Choosing a beach: five of the best and most beautiful beaches in Sithonia

Peninsula Sithonia- this is the second finger of the peninsula Chalkidiki(Χαλκιδική), which is located in the north-east of Greece and is washed by the cleanest Aegean Sea.

The nearest airport is Thessaloniki(SKG) - if you search here. The region or province of Greece in which Halkidiki is located is called Macedonia.

Probably I will be right and hardly anyone can object to me that the sea in Greece is the cleanest, most turquoise and warmest in Europe.

Only 3 hours from Moscow and you are from +21 with rains to +35 with a blue sky above your head, which shines through the emerald of pine crowns and in fact you are already up to your chest in gentle, soft, warm, transparent sea water .... well, I don’t know - what other epithets to tease those who are now freezing under the gray sky in the ending summer of the middle lane Russian Federation.

Map of the Sithonia Peninsula. All beaches are marked with clickable icons: a photo of the beach and a link to its description. - with photos, ratings and reviews. It is better to immediately follow this link, as the review contains the latest information on all the beaches of Sithonia

We begin to explore this finger, stretched out from the palm of Halkidiki.
I'm starting on the east coast.

When exploring the beaches, the smallest and cheapest car is used, which was rented at Thessaloniki Airport through:

City Nea Moudania was the base for an expedition to eat watermelons and swim in the sea on Sithonia for only one day.
Seeing the uncrowded and beautiful beaches of Sithonia, we packed up our belongings and moved there.

We drive along the road, noting that on our right is Tuscany (fields, cypresses, red tiles), and on the left is northern Andalusia (bushes and camel thorn).
We are driving the road that goes around Sithonia along east coast.

vourvourou

The first place that we come across along the way is the area of ​​beaches and islands - the area vourvourou(Vourvourou). Call it a village, call it a beach - I call it some area with beaches, which is set up with a lot of villas, cottages, guesthouses, but most of all apart-hotels: search and booking accommodation in Vourvourou
In short: this is a large tourist area - Vourvourou.

Motorboat rental

To explore the beaches, we rent a motor boat (you will see rental ads along the road. There are a lot of them)
You can take a motorboat with a 15, 25 hp engine (40 and 60 euros for the whole day) and a 4-stroke 30 hp Mercury for 90 euros.

The best option is 30 hp and after a little briefing, which is mainly about what will be done to you if you break the screw, you hit the road.
Especially since you have a map of the area on board.

In fact, this map is useful - you should listen to the pilot's directions so that you don't run into the stones with a plastic boat from all over.
And without a propeller, you won't get home.

The next day we drive south and the first beach on your way will be one of the best beaches on the east coast of Sithonia.

This is the beach Bahia on which there is a private camping: they won’t let you in by car, but you can leave the car in front of the gate and walk to the sea, marveling at how the Bulgarians and the Greeks have landscaped the territory.

The bulk of tourists are Bulgarians.
They come for a long time and come not for the first or second year in a row.
They come with their tomato seedlings and flowers, as well as boats and cottages on wheels.

The main advantage of this place is the seclusion of a small bay, silence, comfort and the purest crystal clear water with almost no waves. Like in a pool.

On the territory there is a bar, has its own tavern. On the beach, you can throw a towel or a mat and spend several hours swimming to the point of exhaustion - you don’t want to get out!

You hang in the water while standing and see under you, at a distance of 8 meters, each pebble at the bottom. Here is such water.

Exotic rocks, crystal clear turquoise sea and no hotels in the area. Is this not joy?

Swim, drink wine or gin without tonic and have a good time, and then you can dine at the next destination south - the city Sarti(Sarti), where you can compare what it's like to be a free person by car and what it's like to come to rest in Greece on a tour.

Then we drive back, stop again and swim on Bahia beach and arrive at Vourvourou, where we have dinner at a restaurant Gorgona and follow with our eyes the sun setting in the sea.

Sithonia is considered to be the most beautiful peninsula of Halkidiki. Picturesque coves and beaches, rich vegetation and cozy villages, all this gives Sithonia a unique flavor and originality and distinguishes it from the three "fingers" of Halkidiki. Sithonia is larger than Cassandra. As such, there are no sights, castles, museums and cathedrals in Sithonia, but for that Sithonia itself is one big attraction. Her unique nature, especially in spring, you will remember for a lifetime.

We started our journey by car in Sithonia early in the morning from the picturesque village of Hanioti, which is on Kassandra. The car "Toyota Yaris" of the latest configuration, rented in "rent a car" Hanioti. In total, we traveled about 300 km in Sithonia in one day. Gasoline consumed 10 liters. The cost of renting for two days is 85 euros. If you do not have the opportunity to rent a car for travel, I strongly advise you to contact an individual guide in Halkidiki Marina. You will not regret.

Having passed along the northern coast of Kassandra to the town of Nea Moudania (Neo Moudania), we turned right at the fork, towards the middle finger. The first place we decided to visit was the village of Metamorfosi (Metamorfosi). The beaches are awesome! The village itself is surrounded by greenery. Shady embankments, many taverns and all sorts of shops. Tourists have a lot to do here. We did not stay long in Metamorfosi, because we wanted to find a cozy cove to sunbathe and swim. Therefore, weaving through the narrow streets of Metamorfosi, we again drove onto the main road. You can imagine what is going on here during the high season. There will be nowhere to park the car.

Embankment of the Metamorfosi village in Sithonia.

Three kilometers before reaching the town of Kalogria, we saw what we were looking for, or rather, a cozy sandy beach. We left the road on a broken dirt path. Two cars of tourists were already standing there, but they did not interfere with us at all. We sunbathed with pleasure on the golden sand, and I even went fishing.

Amazing purity of water in the bay in Sithonia, where we decided to swim.

Not all beaches in Sithonia the same.

Turtle Island is visible in the distance.

View of the beach near the village of Metamorfozi.

Fishing in Zion.

Here are the types of fish you can catch with a bait in Sithonia. And yes, Halkidiki.

The fish was caught directly from the neighboring stones. It pecks at shells and bread. The fish is not big, but the very fact of fishing in Sithonia was important. Actually, that's why we went to lie down on secluded beaches and enjoy the azure sea and amazing landscapes. We saw enough sights of Greece on our last trip to the Peloponnese.
After the village of Neos Marmaras, the terrain in Sithonia becomes mountainous and the roads more winding. Coastal cliffs appear, among which amazing secluded beaches are visible through dense thickets, one better than the other. Eyes run wide, you don’t know where it is better to make another stop again.

The roads in Sithonia are very convenient for traveling.

My camera almost didn't turn off. However, as soon as we left Neos Marmaras, we immediately turned towards the sea from the main road to the first dirt path that came across. We drive a couple of kilometers along a rapidly descending and incredibly winding serpentine.

We turned somewhere towards the sea. Not a single car to meet. But in the high season there is more traffic here.

For this aunt we trailed at a speed of 20 km for about half an hour. I did not dare to overtake through a double continuous line.

The speed is not great, because at any moment the same wild tourist in a rented car can jump out from behind the next turn. Getting lost by car in Sithonia is difficult. Through the thickets you can always see the sea, and this is the best landmark. You need to drive so that the sea is always on the right.

Cliff on the left, rocks on the right. We are trying to get back out of the mountain dead end.

Suddenly, the path ends in the sea. We see a sign with a pointer to the Poseidon Hotel, and next to it, among the trees, the outlines of some kind of house are barely visible. Upon closer examination, this house turns out to be a lonely tavern with the proud name "Panos". As it often happens, it turned out later that this is one of the best fish taverns in Halkidiki.

Here we made a stop to warm up.

Turtle Island is clearly visible from this place. Here we go out to warm up and decide to have a cup of Greek coffee. By the way, the Greeks are very offended if you ask for “Turkish coffee”. In the tavern we were met by a bored and taciturn waitress. We rested a bit, drank tea and coffee and continued our journey along the coast of Sithonia.

Courtyard in the "Panos" Tavern.

At this point, after the Poseidon Hotel, the road became so narrow that if a car met us, we would not have parted for sure. Fortunately, this did not happen. On the right side of the board we had a steep cliff to the sea, and on the left a wall with overhanging stones and tree roots. During showers and rains, it is not recommended to ride on such camel trails. Firstly, it is slippery, and secondly, cobblestones fly down onto the road along with streams of water. But in calm May weather, the views are stunning.

Somewhere in the mountains. Sithonia has magnificent landscapes and nature. Clean mountain air, many coniferous forests. This area is useful not only for recreation, but also for health.

Having rattled the suspension for 5-6 kilometers along a dirt serpentine, we suddenly find ourselves on an asphalt road and are already driving non-stop with a desire to have a bite to eat somewhere. But, no matter how hungry we were, passing by Porto Kaufo (the town of Kaufos), we still could not stop at this picturesque beach.

Bay "Porto Kaufo"

More precisely, this is a small bay with fishing schooners and boats. This bay is protected from the sea by two mountains, so in any weather there are never waves here. Swimming is a pleasure. Which is what we did. There were no other swimmers besides us.
After water procedures, the appetite flared up even more, and very opportunely, right on the side of the road, we come across a lonely tavern. However, we did not find the coveted moussaka on the menu.

Yes, and it was somehow windy up here. But a tipsy elderly Italian with his girlfriend (or wife) became attached to us. After asking me to photograph them against the backdrop of the mountains (which I did, of course), he began to tell in broken English that Italy also has the same mountains and that Russia is harasho. Or something like that. After that, staggering (and I kept thinking, where would he go so "warm"?) I went to the rented Opel. They sat down, with grandfather behind the wheel, and, slowly, set off further along their route.

View from the Kalamitsi tavern. We drove along this serpentine only half an hour ago.

We did not stay here either, although the views from the veranda of this tavern were magnificent. Having traveled several kilometers, we lined up after the already familiar Opel and, at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour, trailed behind it for about twenty minutes until we saw a sign to the village of Kalamitsi, where we immediately turned.

Here we drove straight to the embankment. Thus, we reached the very extreme tip of Sithonia. This is where we decided to have lunch. The place was picturesque, with a beautiful bay and many taverns. In one of them we sat at a table in the fresh air overlooking the sea. The tables of this tavern are set right under the trees of the embankment and on them, without hesitation and fearless, Greek sparrows jump and strive to peck off a piece of moussaka, which was brought to us 20 minutes after the order. We ate for 15 euros. One moussaka, a portion of souvlaki, coffee, tea and a bottle of water. In general, not expensive.

The beach of the village "Kalamitsi".

Mount Athos is on the horizon.

The road passes in these places among the rocks. Behind every turn you have another stunning view of the sea and Mount Athos. Be sure to turn into the village of Sarti. The place is very picturesque, with magnificent sandy beaches, ancient Greek streets and taverns. In my opinion, only here you can feel the real Greek atmosphere and originality. This is truly the most picturesque in all Halkidiki.

Mountain roads of Sithonia.

Leaving Sarti, a small turtle suddenly jumped out onto the road. At the last second, I manage to turn the steering wheel away so as not to crush this creature. I pull over to the side of the road and go back to get her out of the way. Taking this opportunity, I take pictures with this local landmark.

Greek turtle. I saved her.

Driving among the mountains above the village of Zografou, we were caught in a heavy downpour. Streams of water poured from the sky like a bucket. I had to stop on the side of the road, otherwise: firstly, nothing was visible, secondly, pieces of soil with stones began to fall from the mountains right under the wheels of our Toyota, and, thirdly, I didn’t want to look the smartest, because everyone who was with us on this road also stood by the side of the road.

Sithonic downpour. Rains in Halkidiki in the spring are not uncommon.

After about half an hour the rain stopped and the sun came out again. We calmly continued our journey by car around Sithonia.
On the Internet, they read a lot about the place Vourvourou (Vuruvuru). We decided to come here. Nothing special. It's true, it's great to be here. Lots of hotels that are mostly apartments. There is sand on the beach, quiet, not deep coves and no waves.

Bay of Vuruvuru village.

Thus, our trip by car in Halkidiki came to an end. We hurried back to the hotel before sunset. In addition, the fuel level light began to blink, gas stations in Halkidiki do not work at night. It seems from 20.00 to 6 in the morning. This was the second day of our trip by car in Chalkidiki. .
So, conclusions. Most a nice place in Halkidiki, this is Sithonia.

Halkidiki is the most popular resort located in the northeast of mainland Greece, near the city of Thessaloniki. The peninsula, elongated in the shape of a trident, is famous for its three “fingers” that form cozy bays. The middle finger of Halkidiki is Sithonia, a picturesque peninsula with coniferous forests and sandy beaches.

Holidays in Sithonia mean not only lying on the beach and contemplating natural beauties, but also rich cultural and entertainment programs for tourists. In today's article, we will talk about how to get to the resort and which beaches are better, as well as note the popular attractions, hotels and restaurants of Sithonia.

Washed by the waters of the Aegean Sea and the two gulfs of Greece, the peninsula of Sithonia is a favorite vacation spot for tourists and the Greeks themselves.

As you can see, Sithonia on the map is located on the mainland of the country and is the central "finger" of the peninsula of Halkidiki. Located in the middle between two bays, the peninsula is securely sheltered from the Mediterranean winds and bad weather. In summer, dry sunny weather prevails here with daytime air temperatures of +28-30 °С and nighttime temperatures of +22-24 °С. Washing the coast Sithonia waters warm up to +26 degrees.

The resort is small in size: 50 km long and 25 km wide. But the peninsula has something to impress. People like to come to hotels and beaches of Sithonia because of the beauties of nature, convenient infrastructure and relaxing peace: unlike neighboring Kassandra, you can always find a calm and secluded place here.

Sithonia map not highlighted major cities, but rich in beach resorts. These are small villages and towns of the peninsula with a wide and beautiful coastline. Despite the small size of the towns, there are many apartments and hotels of different categories. A tourist map of Sithonia in Greece with hotels in Russian will help you understand this diversity. But we will examine it a little later.

Where is Sithonia and how to get there

Resort Chalkidiki with its three "fingers" is located in the north-east of the country. As the map of Greece shows, Sithonia is located right in the center of Halkidiki, and Thessaloniki is the nearest major city to the peninsula.

Almost every trip to the resorts of Sithonia passes through Thessaloniki International Airport ("Macedonia"). The distance from the air harbor to the peninsula is about 90 km. You can get to the desired resort of Sithonia on public transport, taxi or rented car.

Buses

A bus trip from Macedonia Airport involves a transfer at the bus station in Thessaloniki.

Buses number 79A depart from the terminal, which can take you to the KTEL Halkidikis bus station bus station. From here, transport departs to Sithonia and other resorts of Halkidiki. The ticket price will be about 20 euros.

Transfer and taxi

An easier way to get to the peninsula is to order a transfer or taxi.

With pre-booking a car through an online service, tourists do not have to worry about how to get from Thessaloniki to their hotel. The driver will meet you at the airport and take you comfortably to a hotel, apartment or apartment in Greece on Sithonia. A trip with a personal driver will cost 130-160 euros.

Rent a Car

Car rental is the best combination of comfort and affordable travel price.

You can book a car in advance or upon arrival at the rental offices of Thessaloniki Airport. With a private car, you will not only comfortably get to the hotel, but also easily visit all the resorts and attractions of the Sithonia peninsula. The car rental price starts from 20 euros per day.

Relaxing on the sea, basking in the rays of the scorching sun, is the dream of millions of tourists. It is for a beach holiday that the resorts in Sithonia are located, of which there are a great many on the western and eastern parts of the coast.

One of the best places Sithonia - the great coast sandy beach resort village of Toroni. It stretches for 2.5 km at crystal clear emerald water. A cozy bay is sheltered from the wind by picturesque cliffs, so the sea is calm and calm. There are many taverns, bars, water entertainment centers on the beach. For the cleanliness and well-groomed coast of Toroni (Sitonia) he was awarded the European blue flag.

Also, rest in the western bays of Porto Carras, Kalogria, Porto Koufo, Lagomandra and Elia is no worse.

Do not ignore the other side of the peninsula. In the east, resorts stand out:

• Sykya;
• Karidi;
• Sarti;
• Armenistis;
• Platanitsi.

Each village of the peninsula is unique, but the west coast is more popular, because. many are located here hotels on Sithonia. But in the eastern resorts there is less fuss and more opportunities to relax in silence and solitude.

Sithonia attractions: where to go and what to see

The Sithonia peninsula is famous all over the world for natural and historical sights.

Of the beauties of nature, we note the Itamos Reserve (Mount Dragudeli), the Crab Holes (Orange Beach) and the island archipelago near Vourvourou. Incredible views of the landscape of Sithonia open from the observation deck of the tavern "Panorama". It is located in the south of the peninsula, near Porto Koufo. Also noteworthy is the world's largest vineyard grown on the territory of Porto Carras.

As for architectural monuments, the chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin, located in Nikiti, is in the lead here. In addition to the remarkable architecture, the church is distinguished by a carved iconostasis and frescoes of the 17th century. Also among the man-made attractions in the reviews of tourists and travelers about Sithonia are noted:

• Basilica of St. Athanasius;

Many ancient and Christian artifacts are found in the town of Nikiti, the capital of the peninsula.

If you are already familiar with all the entertainment and attractions of the Sithonia Peninsula, then go on excursions around mainland Greece. At a minimum, it is worth seeing the sights of the neighboring peninsulas, visiting the water park in Tagarades and dropping by Thessaloniki.

Dishes local cuisine- classic representatives of the Mediterranean menu with a share of island delights.

Hotels in Sithonia often offer half board meals, but each establishment has its own restaurant. In general, there are many taverns, cafes and restaurants on the island where you can taste Greek cuisine and refresh your strength. We will pay special attention to campsites and beach bars, which offer inexpensive and varied food and drinks to vacationers.

Like the rest of Greece, Halkidiki and the Sithonia peninsula have hotels of various classes.

Over 7 hundred hotels are located on the modest peninsula. There are 5-4 star all-inclusive hotels here on the first line of the Sithonia coast, there are modest “triples” and “twos”, there are also quite budget apartments. In most establishments, according to tourists, it is comfortable and very clean, and the staff is good-natured and friendly.

Large hotels and hotels in Sithonia are located mainly on the west coast, but there are excellent options for accommodation in the east of the peninsula. An interactive map of Sithonia hotels in Russian will help you visualize the location of tourist accommodation. Choose the right apartment and go on an exciting journey to the picturesque Greek Halkidiki.

Have a nice holiday!

In contact with

Classmates

Having received a car for rent for 4 days, on the first day we went to inspect our entire peninsula around the perimeter. We traveled almost around Sithonia, examined almost all the densely populated, sparsely populated and completely wild beaches. The best beaches are wild :)

The blue dot on the map shows our location. This is the village of Metamorfozi. We left it in the morning and returned to it in the evening.

The peninsula of Chalkidiki branches into three peninsulas - Kassandra, Sithonia and Athos. The middle peninsula is Sithonia. We will go around it, along the red road on the map. The entire route is about 160 km, it took us all day. No one was tired, because there were a lot of places where they stopped and swam, or simply looked at the views that opened from the shore.
The first stop is 10 km from Metamorfosi:

The road went up a little, soon we make the next stop, there is a pocket for the exit:

agaves are found along the roads:

Coming down from the highway down near the village Kalogrias, our eyes are presented with the first wild sandy beach today:

First swim here today. Half an hour passes, and we are going to go further.

This is how the village of Neos Marmaras looks like from the coastal highway:

Yes... Here people don't know what slate or ondulin is, here only natural tiles. :)
In the background on the right is Turtle Island.

Zooming in a little, it becomes clear why it was called the Turtle. Look at it carefully:

A regular bus runs along the same road, its stop is:

There is a lot of graffiti of various contents along the roads:

And the roads in Greece are of very decent quality, I have already described them. Such a "pothole" is the maximum inconvenience, and they are rare:

Almost got to Toroni:

Here the road again approached the coast, zigzags to the left, but we already saw a small sandy spit ahead, on it a small rock and a beach. You have to see everything there and swim!
We park the car next to the spit, go swimming and explore the rock:

The water is the clearest.
Near the rock, on the stones that are in the water:

there were a lot of sea urchins:

They lie in the water, do not touch anyone. Such paws! You can't just touch them, you can only admire them.

The sea is always calm here, and during the Second World War, several Allied submarines hid in this bay.

Thus we arrived at the village Sarti.
Sarti has become a very popular resort town, which stretches along the Blue Flag beach. The beach has an amazing view of Mount Athos, which rises steeply from the sea and with a peak in the clouds resembles a slightly smoking volcano.
Beach:

Mount Athos is clearly visible from here:

It really seems like smoke is curling over the mountain, like a volcano :) But this is just a "hooked" cloud.

After lunch in a cafe on Sarti beach, we leave further.

And the next stop is vourvourou:

Here the beach has fine sand and a very smooth entrance to the sea. Children to frolic in the water is the most! We stay for an hour, swim, sunbathe.

It is getting dark and we are finishing the detour of the peninsula of Sithonia, the middle finger of the Halkidiki peninsula. According to legend, once upon a time in Greece on Halkidiki, two brothers Siton and Athos fought for the beautiful maiden Pallini. The noise of the struggle woke Poseidon, who was sleeping nearby, and he threw his trident in anger. Thus, at the southern tip of the Chalkidiki peninsula, three fingers were formed, three peninsulas - Athos, Sithonia and Pallini. Pallini was later renamed Cassandra. And if you look at the map of Halkidiki, then its southern part really resembles a trident.

And we continue to detour Sithonia, and here is one more stop:

In Sithonia (as in fact, in Kassandra, and in the rest of Greece), it is not at all necessary to book a hotel in advance, especially through a travel agency. Arriving on the peninsula, you can rent a villa or part of a villa. For example, such.

I fell in love with Sitonia at first sight. Blue sky, turquoise sea and curly pine trees. I have never seen such pines in my life. On neighboring Kassandra, ordinary southern pines, like in Turkey, and here the needles are so long that they curl into curls. And the color of the needles is amazing - some kind of light green, and not the usual dark green. And I was still riding along Kassandra and admiring the beautiful views, I kept thinking how Sithonia could be better when everything is so green and beautiful here. It turns out that the people on the Internet were right: the nature of Sithonia is simply incomparable.

We arrived at Sithonia at about seven o'clock in the evening. Not far from the entrance is the largest village of the middle finger - Nikiti, in which there are as many as three chain supermarkets. Naturally, we did not miss the opportunity to stock up on provisions at Lidl.

After Nikiti, the bypass road along Sithonia begins. To get the most out of driving on it, you need to move counterclockwise so that the sea is always on the right. We were lucky: our Toroni, just, was in the right direction, so for an hour (from Nikiti to Toroni 60 km) we admired the beautiful views.

While we were checking into the Jolandas House apartments, the sun disappeared over the horizon, so we didn’t go swimming, although we hoped to the last that we would be able to plunge into the sea today. If it's too late to swim, then you need to go to dinner.

In Toroni there are several small eateries and two large taverns: Leon and Aphrodite. Judging by the reviews on TripAdvisor, each of them has its own circle of admirers who praise one tavern and immediately scold the other. In short, according to the reviews, I could not choose a place for dinner, so we went to the one that is closer, i.e. to Aphrodite.

Well, what can I say? Normal tavern - a solid four. The food is quite edible, but in Gardenia everything was much tastier: moussaka, souvlaki, and wine.

Toroni is a small resort village on the west coast of Sithonia. The whole village consists of one solid apartment, I don’t even know if it is inhabited in winter. Booking.com lists only a small part of the rental housing, so the choice is not rich. Halkidiki.com has a much better selection. But I'm afraid to book accommodation without reviews. Yes, and I don’t want to send an advance payment to the village to my grandfather either. Somehow booking.com with free cancellation is more comfortable, although a little more expensive.

Most of the accommodation presented on booking. com, located in the central part of the village. In terms of infrastructure, this is the most comfortable spot, because to taverns, shops and a playground with trampolines no more than five minutes on foot. As for the proximity of the beach, it doesn’t matter where to live, because. The village is stretched along the beach. And this beach is more than two kilometers long.

In many villages of Sithonia, an asphalt road runs along the beach. The movement along it is very lazy, but this, of course, spoils the view a little. There is a similar problem in Toroni. Therefore, those who cannot stand such things in spirit should settle in the northern part of Toroni, where the apartments are almost on the beach.

In the central part, where we lived, we had to cross the road to get to the sea. But when you lie on the beach or swim, you can't see the road behind the trees. So basically it doesn't bother her. In the southern part, near the ruins of the Byzantine fortress, the road comes close to the beach, so this can create some aesthetic inconvenience.

Toroni is a resort village, so there are not a lot of sights here. The only thing historical place- These are the ruins of a fortress on a cape. We didn’t climb the cape, firstly, it’s hot; secondly, judging by the reviews, the passage to the ruins is prohibited; thirdly, any fortresses that are not even destroyed look best from the outside.

Even in the northern part of Toroni, a stream flows, in which there are a lot of turtles. We visited them twice: at first, just to make sure that they were there, and on the day of departure, to feed them with the remnants of bread. We have never fed turtles before. Turns out it's quite a fun activity. They grab pieces of bread so funny and drag them into secluded corners.

But still, the main attraction and dignity of Toroni is its beach. I have never seen such beaches: coarse golden sand the size of buckwheat, which does not stick to your feet. The entrance to the sea is small, very small pebbles, slightly larger than the sand on the beach. The legs do not prick at all, you can safely run, jump, dive from a running start. The water is two-colored - beautiful, clean, always transparent. Plus few people. So little that we calmly played doggie in the water, not being afraid to spray someone or hit the ball. And even on weekends, there were no more people. Apparently, vacationers from Thessaloniki do not get here, it hurts too far from Toroni to the palm of your hand.

Of the shortcomings - all three days it was windy, many umbrellas flew into the sea, including ours. I had to catch them from time to time. Well, and deep almost immediately - about five meters and already up to the neck. For me, this is an advantage, but for someone who swims poorly, it may seem like a disadvantage. In general, this best beach in our life. I don't even know where else I can find something like this.

All in all, Toroni is a great place to a relaxing holiday with kids. Here you can even relax without a car, if you, of course, know how to enjoy a lazy holiday. There are no problems with the products. We spent the first days wandering for food in Lidl and Carrefour, and then we found out that there is a very good shop within a five-minute walk. Yes, the prices are slightly higher, but you don’t have to go anywhere, and the choice is good. It is full of fruits, milk, there is even jamon with prosciutto, which we have greatly respected lately.

A few words about Jolandas House apartments. On the one hand, many things were more comfortable than at Villa Madeleine. There were more shelves, hooks, there was a corridor where you can leave street shoes. I liked the kitchen on the balcony - very convenient - no need to carry dishes through the whole room and the room does not heat up from the stove.

The awning from the sun on the balcony also pleased.

On the other hand, there was no iron and hair dryer, it’s good that I carry everything with me (that’s why I have three suitcases). The bathroom was terribly cramped, there was nowhere to even put the rug. Well, you won’t put it next to the toilet or under the sink, will you? So he stood in the corner the whole rest. And most importantly, there was no ventilation in the bathroom. I had to ventilate with the open door, which is not convenient. Cleaning, change of linen and towels every three days. Of course, I can take out the trash myself. And on linen alone I can even sleep for a week, but here are the towels. Is it really that hard to change them every day? Well, you don’t need to make any efforts: the machine washes, you don’t need to iron, and the client is satisfied.

We were also a little upset by the fact that they settled us on the first floor, and we don’t like this passion. True, after looking closely, we realized that we still have not the worst option, because. some of the rooms were generally semi-basement, but we still have a full-fledged first floor.

Well, the view, of course. On the one hand, it’s good that it’s not at sea, because. there is a road, stalls and wandering people. But, on the other hand, a closed courtyard is also not good: kids are constantly running around, adults are sitting under your windows, some smoke, some chat on the phone. It gives the impression of a hostel. At Madeleine, we practically did not see our neighbors, but here you can admire them all day long. But, in general, these are trifles - normal apartments, it is quite possible to live. And in the evenings, when the lanterns were lit in the courtyard, it generally became cozy.

So, our first full day in Sithonia. We slept, swam, had lunch and were on our way to examine the middle finger. The village next to Toroni is called Porto Kufo. Once upon a time there was a powerful settlement of Ancient Toroni, from which nothing remained except the ruins of the fortress. And Porto Koufo was his harbor. Here and now is full of boats and boats.

The beach line is very narrow, right next to the beach there is a road, entry into the sea is average scall, hedgehogs come across. The bay itself with a natural estuary is, of course, beautiful, but I would never want to relax here. Moreover, it is only two kilometers to Toroni.

Porto Koufo is also famous for its fish restaurants. If you want fresh fish and fresh seafood, this is the place for you. Only the prices there… the average bill is around €100. In short, we did not eat in Porto Koufo.

We're moving to the east coast. And soon we have views of Mount Athos. We stop at a panoramic cafe to take pictures of this beauty.

The next stop is Kalamitzi - a great beach. Sand, entry one to one as in Toroni, only the beach itself is three times shorter, so there are a lot of people. Next comes Sarti. It is the largest settlement on the east coast. Life is in full swing here. When I chose the base in Sithonia, I could not decide for a long time where we should stay: in Toroni or in Sarti. After much torment, the choice fell on Toroni. Not a small role in this was played by the report of Vinsky himself on the beaches of Sithonia, in which he praised Toroni very much. And if such an experienced traveler claims that the beach is terribly good, then, in my opinion, you should listen.

In short, I am extremely happy that I chose Toroni, because. Sarti didn't like it at all. Big, crowded, bustling town. The only advantage is the long beach - as much as three kilometers. The sand is fine, often big waves so the water is cloudy.

I read in the reviews about a smooth entry. Well, I don’t know, in the northern part, where we swam, it was immediately deep. It was impossible to swim because of the waves, all that remained was to swing on the waves. In principle, I am not against the waves. Every day, of course, not, but a couple of times during the rest I will swing with pleasure. Here, however, the pleasure did not work out, since the water was dirty. Okay, algae and sand, but when cigarette butts float around you, you see, it's unpleasant. In short, after five minutes of swimming, we ran, much to the chagrin of Nikita, who still wanted to swing on the waves.

Let's go further. The next point of the program is two interesting beaches. The first one is called Portokali in Greek, Orange beach in English and Orange in Nashensky. The second beach is Kavourotripes - Crab Holes. I honestly don't know where one ends and the other begins. In general, it seemed that this is the same beach.

The beaches are about ten kilometers beyond Sarti. From the road there will be an exit to the forest according to self-made signs. The beaches are very cool. Definitely worth a visit. The water is warm, shallow for a long time, but not insanely long, as in Sani on Kassandra, i.e. and children have a lot of room to flounder, and adults do not need to stomp to the depths for an hour.

The coast is cut by rocky coves. There are very few places near the water. There is nowhere to stick an umbrella, so most of them are located on hillocks in the shade of pines. On the right, if you stand facing the sea, you can see a large round flower carved on a stone and a mermaid.

Swimming here is interesting. Children who can swim and have coral slippers have chosen a cliff from which it is great to dive. And diagonally from the cliff, far enough from the shore, there is a place where you can stand on a huge stone. And there you will be knee-deep, and around the stone there is a great depth.

In short, we liked it. Absolutely did not regret that they came. Too bad the pics didn't turn out. I climbed these “burrows” for a long time with a small camera, but, apparently, the lens was fogged up, and I didn’t have enough mind to wipe it, so all the pictures are cloudy. And my dad was too lazy to follow me. It’s good to take at least one general photograph, otherwise there would be nothing decent left for memory.

We spent the next two days on Toroni beach. It is foolish to drag yourself somewhere if the best beach is only a three-minute walk away. But in the evenings, of course, they made sorties. How without it?

On Kassandra we lived in the east and met the dawn. Here, on the west coast of Sithonia, sunsets were a priority, so the plan for the first evening was as follows. We drive to the traditional mountain village of Parthenonas. Then we descend to the town of NEOs-Marmaras. We meet the sunset, have dinner and go home.

At first everything went according to plan. Neos Marmaras is 20 km from Toroni. From Neos Marmaras to Parthenonas there are five more mountains. The views are beautiful, but for the pictures you have to go here in the morning. We parked at the entrance to the village, walked along the stone streets, admired the stone houses, ate figs. Figs are very tasty, but hard to get. And in some fruits there were a lot of small bugs. It's a shame, I had to throw it away.

We walked for half an hour and decided to move to Marmaras. Get in the car, let's go. Dad asks if I know where to go in Marmaras. Of course I don't know. Read reviews about observation deck but where is she? Having driven a bit, we decided to return to Parthenonas, because during the walk we saw a tavern with excellent panoramic views - Paul's taverna Parthenon is called. Yes, and Madeleine said that meat is cooked well in Parthenonas.

They returned, and all the trump places were already taken. The main thing is that fifteen minutes ago there was no one, and here you are - a bunch of people. Well, okay, we think, since there are a lot of people, it means that they cook delicious food here. Remained. It turned out that the food here is not so tasty. Even Aphrodite was better. And also, when the food was brought, we were attacked by a swarm of wasps. I have never seen so many of these vile insects in my life. We jumped up from the table as if scalded. However, the waiters were quick to help. They brought some thing, put it on the table, set it on fire - it was blown away by the wind.

In short, the evening passed so-so: the food is mediocre, the sunset is no better than the food.

When it got dark, fires were lit in Marmaras. It’s beautiful, but you can’t climb over the heads to photograph. Maybe if we good location sat somewhere on the edge of a cliff, then the impressions would be different, and so - disappointment.

We descend the mountain in total darkness. Suddenly dad slams on the brakes. A large red fox stands on the road in front of us, its eyes glow in the dark. She stood up and ran away. Cool. I have never seen a fox up close. The only pity is that the fotik was in a backpack, and a backpack in the trunk.

We decided to spend the last evening on Sithonia in Neos Marmaras. Arrived quickly, parked at the top. They decided not to go down by car - the streets are very narrow and with a large slope.

Let's go for a walk. I liked the town. Worth getting out for a walk.

But I would not want to live in Neos Marmaras. The beach is narrow and away from housing. You won't get there in three minutes. And you will have to go back up the mountain.

We had a nice walk along the promenade.

True, the sunset broke off: the sun simply disappeared behind the mountain. Well, okay, we met the sunset yesterday. We would like to have a delicious meal today. There are plenty of taverns near the embankment, but we have other plans. We will have dinner at the Petros tavern, which is away from the promenade and not far from the beach. This is how they have it in Marmaras: the beach is on one side, and the promenade is on the other.

We are coming. What's happened? Again, all trump places are occupied. Here again, we didn’t have enough mind, first book a table by the water, and then go for a walk along the embankment. No luck with the places, but the food here is delicious. It's a pity, there is no moussaka again. I don’t understand how it ends at eight in the evening. More needs to be done so that everyone has enough. But overall, we had a good time. The souvlaki were tender and juicy. What you need.

After dinner, we walked a bit towards the embankment, photographed the lights of Marmaras and drove home.

All good things come to an end sooner or later. Our holiday has come to an end. In the morning, of course, we went swimming. Brrr ... the sea is cold, the sand is generally icy, there are no people. We came to the beach at half past nine.

The fact is that living in apartments has left its mark on our regimen. Usually in Turkey we get up around eight in the morning and go swimming. Then we wake up Nikita, have breakfast and go back to the beach.

In Greece, they also got up at eight, but while you cook breakfast, while you wash the dishes, while you collect your beach bag. In short, before ten we did not get to the beach. And as it turned out, they did the right thing. Nothing to do here at eight in the morning on the beach.

We swam in a quick way, health does not allow to sit on the cold sand. I decided to run to the room for a camera to take a picture of a jellyfish. In Greece, we saw a lot of living creatures: all kinds of fish, gulls, cormorants, sea ​​urchins. By the way, I liked the cormorants very much - I had not seen them before. How well they dive!

We haven't seen jellyfish here yet. Maybe because they came to the beach late, and they like to swim near the shore early in the morning. In general, we came to the beach - a jellyfish swims near the shore. We swam to the buoys, returned - the jellyfish was in place. I went for a camera - a jellyfish, clever, waited for me. I clicked her beauty from all sides, and she immediately swam away.

We also swam a little more and went to pack our bags.

At noon we left Toroni and headed up the east coast of Sithonia. Actually, I had planned a round-the-world trip, or rather a round-the-Sitonic trip, for yesterday, but I was too lazy to carry it out, so I just swam and lay on the beach. But today there is nothing to do anyway. It's twelve hours before the plane. It’s too early to go to Thessaloniki: walking around the city in the very heat somehow does not pull. But in a car with kondeem is another matter.

We pass Sarti. Not far from the place where we swam two days ago, in the very north of the village, there is a cape with a large white cross and a small chapel. The cape offers the best views of Athos. True, we were a little unlucky - Athos is in a heavy haze.

We drive the next thirty kilometers without stopping. Our goal is the village of Vourvourou, which is very popular with mothers and babies. There is sand, a good gentle entry into the sea, pine trees.

True, housing prices here are rather high. I really liked the village itself. The apartments are all beautiful, with good territory. If in Toroni the apartments are stuck at random, then there are two strict lines. The first line goes along the sea. Step out of the apartments and you're already on the beach. Behind the first line is an asphalt road and a second row of apartments. Here I wonder how their inhabitants get to the beach. We ourselves were looking for a passage to the beach for a very long time: fences are everywhere and signs like private property, do not enter.

Nature, of course, is beautiful: pine trees, a lot of small islands in the sea. But again, I would not want to rest here. Firstly, the beach is worse than in Toroni.

Secondly, a huge number of boats. It seems to me that the purity of the sea here is a big question.

In short, come for a day, rent a boat, swim around the islands, but, of course, it’s better to live in Toroni.

From Vuruvuru about twenty minutes drive to the next village of interest to us, Ormos Panayas. Ormos Panagias has a large marina. From here you can make a trip along Mount Athos. You can, but I don't think it's necessary. Judging by the reviews, expensive, long and not very interesting.

Lots of boats and boats. Where is the beach? It seems that Ormos Panayas is famous for its good beach. We drive along the shore with gullies for about two minutes. There are a lot of seagulls sitting on the rock, but dad won't let me get out and take a picture of them. It's a pity. And here is the beach. Big, good, but a lot of people.

Ormos Panayas is close to the palm of your hand, so there is a full house on weekends. We got out of the car for a minute, took a picture, and drove out onto the ring road. River before leaving. It is said that turtles also live in it.

The next destination is the village of Agios Nikolaos. This is not a tourist village, but a full-fledged village with a post office, police station, etc. Although there are enough apartments here. Stone houses like in Afytos or Parthenonas. The streets are narrow. We go around the whole village without stopping. Strange, the village is praised for nice beach. And there is no sea. The navigator says that the sea is three kilometers away.

We are going to look for the vaunted Livrochio beach. On the way you come across a village of the same name with a pretty little church.

And here is the beach itself. Long, sandy, no place for an apple to fall.

We drive along the beach on a dusty road. After the beach, a bridge with a river. Some deja vu. We were here twenty minutes ago. It turns out that Livrochio is a beach between Agios Nikolaos and Ormos Panagias.

We look at the clock. Wow. It's already four o'clock. It’s good that we didn’t go on such a trip yesterday. We didn't even go swimming. We stopped, took pictures, and drove on. Where has the time gone? Who stole it? We must hurry to Thessaloniki, otherwise we will not see anything there. So we are finishing reconnaissance of villages and beaches. We just need to sum up. And the results are: I'm done!!! Even my men recognized this, but they rarely praise me. So if we are going to visit Sithonia, then we will definitely live only in Toroni.

From Ormos Panayias to Nikiti is within easy reach. Leaving Sithonia. We're going down the road. Something like a lot of cars. And then I panic. Today is Sunday, which means that there will be terrible traffic jams at the entrance to Thessaloniki, the same as we have when summer residents return to Moscow. Oh God. We will not see Thessaloniki.

Fortunately, the alarm turned out to be false. The cars all evaporated, as if by magic, and we entered the northern capital of Greece along a completely empty highway. The streets also turned out to be empty, so Sunday is a good day to explore such a big city without traffic jams.

It took a long time to find parking. There are plenty of car parks around the waterfront, but €8 for the first hour is daylight robbery. I had several cheaper parking lots in my cheat sheet, but as luck would have it, we could not find any of them. We cut a few circles. Finally, we found a parking lot on Aggelaki Street (Aggelaki, 27) on the side of the exhibition center. Parking is the most common - on the ground, under open sky. But with post payment. And the price pleases - the first hour is €3, each next hour is €1. So three hours of parking cost us a ridiculous €5.

Let's go for a walk. The city is huge but clean enough. Outwardly, it is very reminiscent of Antalya, forgive me the Greeks. In general, I liked Thessaloniki. The only thing I didn’t like was that it’s almost impossible to make a circular route along them. All the time I had to return, walk the same paths.
We begin our acquaintance with the city with objects bearing the name of the Roman emperor Galerius.

The Arch of Galeria was built in 303 to commemorate the victory of the Romans over the Persians. The bas-reliefs on the arch depict scenes from this Persian campaign.

Until the middle of the 20th century, trams ran under the arch, which negatively affected the bas-relief sculptures.

Near the arch you can admire the rotunda of St. George, which was built three years later (in 306).

According to one version, the rotunda was built as the mausoleum of Galerius, although it was never used for its intended purpose, according to another, it was just part of the palace. One way or another, over time, the rotunda was transformed into an Orthodox church. Then the Turks converted it into a mosque and built a minaret. The building currently houses the Museum of Christian Art.

A stone's throw from the arch of Galerius there is a pretty church of St. Panteleimon. Pay attention to the fence. Apparently, I was wrong when, in the first part of my story, I praised the Greeks for their reverent attitude towards churches.

We return to the sea past the ruins of the palace of Galeria. The central element of the palace is the courtyard, which is surrounded by galleries, corridors and halls.

We go to the White Tower - the main symbol of Thessaloniki. Along the way, there is such a monument, it is not clear to whom. No, it's still a little annoying that the Greeks do not have Latin.

And here is White Tower.

We'll just get through for now. We are currently interested in the monument to Alexander the Great.

We return to the White Tower - a defensive structure built by the Turks in the 16th century. As is often the case with towers, it is no longer white. In the eighties of the last century, restorers repainted it.

On Sundays you can climb the tower, but we have neither the strength nor the time for this. There is also a museum in the tower with disgusting opening hours from 8.30 to 15.00. He worked at least until five o'clock. We would not have spent so much time riding around Sithonia, but immediately went to Thessaloniki and would have spent the hottest hours in the museum.

We walk along the embankment towards the port. Such a strange embankment - absolutely nothing is fenced. And if who stumbles? You don't get to choose here.

Our goal is to find flying umbrellas - this is such a modern sculpture. Forty umbrellas fly skyward. True, they say that now there are thirty-nine of them - one has disappeared without a trace. Flew, probably. I know that umbrellas are on the waterfront. But where? No matter how much I searched for houses, I did not find their exact location.

Here is the port. And there are no umbrellas. Sadness. Returning home, she asked on the forum where they were after all. It turned out that we did not reach them 100 meters - they are located at the fountain behind the monument to Alexander the Great. It's a shame. That's what prevented me from asking people before the trip? But now there is a reason to return to Thessaloniki.

To the right, on the approach to the port, there is a wide and beautiful Aristotle Square.

The great philosopher was born in Halkidiki. True, we ignored his homeland Ancient Stagira. Decided it wasn't worth visiting.

In addition to the square, the University of Thessaloniki is also named after Aristotle. The big toe of the great thinker is well polished by the efforts of local students and tourists. We also sent Nikita to hold on to his finger. Maybe the great ancient Greek will help fix the four in Russian?

The time is approaching eight. Time to have dinner. While we were walking, we saw many cafes, but people only drink there. For food, you need to find something more impressive. And we even know where to look - in the port area of ​​Ladadika (there are only solid taverns).

And we also know what to look for - the Palati tavern. The place is cozy, there are still few people, but gradually those who want to have dinner arrive. Water gurgles in the fountain. The musicians start playing.

After dark, it will probably be cool here. We just don't see it anymore. The food is very decent, but again it did not reach Gardenia. Prices, by the way, are slightly higher than in Halkidiki and Kastraki.

We rent a car at the parking lot, take a shuttle to the airport and go to Sixt. Like here in Greece there are such rules - handed over the car, go to the office. We give the contract. Aunty says: “I see you changed cars.” "Twice," Dad replies, and tenses up, thinking that now he's going to have to pay something extra. But the dear aunt apologizes for the inconvenience caused and returns us €60 as compensation for moral damage. On this positive note, our Greek journey comes to an end.

It's time to sum up. My dad and I liked Greece, although there were fears that after the Turkish ultra all, the impressions might not be very good. Yes, life, of course, is more Spartan, but how many impressions. Still, it’s boring to live in one place for a long time, and moving lengthens the rest. We all had the impression that we traveled around Greece not for ten days, but for a whole month.

In short, my dad and I quite agree to fly to Greece next year, if, of course, we manage to find tickets at reasonable prices. Nikita liked Greece too, but next summer he wants to go back to Turkey, to the Simena Sun Club, to have a bunch of tasty treats twenty-four hours a day and inflatable things in the sea. Apparently, it’s harmful to accustom children to all inclusive, it’s hard for them to rest like savages later.

1) Sea and beaches.
2) Apartments and their owners.
3) Roads and gasoline.
4) Food.

1) The sea and beaches worried me the most. Before the trip to Greece, the phrase "municipal beach" did not cause any positive emotions. It seemed to be something not very clean with a bunch of bodies that you almost had to step over to get to the sea.

The reality turned out to be not so terrible, because. The beaches in Greece are clean. No, of course, cigarette butts and pieces of paper sometimes come across, but in fact there are so few of them that this is absolutely not a problem. Of course, the first two days we were a little strained to lie on the sand. Do not even lie, but sit, because. one umbrella for three was not enough. But over time, we got used to it, and buying a second umbrella generally reconciled us with the savage beach holiday.

True, I did not read a single page, because. I can't read without support under my back. Now I'm thinking about buying some small chairs that would fit in a large suitcase when folded. In principle, of course, it would be possible to lie on sun loungers this time as well. most beaches have beach bars that allow you to use your sunbeds and umbrellas for the purchase of drinks. But somehow we were not drawn there, because. music often plays in beach bars, and on the sea it is preferable to listen to the cries of seagulls and the rustle of waves.

The sea, by the way, our entire trip was 26 degrees, according to the Internet. In the morning, I wish it was a little warmer. But after lunch, the water temperature was just right: you could not get out of the water for hours.

2) Apartments. I was surprised by the check in process. You arrive and they are already waiting for you. No one looks at any printouts from booking, does not look at passports. They ask: "Ekaterina?" "Yes," I say. They answer: "Welcome" and lead to the room. For everything about everything, two minutes. I was also surprised that there was no salt or sugar in the kitchen. There is nothing at all. Unusually somehow after Barcelona with Augsburg. There was even olive oil and dishwashing liquid, but nothing at all.

3) Roads in Greece are of very decent quality - asphalt without holes. Winding, true, but this is such a relief - there's nothing to be done. Along the roadsides, small chapels constantly come across - an analogue of our crosses and wreaths. It's a little unnerving, although we haven't seen a single accident in ten days.

Drivers on the roads do not follow the rules: they constantly violate the speed limit, overtake through two solid ones, etc. The first day, our dad was in a slight shock: after all, it’s not customary for us to drive through two solid ones. But the next day, the shock passed, and we also began to ride through two continuous lines. More precisely, we were simply forced to do it, because. Greece chronically lacks left turns. For example, in order to return from the beach to get to the apartments, we had to make a detour of fifteen kilometers.

When visiting stores, the same problems arose. Therefore, on the second day, we didn’t give a damn about two solid ones and began to turn where it was convenient for us, and not where the marking allowed it. True, our dad was indignant for a long time that in Germany everyone drives according to the rules and international rights are not needed, but in Greece, where everyone drives as he wants, for some reason these international rights are simply necessary.

About gasoline. Before the trip, I read horror stories about how expensive gasoline is in Greece, and that you need to refuel in cities, otherwise the prices are very high at sights and resorts. In reality, the price of gasoline was average European, almost the same as in Germany from 1.35 to 1.45 euros per liter of the 95th. And geographical position gas stations and its proximity to attractions did not affect the price in any way.

Well, some more food for thought. Once at the gas station we got into the following situation. It was on the way from Meteora to Sithonia. We needed a toilet, but in Greece this is a problem. We saw toilets only on toll roads, and on free roads, it’s not clear what to do. There are also no toilets at gas stations. And in general, their gas stations are not the same as ours: firstly, they are small, and, secondly, they sell various auto parts instead of food.

And somewhere in the Nea Moudania area, we come across a large gas station in yellow and green colors, similar to BP, but not BP. And there is a toilet. We stop. We still have gasoline, but since we stopped, we decide to refuel. We ask the tanker for the column number - he is surprised at something. We ask again, he is again surprised and replies that there are no numbers. Here we are surprised, but not for very long. We cannot be surprised for long, we need a toilet. So there is no trial. We visited the desired institution, bought some water. Money at the checkout was taken from us only for water.

What about gasoline? Gasoline is spoken separately. The comrade who fueled us comes up to us with some already punched check. Asks how we will pay: by card or cash. Dad gives him the cash. We get in the car, we leave. I have a notepad in the car where I write down the cost of gasoline. I take a check in hand, and there are 45 liters. I ask my dad: “Did we have an empty tank?” “No,” he says, “there were still 10-15 liters.” “What kind of tank do we have?” - "Liters 40," he says.

In short, we realized that we were given some kind of someone else's check. For a long, long time, we were indignant and scolded the tanker who robbed us of €20. And only on the last day of rest we had doubts about this. By this point, we had driven over two hundred kilometers on the roads of Sithonia, and the gauge was still showing a full tank. So, perhaps, we were in vain scolding the poor tanker, whose only fault was that he filled us up in a flash. But still, we learned a lesson for ourselves and drew conclusions.

Conclusion No. 1 - do not refuel where there are columns without numbers. Conclusion No. 2 - one pays, and the other does not take his eyes off the column. Well, you need to check the check before paying, if you really had to refuel at such a dumb gas station.

4) About food. Greek cuisine is usually highly praised: everything is very tasty, the portions are huge, etc. Before the trip, I met only two opposite opinions. The first was expressed by family friends who this year did not pull their beloved Spain and whom we invited to Greece with us. Friends refused to go with us, arguing that they had been there once, and they were not at all impressed with the food and wine. The second opinion was expressed by a friend whose report I used in preparing for the trip. The poor man on the forum had already gotten it from the ladies who defended Greek food with foam at the mouth.

Well, now our humble opinion. Of course, Greece is much inferior to the same Spain, which is full of fresh seafood and fish, cheap delicious wines and exotic fruits.

Usually in Greece, those people who love lamb and goat meat are satisfied with food. We don’t eat such meat at all, so the only meat dish in our diet was souvlaki. Souvlaki are skewers on wooden skewers. We really liked the chicken souvlaki, but the pork souvlaki was tough and not very tasty. Dad and grandfather in our country house make pork skewers much better.

We also tried gemista from national dishes - these are vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants) stuffed with rice. You can eat it, but it's greasy and not very tasty. Again, our grandmother makes such a stuffed pepper that you will lick your fingers.

In short, we were most impressed with moussaka. True, each tavern has its own recipe and you will not find two identical moussaks.

I also invented my own recipe at home and now on weekends I pamper my home with Greek cuisine.

About portions. Huge portion sizes are a myth. No, of course, if you order a Greek salad, they will bring you a whole bucket, which is enough for four. And if you order meat, they will heartily pile on a plate of french fries. We are generally little kids, and usually, when traveling around Europe, we always take two meals for three. Here we always ordered three. Of course, there are a lot of potatoes on the plate, but the same souvlaki in two servings for three will not be enough.

Even in Greece, they always bring you bread, which is included in the bill. We eat bread only for breakfast in the form of sandwiches, and in the tavern we absolutely do not need it. At first they tried to refuse. Say you don't need it and they'll take it away. No, I would first ask: to carry or not. But in many taverns, the bread box is combined with a stand for cutlery. Refusing in this case is already inconvenient. Then we found such a way out of the situation: we began to take bread with us, since I always have a roll of food bags in reserve in my backpack, and eat it for breakfast.

The next nuance is a meager menu. For example, packaged juice, almost always one kind. It’s good if it’s apple, it’s bad if it’s orange - Nikita is allergic to it. I have already written about the lack of moussaka. With souvlaki, too, everything was not cloudless. In one place we read the menu - chicken souvlaki is served here wrapped in bacon. “Maybe without bacon?” we ask. They answer: "Without bacon, only pork." And pork, see above, is tough and not very tasty. Elsewhere, only pork souvlaki is available again. We don’t want pork any more - we’ve already pricked ourselves a couple of times. Grilled chicken breast is offered as an alternative. We take. Again, tough and not very tasty.

Fruits. We didn’t manage to eat fruit for a year ahead either. Only melons, peaches and grapes were tasty. Moreover, grapes cost from 2.5 to 3 euros. (We also have delicious grapes on the market, but they are cheaper.) Everything else: watermelons, apricots, mangoes and store-bought figs were like grass.

Milk is delicious. Especially Greek yogurt. There are no complaints here. I read that ham is very tasty in Greece. Well I do not know. Vacuum-packed, we weren't impressed at all. Maybe it was necessary to buy by weight?

Well, the prices in stores are much higher than ours. For example, for a package of 6 eggs, they paid 2 euros. The only cheap thing is water. So for food we put Greece four with a minus.

But not by bread alone ... The sea and nature in Greece are five plus, so, in general, the impressions are very good. Want more. So I recommend it from the bottom of my heart.