The first time Alkis and I spent a summer holiday in Chalkidiki was 10 years ago. I must admit that we were quite disappointed and since then we had excluded Chalkidiki as a holiday destination. In the summer of 2003, we spent a week in Kallithea situated at the first peninsula (called leg by the Greeks), Kassandra. The beach was terrible and the sea was almost invariably rough and quite dirty, so we spent most of the time at the swimming pool. Although we had a very nice room with seaview at the 5-star Aegean Melathron Hotel, our stay there was quite eventful and frustrating.
The staff were unfriendly and inefficient, the food was average and very expensive just like drinks and coffees. As a result, we decided to have lunch at a nearby tavern where the food was cheaper and slightly better. I'll never forget the day when I ordered chicken fillet and chewed a bone hidden in it! I broke my tooth and had to cancel the cruise to Sithonia and Athos to go to the dentist. The dentist in Kallithea was extremely rude and kept shouting at me because of my fear of dentists! One day at breakfast, I found pieces of glass in the jam but the waitress took it away indifferently without even an apology! On our last day, we couldn't wait to go back home. But when Alkis went to pay, the receptionist made a mistake and said that our credit card was declined three times!! We had to call our bank who called the hotel back assuring the receptionist that there was no problem with our credit card which had been charged three times the due amount!!! That was the straw that broke the camel's back! "Chalkidiki? Never again!", I said to Alkis once we got back home.
But....never say never! Ten years later, we decided to give Chalkidiki a second chance. Most of our friends who had already been there kept telling us about the great beaches, the fabulous hotels, the wonderful people, the breathtaking views and the unforgettable holidays they had spent there. So the die has been cast and we've never regretted our decision. This time we booked a 4-star hotel in the second peninsula called Sithonia, which boasts some of Greece's greatest beaches, like Trani Ammoudia where we truly enjoyed basking in the sun and swimming in those turquoise, transparent waters of the area. I got sunburnt but that was all my fault!!!
We rented a car in Thessaloniki and drove south-east to the peninsula of Chalkidiki. Antigoni Beach Resort is a family-run hotel which is , by far, worth a 5-star. I'll never forget the waitress who picked the rosemary or the mint from the plant near our table in the garden because the chef needed this for our order. Needless to say the food at the hotel was exceptionally good and the service was impeccable. Although most of the staff were not professionals, they went out of their way to make us feel welcome by catering to our every need and special request.
Although we spent most of our time lying on that gorgeous beach of Trani Ammoudia, we also explored the surrounding area - Ormos tis Panayias, Ayios Nicolaos Village, Marmaras. Lagomandra Beach were a few of the places we visited. This time, we took the cruise to the third peninsula - Athos - on board Menia Maria - a pirate ship! We could only see the monasteries of Mount Athos (Agion Oros - the Holy Mount) from a 500 metre distance as the monks of the Holy Mount do not allow cruise ships to sail nearer.
Last Friday, we left Chalkidiki and drove back to Thessaloniki where we spent the weekend before flying back to Cyprus. We stayed at Mediterranean Palace Hotel, opposite the harbour, and we were delighted to meet up with friends and family from Thessaloniki. We loved the food at Ladadika - a few steps away from the hotel - and dinner at Kastra on Saturday night. Naturally, we enjoyed strolling in Thessaloniki, shopping at Tsimiskis Street and Mitropoleos and having a coffee break at Aristotelous Square.
Ten days flew by in a flash. "Chalkidiki? We'll certainly go back again!," I said to Alkis as Cyprus Airways safely landed at Larnaca Airport last Sunday.
I've been to Chalkidiki many times and really love its beaches. I think the second leg is the best. I love Elies beach most. That's where I spent some of the greatest summer vacations in my life. Your wonderful post reminded me of those holidays which I am not likely ever to forget.
Posted by: Christina | July 16, 2013 at 09:21 PM
I am glad to see that you reconsidered your decision not to go back to Chalkidiki. After all, it looks like you and Alkis had a great holiday. Although I am addicted to the island of Sifnos in the summer, I also love spending a few days in Sithonia. Have you been to Amouliani, by the way? It's a small island across Ouranoupolis. There are only about 200 families living there permanently and it's got some of Greece's finest beaches.
Posted by: Constantinos T | July 16, 2013 at 10:02 PM
Je ne connais pas cet endroit mais d'après ton récit et tes photos, ça doit être un petit paradis sur terre!
Posted by: Jean-Paul Bouvier | July 16, 2013 at 10:34 PM
No, I haven't been to Amouliani but I saw the island while sailing to Mount Athos on board Menia Maria. I hope to visit some day.
Posted by: Anastasia | July 16, 2013 at 11:42 PM
J'ai adoré Sithonia, Chalkidiki. C'est vraiment un petit paradis sur terre et ça vaut la peine d'y passer des vacances. La plage, la mer, la nature sont magnifiques.
Posted by: Anastasia | July 16, 2013 at 11:47 PM
I don't think I'll ever forget this holiday in Chalkidiki. It's changed completely my bad impression of the area and I will certainly go back some day.
Posted by: Anastasia | July 16, 2013 at 11:50 PM
Anastasia, I can fully understand why you didn't want to go back to Chalkidiki after all your misfortunes the first time. My boss says I am an expert at planning the perfect holiday for our clients, but sometimes the perfect holiday doesn't seem to work. I've only been to Chalkidiki as a tour operator, so it was too much work and no play. I wish I could take a vacation in the summer so that I could spend a few days in Sithonia, which is the best of the three peninsulas. Chalkidiki is dead in November when I plan my vacation. Most hotels are closed and the weather is mostly lousy.
Posted by: Alexia M | July 17, 2013 at 01:14 PM
By the way, I would like to ask for permission (once more!!) to use some of your great photos in my brochures. They're amazing! I so loved the ones of Trani Ammoudia and the seagulls. As always I will include a link to your blog.
Posted by: Alexia M | July 17, 2013 at 01:18 PM
Alexia you can have as many photos as you like. I'll email a few to you in high resolution.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone
Posted by: Anastasia | July 18, 2013 at 01:33 PM
Thank you so much for the photos. They are great! I'll send you a copy of my brochures for summer 2014 as soon as it is published. Here in Amsterdam it's as hot as hell. We got 30 C today!!! When I lived in Cyprus 30 C was cool enough or pleasantly warm but here it's suffocating! Oh how I wish I was lying on that gorgeous beach of Trani Ammoudia!!! AND I don't have air condition in my apartment!
Posted by: Alexia M | July 22, 2013 at 09:21 PM
It certainly looks like you and Alkis had a great holiday. I'm looking forward to going there soon. I love all your photos. They are so beautiful!!!
Posted by: Stefania | July 26, 2013 at 11:36 AM
I have never before heared of this place in Greece. I go to Greecefor my summer vacations for 6 years but I go to Ionian islands which they are near Italy. Next month we go to Kefalonia and I remebered when you wrote about your vacation there and read it again which it was very helpfull. But now I will plan a holiday in Chalkidiki for next summer. It looks so beutifull!!!Thank you for all the great pics!
Posted by: Lisa A | July 27, 2013 at 08:49 PM