Sithonia is the second finger of the Halkidiki peninsula. It is considered one of the most picturesque places in Greece. If you like to enjoy beautiful landscapes and take photos, you should definitely go around Sithonia! It will take about a whole day, especially meticulous tourists can split the trip into 2 days, spending the night in a hotel or in a tent. We drove in late August when the days got short. Some of the beautiful places indicated by the guide were never found.
So … Let's go on a trip to the peninsula (more often called "finger") Sithonia! Despite the seemingly large size of the peninsula, a little more than half of a small car's petrol tank goes on the way from Kasandra, bypassing Sithonia.
Before leaving, when the car was handed over, the guide gave us instructions on which places to go to. The road around the peninsula almost always lies next to the sea. But I would recommend not to leave without navigation. In Greece, pointers are very rare, most in Greek. With navigation in the car, you feel somehow more comfortable. We left early in the morning, at 9 o'clock and by 11 we were driving through Sithonia. There are practically no traffic jams and difficulties in Greece, but there are large penalties for speed and lock cameras.
On the map, the pen marks the places where the "observation platforms" are installed. These are small branches off the road where you can park your cars and go out to take pictures. Many of these places have small cafes where you can have a couple of cups of coffee for 4-5 euros. Also, when you see the beautiful beaches you like, you can go out and swim. The largest city in Sithonia is New Marmaris. During the Greek-Turkish conflict in the 20s of the last century, an exchange of Muslims living in the territories of Greece was carried out for the Slavs living in the territories of Turkey. There was a great migration of peoples and the Slavs built a city in Sithonia with the same name as in Turkey, where they lived. The prefix "new" has been added to distinguish it. In New Marmaris, you can have a snack, eat delicious ice cream in the Stefan's cafe, wander around the shops. Everything is close by, in the city center, where the port is located. Don't get lost.
On the way to New Marmaris, we had a little adventure. In Greece, as a rule, low-power (1.5 euro liter of gasoline) cars are rented. Our Hyundai Getz had a volume of only 1.2 liters. He heroically stormed mountains, hills, hills, but on one of the deserted beaches I drove a little onto the sand and Getz successfully buried himself with one wheel in the sand, sitting down on the bottom. The wheel was completely clamped and a passing tourist from Germany, after several attempts to push the car out, advised him to call "the technical service". Looking back, I want to note that any call from Magafon in Greece cost about 300-500 rubles. Calling a "technician" would have cost me 3,000 with megaphone roaming. Of course, there would have been no way to go, but I had only 1,000 rubles left on my account. Therefore, I began to dig out the car with my hands. Then a small tourist miracle happened. Two crews with German tourists passed by our deserted beach. They very willingly agreed to help and pushed out the car that I had practically dug out in every way. Germany, thank you for your tourists !!! And you, comrade readers, do not go to uncharted sands!
After a short stop in New Marmaris, which is considered the largest town in Sithonia, we went for beautiful landscapes to the Partheon (all places are indicated on the map). I expected to find some ancient ruins there, but it turned out to be a small Greek village, with several taverns and museums. In the same place, there were picturesque ruins of abandoned houses, around which everything that was sold on the market grew - figs, grapes, guarantor, apples, peaches … Just pick it off and put it in your mouth. It was delicious and we took some very picturesque photos. For some reason, abandoned houses are especially beautiful in the pictures. There is some kind of magnetism in them.
After the Partheon, we went to admire the beautiful beaches of Toroni and Koufos. There is a separate exit from the main road to them, do not miss the pointer or mark in the navigation.
In the town of Sukia, more precisely on the adjacent beach, we were recommended a beautiful Tavern with delicious cuisine. But the sun began to set and we proceeded almost without stopping to another beautiful place in Sithonia - Vourvourou. It is a small village (more a tourist village) with picturesque beaches and yachts and boats "parking". The peculiarity of the area is the large number of small islets right off the coast and the presence of a large natural bay. But the sun was already beginning to set and we did not have time to fully admire the beautiful corners of this place.
On the way back, we stopped at a fruit break near the road (on the map - the road between Sithonia and Kasandra) and bought excellent homemade oil and wine. They also wanted olives, but having tasted them a lot from the seller, we decided to give up the idea of buying a large can. We drank the wine upon returning to the hotel (it looks like fortified Crimean, only in the morning the head is clean), and the oil was taken away from me at the customs. I was afraid to put it in a suitcase, and, according to the rules of the European Union, you cannot carry meat products, cheeses, dairy products in hand luggage. Oil somehow fell into their category.
If you follow our route, it is not at all necessary to look for our stopping points and the indicated beaches. Everything will be in front of your face and you will bring your (!) Sithonian reportage.
Z. s. A tree with delicious figs is located not far from the first tavern on the way to the Parpheon. There is a large area where you can leave the car, and then, along the path that goes to the left, look for the first abandoned house on the right)))
Zyyy I used NokiMaps on the road. All roads were indicated, but not all names were present on the map.
Zyyyy A bottle of homemade wine (1 liter) costs 5 euros (oil - the same). If the seller says the words "viagra", "make 10 childrens", tell me that he is lying …
And more … If you will be photographed against the backdrop of bright landscapes, turn on the flash on the camera so as not to be a black spot in a bright picture.
If I remember anything else, I will add!