by Simon Holden
- 28/11/2003
My girlfriend refuses to travel to Greece because she wrongly believes the hotels lack air-conditioning, serve oily food and are full of Germans.
So when I got the chance to travel solo to Halkidiki it was a welcome chance to prove her wrong.
The history-packed area lies to the south of Thessaloniki and includes three peninsulas sticking out into the clear and beautiful Aegean Sea.
Halkidiki has been criticised for ruthlessly exploiting its 300 miles of lovely coastline. I saw little evidence of this in my four-day stay in the region. There are several excellent hotels that have been built with taste and style and some for holidaymakers with fewer funds. And unlike other European beach resorts, it has a wealth of culture and history only a few miles inland.
In the spring of 1959 a group of villagers from Petralona walked into the hills nearby in search of an underground stream. They began to dig and literally fell into an astonishing cave full of ancient human bones, stalactites and stalagmites. A 700,000-year-old skull of early homo erectus was found and a pre-Neanderthal mausoleum also located.
A visit to the Petralona cave is highly recommended. Situated 40 miles south-east of Thessaloniki, it offers a great introduction to geology and has a small but well laid-out museum. It represents the life's work of Professor Aris Poulianos.
Those suffering wanderlust will love walking in Halkidiki. The ancient rolling landscape of olive and pine trees offer a stiff test to ramblers.There are numerous unspoilt villages nestling among the hills and springtime is an ideal period to walk among the acres of wild flowers.
Sithonia is hilly and more picturesque than Athos or Kasandra and has great sandy beaches to cool weary feet. Luminaries including Maria Callas and the Aga Khan have stayed at the five-star Eagles Palace hotel in Halkidiki.
Winding steps lead from the terrace past a tasteful pool and on to a secluded beach with the hotel's own motor yacht. Situated near the pretty village of Ouranoupolis, it is a good base to take the boat trip past the secluded monasteries of Mount Athos.
One cannot report on Halkidiki without mention of the monks and monasteries of the Athos peninsula.
Women are forbidden to set foot on the holy mountain and men must obtain a permit to visit. You can take the three-hour boat trip from Ouranoupolis that passes close and you can top up your tan on deck and feed the seagulls.
Far from being reclusive, monks will often leave the mountain to go to work.
The first thing that strikes you when driving through Halkidiki is the sheer amount of open space. If you crave peace, this an ideal refuge.
It has a population of just 90,000 and 47% of the region is forested. With a warm-to-temperate climate, it attracts about 100,000 Brits a year.
