Offers a coastline of lovely sandy beaches, sunsets to die for, and a friendly warmth among the locals to match the sure sun in summer.
Description
A self-sufficient little resort providing all the necessary for a relaxing beach holiday, Gerakini is situated amidst some of Greece’s most gloriously unspoilt countryside. You’ll find a coastline laced with lovely sandy beaches, sunsets to die for, and a friendly warmth among the locals to match the sure sun in summer. There’s plenty to explore further afield, too, including pine-laden mountains, some fascinating historical sites and the thriving town of Thessaloniki. If you want to see Greece at its natural best, put your money on a holiday here.
Who holidays here?
Gerakini is a popular resort with young families and couples for its sandy beach and safe sea, and is a great base to enjoy the relaxed Greek lifestyle and unspoilt landscapes of this often-overlooked holiday destination. For adventurers, its proximity to some fascinating towns and heritage sites is a big plus.
Destination Profile
Surrounded by a typical Greek landscape of olive groves and pine-covered hills, Gerakini is a pretty, sea-side village with a palm-lined path alongside golden sand, at the northern end of Sithonia, the middle finger of Halkidiki’s three sister peninsulas. It grew up out of a settlement established around granulite mines, becoming known to tourists around the 1960s. Today it is a friendly, if small resort with a great sandy beach and all the basics to hand. It’s popular with young families and couples who love it for its relaxing atmosphere, reliable sunshine, great swimming and watersports.
A smattering of traditional tavernas, cafes, mini-markets and souvenir shops are sufficient to provide the usual holiday essentials and see you through lazy days enjoying the Greek sunshine. At night, locally caught fish, a glass of wine and some olives, with the sun slowly setting before you is a romantic way to end the day. But if you do want to take the pace up a peg or two, the more cosmopolitan, larger town, of Nea Moudania is a short taxi ride away, or Poligiros, the main town of Halkidiki, is 13 kms distant.
Gerakini is an ideal base, generally, for excursions, and there are some exciting walks and tours among the unspoiled landscapes and densely wooded Cholomondas mountains. Throughout the area are clean and uncluttered secluded beaches where the sea is sparklingly clear.
Longer trips might take in some worthwhile archaeological sites such as Olynthos, just north of Gerakini, Stageira, birthplace of Aristotle about two hours east in a car, and the ancient Macedonian sites of Pella and Vergina, also a couple of hours away. The bustling city of Thessaloniki is easily reachable in under an hour. With plenty to do and see, it’s worth booking an overnight stay here to wander its lively maze of streets and admire its many historical points of interest.
The Kassandra Peninsula to the west has some large and thriving resorts, and Mount Athos is to the east, making up the third finger of Halkidiki. It is often referred to as as Holy Mountain, as it is home to 20 monasteries which, though in Greece, remain under the jurisdiction of Constantinople. It is an area of exceptional and magnificent natural beauty, entirely dedicated to the worship of God.