DESTINATIONS GREECE & CYPRUS | HALKIDIKI
LEFT: Ocean one Bedroom Pool Villa, Eagles Resort; BELOW: Hotel Liotopi and owner Louloudia Alexiadis
PICTURES: Alberto Bogo; Alex Grifiths
exper expert ASK THE “Blessed with the same
excellent sandy beaches and wooded hills as the rest of Halkidiki, but without the
crowds, the Athos peninsula boasts traditional villages, walking trails, archaeological
sites and the ‘monks’ republic’ of Mount Athos. No trip
to eastern Halkidiki would be complete without an
appreciation of the wonderful food; the mussels of
Olympiada are recognised as among the best in the world and the area’s wine is sublime.”
pondered, swirling a red wine which, he proudly added, came from a vineyard just 10 minutes’ drive away. Palaiochori – where I lost myself to the rhythm of
Zorba the Greek-style dancing – is the next village over from Arnaia. This sleepy little place was once
home to miner George Zorbas, the inspiration behind Zorba the Greek’s colourful protagonist. I took a break from the dancing to wander the backstreets and see his old house. It’s dilapidated now, but Maria Pappa, product and marketing manager for the region’s tourism office, explained there are plans to transform the old house into a museum, with a digital exhibition dedicated to George Zorbas on the second storey.
HISTORIC DELIGHTS Eastern Halkidiki officially goes by the name ‘Aristotelis Municipality’, as ancient philosopher Aristotle was born here in the town of Stageira. The seafront settlement prospered from the 7th century BC, its wealth coming from a nearby gold and silver mine, but that came to an end in 348BC, when Stageira was destroyed by Alexander the Great’s father, Philip of Macedon, who saw the wealthy, educated town as a threat to his power. Today, the ruins occupy a scenic headland jutting into the glittering Aegean, and clients can explore a stoa – where citizens met for public debate – as well as impressively preserved ancient walls. A deep voice emulating Aristotle’s guided me around the site via an app, telling stories of Stageira. Best of all, both entrance to the archaeological site and the informative app are free.
38 10 APRIL 2025
Pausing at the edge of Stageira’s Acropolis, I took in 360-degree views of this gorgeous region. Mount Stratonikos rose behind me, and underneath the forest canopy lay 62 miles of walking routes, including the Aristotelian Walk. This nine-mile route meanders from the heights of the mountain, down herb-lined gravel paths and past trickling streams to the sandy beach of Olympiada, a resort town flanked by only a few sunbeds and family-run hotels.
FAMILY VALUES
One of these hotels is the whitewashed Liotopi, which features on Sunvil and Ramble Worldwide itineraries. Owner Louloudia Alexiadis welcomed us into her
garden with iced camomile and mint tea, before opening a glass cabinet filled with homemade marmalade, jams, herbal honey and slices of cherry pie. “This pie takes five minutes to make, and you can make it with any summer fruit, including apricots and almonds,” Louloudia said modestly. Though I’m sceptical anything can be made in five minutes, she demonstrates her deftness in the kitchen with weekly cooking classes, which she tells me are a hit with British clients. Roughly 80% of guests at Liotopi are repeaters, lured by Louloudia’s cookery and the promise of days spent swimming, hiking and feeling immersed in local culture. As I nibbled on crumbly cake under the shadow of
Aristotle’s hometown, I could see why those in search of serenity and authenticity keep coming back to Athos – monk or otherwise.
TW
Dudley der Parthog, director, Sunvil
BOOK IT
Jet2holidays offers seven nights at the Eagles Palace from £1,619 per person, based on two sharing. Includes breakfast, luggage, transfers and flights from Manchester on June 5.
jet2holidays.com
Sunvil sells a seven-night holiday at the Liotopi Hotel on a half-board basis from £1,247 per person, based on two sharing. Includes transfers, luggage and flights departing June 2.
sunvil.co.uk
Ramble Worldwide’s 14-night Exploring Halkidiki holiday is priced from £2,549 per person, based on two sharing. Includes daily breakfast and dinner, two picnic lunches, ground transport and flights departing September 13.
rambleworldwide.co.uk
travelweekly.co.uk
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