There is something quietly thrilling about swimming in the Aegean while the mountain where the ancient gods supposedly lived fills the horizon. The Olympic Riviera is a ribbon of long sandy beaches at the foot of Mount Olympus, along the coast of Pieria, and it has been a favourite of travellers from the Balkans for decades. The reasons are simple: you can drive there in a single day, the sea is shallow and warm, and accommodation remains among the most affordable in Greece. WAYLY packages start from 56.7 euros per person, which is a remarkable figure for a Greek summer.
Paralia, the heart of the riviera
Paralia Katerini is the best known resort in the region and the clearest explanation of why this coast is so popular. Its Blue Flag beach runs for about three kilometres, the sand is fine, and the sea deepens so gradually that children can wade dozens of metres before the water reaches their waist. The promenade comes alive after sunset: stalls selling grilled corn and doughnuts, tavernas breathing out the smell of charcoal, shop windows stacked with towels and snorkelling masks, a funfair humming somewhere in the background. It is not a place for silence seekers, but as a first taste of Greece it could hardly be easier.
Olympic Beach, the calmer neighbour
Ten minutes south lies Olympic Beach, also known as Olympiaki Akti, a village that grew up around tourism and, precisely because of that, feels tidier and more relaxed than Paralia. The beach is a continuation of the same sandy strip, only with fewer rows of sunbeds and quieter cafes. This is where families come when they want an apartment two hundred metres from the sea, an evening stroll to a taverna, and days where the biggest dilemma is gyros or fresh fish. It is my favourite base in the region: close enough to Paralia to borrow its energy, far enough to sleep at night.
Leptokarya and a view you will not forget
Leptokarya is a proper town with a life of its own outside the season, some twenty kilometres south of Katerini. The beach mixes sand with fine pebbles, the water is a little deeper than further north, and the view of the Olympus massif from here is probably the finest on the whole coast. The mountain rises almost straight out of the sea, and in the late afternoon, when the light softens, the peaks turn violet in a way you will photograph day after day. There is also a railway station, so Thessaloniki is reachable by train.
Platamonas and Nei Pori, the southern end
You recognise Platamonas from afar by the medieval fortress standing guard between the sea and the mountain. Crusaders built it in the early thirteenth century to control the exit of the Tempe valley, and it is at its most photogenic at dusk, when the walls turn into a silhouette. The town itself has a marina, a long promenade and tavernas where octopus dries on a line like laundry. Nei Pori, the last sizeable resort before Thessaly, offers a wide sandy beach, a slower rhythm and fair prices, which is why families with small children like it so much.
Litochoro, for when you tire of sand
At the very foot of Olympus sits Litochoro, a stone-built town where the hiking trails to the summits begin. Even if hiking is not your thing, half a day here is well spent: a square shaded by plane trees, fountains running with icy mountain water, bakeries selling warm bougatsa, and a view that plunges straight into the Enipeas gorge. This is the mountain face of the Olympic Riviera, and it is exactly this combination that sets it apart from classic island holidays on Crete or Thassos.
What and where to eat
Pieria's cooking joins mountain and sea, so lamb from the slopes of Olympus shares the table with mussels from the gulf. In the beachfront tavernas order small fried fish, grilled octopus and a horiatiki salad topped with a slab of feta the size of your palm; up in the mountain villages look for goat cheese, wild greens and local wine from vineyards growing practically at the foot of the mountain. Gyros remains the cheapest meal on the riviera and the standard is reliably high almost everywhere. My advice: skip the promenade for at least one dinner and find the taverna the locals use, a street or two back from the sea. The portions grow, the prices shrink, and the waiter will bring watermelon at the end without being asked.
Finally, the question I get asked most often: where to stay? There is no wrong answer, but the resorts have very different personalities:
- Paralia: the most facilities and the liveliest evenings, ideal for younger groups.
- Olympic Beach: the family standard, shallow sea, everything within a short walk.
- Leptokarya: a more authentic Greek rhythm and the best view of Olympus.
- Platamonas: the fortress, the marina and a good balance of buzz and calm.
- Nei Pori: quiet, wide sand and the friendliest prices in the south.
If you are torn between this coast and the peninsula across the Thermaic Gulf, compare it with Halkidiki before you book. You will find current deals for every resort in this guide among the WAYLY packages. The season runs from May to October, and June and September offer the best ratio of price, weather and crowds.
