All About Fourka and Halkidiki

• Porto Sani Village and Spa – This hotel and spa in the heart of Sani offers all-suite accommodation and a large spa. It sits in a nature reserve of pine forest and olive groves that runs down to the turquoise waters of the Aegean. There is a choice of bars and restaurants, and the lagoon-style pools, beaches and extensive gardens make it a good fit for travellers looking for comfort.
• Sani Beach Club – With views over the Aegean and, on clear days, towards Mount Olympus, Sani Beach Club offers a high level of comfort. Its setting suits both couples and families, and the resort has a selection of restaurants, bars, a spa and sports facilities. There are several pools, including pools for children, and entertainment during the day and in the evening.
• Sani Asterias Suites – Unlike the other hotels, Sani Asterias Suites focuses on privacy. It offers villa-style suites suited to couples, on a beach with its own stretch of sea. It lies in the same nature reserve as Porto Sani Village, with pine woods, olive groves, beaches and clear Aegean water, and has a more private feel along with pools, restaurants and bars.

1. 1.Following the eastern coast you reach the picturesque village of Kriopigi, about 100 metres above sea level and surrounded by pine forest. The village has kept many old stone houses, especially around the village square, which gives it a quaint character. There has been an effort to revive the carpet weaving that once thrived here, using old Byzantine motifs and traditional dyeing methods to link the past with the present.
2. 2.Next is Polichrono, where an ancient settlement with buildings from the Classical and Hellenistic periods has been found, together with a cemetery from the 5th and 6th centuries BC. The graves are important for dating the pottery found in Halkidiki and for tracing geometric decoration in the Aegean.
3. 3.A little further south are Hanioti and Pefkohori, perhaps the most popular summer resorts of the peninsula, thanks to their beaches, the surrounding forest and their nightlife.
4. 4.Further south again is Paliouri, with buildings from the 19th century. The ancient town of Therambos stood in this area, and the village keeps a small collection of ancient finds.

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   Agios Nikolaos, where the church of St. Nicholas was built, sits on a lovely spot at the southernmost tip, where the Toronean and Thermaic gulfs meet.

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   Rounding the peninsula, the road climbs steeply, giving spectacular views, and then descends to the western coast. There the visitor not only sees but smells the way to Agia Paraskevi, known for its sulphur springs and spa.

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   Nea Skioni was founded after 1930 by the inhabitants of the inland village of Tsaprani and is named after the ancient colony of Skioni. According to tradition, settlers from the Peloponnese founded ancient Skioni after their return from the Trojan War.

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   Travelling on, you come to the site of ancient Mendi, of which little remains. Records show that it was known for its wine trade and its donkeys, both of which are shown on the coins found in the area.

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   Kalandra is the next old village, with a 14th-century building that once belonged to the Hilandari monastery. Its church stands on an ancient burial site and keeps well-preserved wall paintings dating from 1619.

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   A few kilometres away is the Posidi headland, whose name most likely comes from the sea god Poseidon.