founded. A century later, it was decreed that “no female person” would be permitted to violate its sanctity.
This prohibition is still in force, and no woman may set foot on this ground. Thousands years of isolation and devotion to the Orthodox religion have endowed the with a unique mystical atmosphere.
In its prime, in the 15th century, Athos had 40 monasteries and about 40000 monks. Nowadays the number of active has been reduced to 20 with a population of approximately 1700 man's.
Surrounded by an incalculable wealth of ecclesiastical treasures, rare icons and libraries stocked with precious manuscripts, they live simply, according to the strict orders of prayer and labour, untouched by modern frivolities.
Men who wish to visit this unusual place are admitted only by special permission.
The rest must be content to end their journey in Ouranoupolis, the City of the Sky, where they can be comforted by an extraordinary cruise renowned for its crystal clear waters and wild beaches that can be considered heaven on earth.
Areas in Athos
Moudania
A new, beautiful, dynamic, coastal city with a developed system of agriculture, industry, agricultural machinery, valuable crafts and tourism services.
The city was founded after 1922 by Greek refugees who lost their homeland, mainly from the village of Moudania in Propontis.
The region contains traces of ancient settlements, probably of the Hellenistic period. In recent years, a number of Thessalonians' summer cottages have been built throughout the N. Moudania coastal area.
Already now Nea Moudania is the largest village on the Halkidiki Peninsula.
Distance from Thessaloniki 64 km.
Areas in Moudania
Poligiros
Polygyros is a modern city and the capital of Halkidiki. The distance from Thessaloniki is 70km, and to the nearest beach, Kalyves, 16km. It extends to one side of the Holomontas mountain. The area is home to an Archaeological Folklore Museum with important excavated artifacts.
Polygiros is the capital of Halkidiki Prefecture. It is located in the centre of this area and it is built on the south foothills of Mt. Holomontas at 550m above sea level.
Slopes overgrown with oaks lie on the north side of Polygiros. The highest top of them is Tsoukalas, 890m in height. An impressive conic hill, the famous Ai-Lias and the homonymous country church overlook Polygiros.
Small hills, coulees and streams are located on the south side. They lead to fruitful slopes with the olive groves of Polygiros and to the coastlines, where Kalyves and Gerakini villages are built.
There are many versions concerning the origin of the name “Polygiros”. It is said that it comes from the word “kilties”, which means slopes, or the words “poli geros”, which mean “very strong” because of the very healthy climate of the area.
According to another explanation, the name comes from the word “Poliaros” (probably the name of a rich landowner) that was found in an engraved epigraph. Finally, another version attributes the name to the words “poli ieros topos” (very sacred place) because of a sanctuary found in the area.
This sanctuary kept its glory even after the destruction and abandonment of the ancient town of Apollonia.
Polygiros is reported from the Byzantine period. Many historians identify Polygiros with ancient Apollonia, while others believe that Apollonia was built close to Polygiros.
The most important historical event that took place in Polygiros was the beginning of the Revolution of Halkidiki, on May 17th, 1821.
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