Sithonia

Sithonia is the least developed of the three Halkidiki peninsulas, a spine of pine-covered hills falling to a coast so indented that the circular road, roughly 110 kilometres, reveals a new bay every few minutes. The famous beaches are on the eastern side, Kavourotrypes with its sculpted white rocks and small pockets of sand, Karidi with its shallow turquoise bay and twisted pines, Kalogria and Lagomandra on the west. Porto Koufo, near the southern tip, is one of the largest natural harbours in Greece, almost entirely enclosed and used by fishing boats. Villages such as Parthenonas, restored in the hills above Neos Marmaras, look across to Mount Athos, which dominates the eastern horizon in a way that surprises first-time visitors.

What you actually see

• Kavourotrypes - sculpted white rocks and small coves of clear water.
• Karidi beach - a shallow turquoise bay backed by wind-twisted pines.
• Porto Koufo - a nearly landlocked natural harbour at the southern end.
• The Athos view - the holy mountain across the gulf from the east coast.

When to go

May, June and September for warm water and manageable roads. August fills the peninsula with Greek and Balkan holidaymakers and the coastal road becomes slow. Winter closes most businesses.

Honest expectations

The coves are small, and in high season parking near the best of them is difficult and beach bars occupy much of the sand. A car is essential; buses are infrequent. Facilities thin out considerably at the southern end.

Nearby

Kassandra lies west across the gulf; Ouranoupoli and the Athos peninsula are east.