Paths and Hiking in Halkidiki

Paths and Hiking in Halkidiki

If you love hiking, then you are in the right place. In this blog post we will talk about several paths that are perfect for hiking in Halkidiki. There are many paths you can follow in all 3 peninsulas of Halkidiki, so just find the perfect for you and start your journey.

If you want to visit the first leg of Halkidiki, the peninsula of Kassandra and go hiking there, then you have the following options:

1. Sani - Sani Bird Sanctuary - Sani: This route begins from Stavronikita tower, it passes through Nea Fokea’s forest, the Bird Sanctuary and ends back to the area of Sani. It's an easy walk that takes about two and a half hours.
2. Sani-Siviri: This route begins also from the Sani area and it ends at Siviri. You will love this route, as it is 20 kilometer path, with a spectacular view and nature around. If you want to take a shorter ride, you can choose to stop at Sani's camping.
3. Poseidi - Pinewoods - Poseidi: From the beach of Poseidi, to Kalandra and back to Poseidi. This journey takes 2 hours and is an easy round trip that offers a very beautiful view of the sea, the olive groves and the pine trees of the surround area.
4. Kalandra - Poseidi - Faros: This path starts from Kalandra, continues at Posidi and ends at the lighthouse near Poseidi. It is an easy journey that lasts about 2 hours overlooking the sea.
5. Kriopigi - Kassandrino - Kriopigi: It is quite a long journey via the small picturesque village of Kassandrino. This village is hidden away in the hills of Kassandra and it is definitely worth exploring.
6. Polichrono- Turtles - Polichrono: It starts from Polichrono, passes through the turtle lake, called Lake Mavrobara , and it goes back to Polichrono. This route follows paths through forest, passing through a high valley surrounded by cliffs and pine forest.
7. Hanioti - Fire lookout station- Hanioti: This route begins from Hanioti, follows the ridge to the fire lookout station and goes back to Hanioti. It is essentially an ascent, the altitude reaches 300 meters and the view from above is amazing. Along the way, you can also admire the village of Nea Skioni from above.
8. Hanioti - Nea Skioni: From Hanioti to Nea Skioni on foot. This route is quite easy since the road is paved and the distance is about 9 km. When you go from one village to another, you will come across four churches where you can take a break.

If you want to visit the second leg of Halkidiki, the Sithonia peninsula and want to go hiking there, then the choices are:

1. Nikiti - Agios Nikolaos - Nikiti: It is a circular path, with forest paths that starts from Nikiti, passes through the village of Agios Nikolaos and goes back to Nikiti. You can also stay in Agios Nikolaos if you want. On your way you will find the picturesque chapel of Prophet Elias.
2. Elia Beach - Agios Pavlos - Elia Beach: The route starts from the Elia beach, continues with the ascent to the hill of Agios Pavlos and ends up again to the shore of Elia. On your way, at an altitude of about 300 meters, you will find a large rock surrounded by trees and the view from there is enchanting.
3. Neos Marmaras - Parthenonas: This is a long route, that passes through the old traditional village of Parthenonas. There are two choices depending on your preferences. You can either choose the easy route through the tavern Drosia, or the difficult one in which you will see a watermill and the dam. Whichever route you choose, you will enjoy the natural scenery and the beautiful view. Generally, in both cases, it is a long route, that lasts 4 hours.
4. Mount Itamos - passage Ntragouteli: This path takes you through the hidden hiking trails of Mt. Itamos, that took its name from the homonymous pinewood tree. Mount Itamos is one of the protected zones and it is definitely worth visiting.
5. Porto Carras - Vineyards - Porto Carras: This is a circular route that passes through Porto Carras vineyards. The landscape and the dense vegetation, makes it an interesting route.
6. Sykia - Circular walk: Another circular route that begins and ends at Sykia. It lasts 4 hours and at some points caution is required. All in all, it is an easy route. You will follow rural paths, dirt roads and you will cross the surronding hills.
7. Porto Koufo - Mount Kapros - Porto Koufo: This route passes from Kapros, the southernmost point of the peninsula and from there the view is unique. When the sky is clear, you can see Sporades. It's quite an easy route, that follows animal paths.

If you plan to visit Mount Athos or the surrounding area, you can choose one of the following routes:

1. Overlooking Mount Athos: You can walk from the port of Tripiti to the ridge across the bay of Mount Athos, admiring the beautiful scenery. Blue waters and clear sky are two elements that will calm you and remain unforgettable in your mind.
2. Ouranoupoli - Border of Mount Athos: This route from Komitsa beach to Ouranoupolis is the path that separates Mount Athos from the rest of Greece. It's a quite easy route. You can walk along the border in the forest path and enjoy the magnificent view of Halkidiki and the Aegean.
3. Route to Mount Athos: It is an archaeological route that starts from the Byzantine tower of Prosforios of Ouranoupoli and it ends at the border of Mount Athos near the Zygos Monastery. The length of this route is 3 km, in which you will find vineyards, olive groves and incredible natural scenery.
4. The tour of Ammouliani: Ammouliani is the only inhabited island of Halkidiki and the tour of the island is a quite easy route with panoramic view. It is worthwhile to follow this route and enjoy the beauty of the island.

Here you can find some more information on the paths, as well as some additional hiking routes in North Halkidiki and Mount Athos for male guests, if you are interested. Have fun! :)

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