Family Holidays: Halkidiki family holidays

Take the Family holiday rating 4 stars out of 5

Why

Set in the North East of Greece in Macedonia, Halkidiki consists of three peninsulars jutting dramatically out into the blue Aegean; Kassandra, Sithonia and the famous Mt Athos; the holy mountain of Byzantium monasteries, which dates back to the 9th Century. No women have been allowed here since 885, when the Byzantine emperor Basil I, proclaimed it the exclusive domain of monks and hermits. So maybe not the perfect destination for a family, although fathers might want to follow Prince Charles' example and take a breather here. It retains a mystical, spiritual atmosphere and is a place of great beauty. Families which include some female members have plenty to see and to amuse themselves with on Halkidiki's other two peninsulas, both famed for their sandy beaches (the best in Greece), unspoilt villages and beautiful forests.

Top left: Beach in Halkidiki
Top right: Togion

Bottom left: Sunset
Bottom right: Boat in the sea

When

Visit Halkidiki anytime from early May through to mid October. Note that the hottest and busiest Month is July, with temperatures in the mid-thirties, whilst earlier in the year during April and May temperatures are nudging the mid-twenties.

High humidity during late July and the whole of August can cause storms, after weeks of sunshine. The storm will only last a short while though, often just a matter of hours.

How

You can fly chartered to Halkidiki from many uk airports. Note that when searching for flights, the airport may be referred to as Thessaloniki. As Thessaloniki is also Greece's second largest city, scheduled flights are also available, either direct from London , or via regular connecting flights through Athens or other European cities. Try British Airways or Expedia Flights.

Stay

Resorts have sprung up on two of Halkidiki's three fingers of the peninsula, offering a mix of luxury accommodation frequented by the rich and famous, as well as cheaper hotels catering for the package-holiday market. Check with Thomson and Expedia holidays for great deals.

Do

Play on any of the beautiful beaches that make up the 300 mile coastline. Take a boat out onto the Aegean for fishing, snorkelling or staring up at the forbidden slopes of Mt. Athos. Rent the boat out for the day and visit small fishing villages, where you can usually find a little restaurant on the beach. Kassandra is the most built-up of the peninsulas, and this means that you can find resort entertainments here. If you want to explore or visit ancient ruins drive toward Sithonia.

Eat

Halkidiki offers a very similar cuisine to the rest of Greece, this can be described as cooking which is unfussy, relying on simple seasonings, fresh meat and vegetables. Typical dishes include fried meatballs, squash balls, octopus, shrimp, squid, cheese, olives, stuffed vine leaves, tzatziki (garlicky yogurt and cucumbers), eggplant dip, small sausages and giant beans, these types of dishes are normally found at little restaurants called mezedes or mezedoupolio which are open in the day, serving lunch. For the evening meal, Greek tavernas serve such specialties as moussaka, kabobs, pastitsio (lamb or goat meat with macaroni and tomatoes), stifado (braised beef with onions) and paidakia (grilled lamb or goat chops). Halkidiki has its fair share of international food as well, mainly concentrated around the main resorts and larger hotels, but it's much more fun to take the kids for a Greek experience.

Cost

Like many Greek destinations you can find a cheap self catered holiday package from as little as £175 per person for 7 nights. One week's half board in a five star hotel in mid-summer costs from around £700.