Halkidiki is the part of Greece our guests return to most often, and it is easy to see why. The peninsula is a comfortable day of driving from Serbia, the beaches regularly win Blue Flags, and the choice of hotels is wider than anywhere else in northern Greece. The two fingers that matter for a beach holiday are Kassandra, livelier and closer to Thessaloniki, and Sithonia, greener and quieter. All six hotels below carry five stars, all are booked with your own transport, and all come from our current Halkidiki offer, so the prices you see are real starting prices for two people.
Kassandra: the lively first finger
Kassandra Palace in Kriopigi is the most affordable five star hotel in this guide, from 118 euros for two people. It stands directly on a sandy beach, with the entry into the water over stones, about 1.5 km from the center of the village. The hotel is a proper resort with 250 units in a main building and several wings, and the room list runs from standard rooms with mountain or sea view through deluxe rooms facing the garden or the water to family suites, so it suits couples and families equally well.
Aegean Melathron sits right on the sandy beach 3 km from Kalithea and about 90 km from Thessaloniki airport. The property spreads over both sides of the main road, with the two parts linked by an underground passage, and consists of two central buildings surrounded by bungalows, 255 units in total. It is one of the hotels we most often suggest to families who want a proper resort with space to breathe. Prices start from 155 euros for two people.
Ammon Zeus is the pick if you want the beach above everything else. The hotel stands on the sand in Kalithea and its beach has been rated among the cleanest in Halkidiki, confirmed with a Blue Flag. The center of Kalithea, known for its nightlife, bars and clubs, is a 350 meter walk uphill, so you get lively evenings and calm days. With 126 units it feels personal, and rooms range from ECO garden rooms without balcony to deluxe and premium deluxe rooms with sea view. Prices start from 146 euros for two people.
Elinotel Apolamare is a modern, genuinely luxurious hotel at the entrance to Hanioti, directly on the sandy beach, 90 km from Thessaloniki. It is small by resort standards, only 86 units, which is exactly its charm, the service stays attentive. Standard rooms measure 25 square meters and there are superior and family rooms with garden or sea view. Prices start from 214 euros for two people.
Sithonia: green and quiet
Acrotel Athena Pallas lies in Akti Elias, 11 km from Nikiti and 9 km from Neos Marmaras, above a small, beautiful beach reached by steps. The stay is on half board, and the grounds include an outdoor pool, a children's pool and sunbeds with umbrellas around the water, which makes lazy days very easy. Prices start from 172 euros for two people.
Elinotel Sermilia Resort is the newer sister of Apolamare, on the west coast of Sithonia in Psakoudia, 80 km from Thessaloniki. Across the street is a sandy Blue Flag beach. The hotel has 102 modern units, from budget rooms of around 18 square meters to superior rooms of 21 to 25 square meters with a sofa and garden views, all styled with the clean, contemporary look the Elinotel brand is known for. Prices start from 209 euros for two people.
Our advice
If you want walking distance nightlife, take Ammon Zeus. For families with children, Aegean Melathron and Kassandra Palace give the most resort for the money. For a quieter, more polished holiday, the two Elinotel properties and Athena Pallas on Sithonia are worth the extra. July and August dates for these hotels go fast, so send us an inquiry early and we will lock in the room type you actually want, not the one that is left over.
