Sithonia Beaches: Karidi, Trani Ammouda, Toroni & Sarti
Sithonia is ringed by sandy beaches backed by pine forest, from the shallow, family-friendly coves of Vourvourou to the long blue-flag sands of Toroni, Sarti, Neos Marmaras and Ormos Panagias. The north-east keeps the calm, shallow beaches around Karidi and Diaporos; the west coast holds the town and resort beaches of Neos Marmaras and Porto Carras; the east coast runs from Sarti to the rock-fringed coves; and the south-west adds Toroni and Porto Koufo. Many of the smaller beaches are unspoilt and unorganised.
- Best all-round
- Karidi
- Blue-flag & wide
- Trani Ammouda
- Longest
- Toroni & Sarti
- Family & shallow
- Vourvourou
Vourvourou & Karidi
Vourvourou, on the north-east coast, has the calmest and shallowest beaches on the peninsula, shaded by pines that reach down to the sand. Karidi is the best-known and perhaps the most beautiful, a broad stretch of sand split by a rock, shallow and safe for children. Along the same coast lie many more: Galini and Fteroti, small sandy coves north-west of the village; Livari, a sandy spit that forms a lagoon; the long Vourvourou beach in the bay itself; the quiet Fava and Bara, sometimes used by naturists; and, further east, the organised beaches of Koutloumousiou (La Cara), Zografou, Banana and Oneirou. Nine islands lie offshore, led by Diaporos, reached by rented boat, as described in the Sithonia sights guide.
Trani Ammouda, Ormos Panagias
Trani Ammouda, sometimes called Livrochio, is the largest beach at Ormos Panagias, north of the harbour. It is a wide, sandy, blue-flag beach 1.8 kilometres long, with turquoise water and a sandy seabed that makes it easy and safe to enter, so it suits families with small children; it is considered one of the finest beaches in Halkidiki. Smaller sandy beaches lie in and just outside the village around the old church.
Sarti & the east-coast coves
The east coast of Sithonia faces Mount Athos and runs from the long beach of Sarti down through a string of rock-fringed coves.
Sarti Beach
Sarti's main beach runs 2.5 kilometres along the bay, with white sand, green-blue water and extensive forest behind it. Sunbeds and umbrellas are for hire, and there is water skiing and windsurfing. Several smaller bays lie nearby, most with their own small beaches, and the coast is good for walking, shaded by the many trees, with a clear view across to the Athos peninsula.
Achlada, Portokali & Kavourotrypes
Near Sarti lie some of the most photographed coves on the peninsula: Achlada Beach is about 2 kilometres away, and Portokali (Orange Beach) and Kavourotrypes are about 6 kilometres away, rock-fringed inlets of pale sand and clear turquoise water. These smaller coves are mostly unorganised, so bring your own water and shade.
Toroni & Porto Koufo
The south-west of Sithonia holds the long yellow-sand beach of Toroni and the sheltered water of Porto Koufo.
Toroni, Tristinika & Tristinikouda
Toroni's beach is 2.5 kilometres of thick yellow sand with a small palm grove, a blue-flag beach with sunbeds and umbrellas and hardly any waves, so it is safe for families; the village is famous for its sunsets. North of Toroni, reached by a track off the main road, Tristinika is a long sandy beach with a beach bar and a campsite, mostly unorganised, and between the two lies Tristinikouda, a fine-sand, shallow beach that also suits small children. Aretis, Azapiko and Agios Georgios are within walking distance above Tristinika.
Porto Koufo
Porto Koufo's own beach is a long, narrow strip of sand inside the deep natural harbour. Around it lie several small pebble beaches, some reachable only by boat, but the sea drops away steeply, so they are less suited to small children. The sheltered bay is described in the Sithonia sights guide.
Neos Marmaras & the west coast
The west coast around Neos Marmaras gathers the busiest run of resort beaches on the peninsula.
Neos Marmaras, Paradisos & Porto Carras
The main beach of Neos Marmaras runs along the south side of the town, a long sandy blue-flag beach that slopes gently into the sea and is safe for children, with facilities all around. Just north lies Paradisos, a kilometre-long beach that is pebbly to the south and sandy to the north. At the end of the town beach are Porto Carras and Kohi, the two large sandy beaches by the five-star Porto Carras Meliton resort and its marina, both organised with sunbeds and umbrellas.
Agia Kiriaki, Koutsoupia & Spalathronisia
South of Neos Marmaras the beaches grow quieter. Agia Kiriaki, 9 kilometres south, is a 400-metre sandy beach in a well-protected bay with a campsite, shallow and safe for families. Koutsoupia, a little further south, is a mostly pebbly beach backed by dense vegetation with an islet you can swim to and no facilities, so it stays quiet. Spalathronisia beach, opposite the archipelago of the same name, is a run of four sand-and-pebble beaches with a campsite, a taverna and a supermarket.
The northern approach
The central Halkidiki coast that leads onto Sithonia adds several long beaches. Makrya Lagada at Metamorfosi is a blue-flag, south-facing beach of fine white sand in a coastline of more than 30 kilometres of bays and coves. Gerakini has a long, well-equipped sandy beach backed by pine-covered hills. Psakoudia, the port of Ormylia, keeps a 4-kilometre blue-flag beach with shops, bars and fish tavernas. Pyrgadikia, a small fishing village on the north-east neck, has Kambos Beach, a 1-kilometre sandy beach, and a view across to Mount Athos.
