“There’s no place like Halkidiki,” a Greek saying goes.
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The potbellied, three-legged peninsula an hour’s drive from Thessaloniki is known across the country for its sparkling waters, pine-tree forests that create a heady scent, and golden-sand beaches.
And while most travelers head straight to the shore (who can blame them?), Halkidiki has much more to offer than just waves. From monasteries to mountains, villages to islands, there’s something here for just about every kind of traveler.
We’re not saying you should skip the beach entirely – for Greece has some of Europe’s very best. Yet these 10 alternatives will show you the best of this famous region beyond the sun and sand.
1. Cycle through pine forests and rugged hills
Kassandra, the westernmost tendril of Halkidiki, provides rewarding ways to break a sweat beyond lying out in the sun. Hop on a mountain bike to feel the heat as you ply the pine-forested interior of the peninsula. The so-called “camel’s hump” of Kassandra is sure to set thigh muscles screaming – but the agony and burned rubber are well worth it once you catch sight of the glowing Thermaic Gulf. Since the major roads in Halkidiki hug the coast, mountain biking through the interior offers views that are inaccessible to drivers.
2. Take the plunge on a scuba-diving expedition
Why just admire the shimmering surface of the Aegean Sea when you can dive straight into it? En route to Halkidiki’s middle peninsula, Sithonia, stop off at Atlantis Diving Center, an expert-packed outfit that can arrange diving expeditions geared toward first-timers and kids. One-day diving excursions (including transport and refreshments) start a €75 (US$85) – a small price for the chance to glimpse scorpion fish, sea bass and a sea floor fluttering with anemones.
3. Spend the night in the trees
Ever wanted to sleep suspended in the sky? Make a booking at the Agramada Treehouse. Perched in oak trees, the lodging provides the perfect respite from Halkidiki’s overdeveloped coastline. Wake up under a canopy of sweetly scented leaves, then enjoy a hearty breakfast of organic eggs, local yogurt with pine-tree honey, and freshly baked bread.
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4. Hike through the forest to waterfalls
Head into the lush eastern interior of Halkidiki for some of the most interesting wild swimming the peninsula has to offer – and trade the salty Mediterranean for the cool, crisp natural ponds that form at the base of several hidden waterfalls. As you drive out of Olympiada village toward Varvara, you’ll pass through dense foliage that reveals one of the area’s most scenic routes. A 2½-mile (4km) hike through forests will lead you to the Varvara waterfalls, where you’ll feel like a fairy for the day.
5. Explore a yawning cavern our ancestors called home
In their hurry to reach the coast, travelers tend to skip Halkidiki’s interior, the great bulge of land before the region tapers into its three beach-blessed peninsulas. Yet this area, with roads carved into the rocky substrate and cypress forests clinging to the hills, makes for a dramatic trip by car. Delve deep – literally – into this ancient land by exploring Petralona Cave, 31 miles (50km) southeast of Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki. Excavations of Petralona during the 1960s uncovered Paleolithic tools and weapons, animal skeletons and the Petralona skull, the remains of a hominid as old as 700,000 years (though scientific debate continues).
6. Visit “Aristotle’s theme park”
Aristotle, a seminal figure in the development of Western philosophy, was born in the town of Stagira, on Halkidiki’s eastern peninsula. To salute this great thinker and famous native son, local authorities have created a “theme park” in honor of his innumerable achievements. You won’t find Ferris wheels or roller-coasters here. Instead, you can explore replicas of many scientific inventions mentioned in Aristotle’s textbooks, including inertia spheres, optical disc and the pentaphone (which can be played!). This is a particularly rewarding outing for curious children.
7. Try the best souvlaki in Northern Greece
Most people will tell you to eat seafood in Halkidiki – and you can indeed find amazing grilled anchovies, marinated mackerel and sun-dried octopus up and town the peninsulas. Yet the best-kept food secret is souvlaki at Miltiades Taverna in Agios Prodromos (+30 2371 096079), an unassuming restaurant that has been doling out the region’s best meat sticks for decades. The secret? The meat is local and cut into extra-small pieces, making each bite the perfect mix of smoke, fat and char. Come early as they tend to run out by afternoon.
8. Captain your own sailboat
You don’t need a special license to rent a small boat and navigate the Caribbean-clear waters between the second and third legs of Halkidiki. In Vourvourou, you’ll find dozens of retailers renting out boats for the day; bring your own food and snacks and set sail under your own command for the Diaporas Islands. You’ll have the freedom to drop anchor wherever your heart pleases, and watch the sunset from your own private boat. Go in with a group of friends (the boats hold up to six) to enjoy a particularly good deal – and an unforgettable group experience.
9. Test your survival skills on Halkidiki’s isles
Embark on an odyssey out of your comfort zone by hiring an experienced sea hand to take you to an uninhabited island. Group sailing and camping excursions will take you to the small islands that glitter between Kassandra and Sithonia. Don’t expect many creature comforts on this island getaway, though: think survival skills, spear fishing – and awe-inducing silence.
10. Drift by centuries of monastic history
As empires have risen and fallen, and cataclysmic changes have affected the world, spiritual activity on Mt Athos has continued uninterrupted for more than a millennium. South of Ouranoupoli, on the third of Halkidiki’s peninsulas, lies the “monks’ republic.” If you’re male (women are forbidden), spiritually inclined and undeterred by austere lodgings and a bit of paperwork, with a little advance preparation you can immerse yourself in the daily rhythms of monastic life. Fortunately for female travelers (and men who aren’t partial to prayer), curious visitors can get a glimpse of the monasteries’ extraordinary architecture via Athos Sea Cruises.