Halkidiki Reviews -General

Nationality: American
Age: 46
Countries visited: 5-10
The Trip: I arrived in the area by car. The trip was very good with no delays.
Reasons for going to Halkidiki: My mother's family is from Thessaloniki. We have been visiting Halkidiki for many years, and my mother was born in Thessaloniki
Idea before arriving: We know the area well. The landscape in Sithonia is particularly beautiful with lush green landscapes rolling down to pristine beaches. We marveled at the pace of development, although the area is still generally unknown to Americans and is especially popular with Greeks. The beaches are the cleanest and most beautiful in Greece, including the islands
Favorite things about the island/area
-Best Beaches: Armenistis, Trani Amoudia, Vourvourou
-Best Villages: Metamorphosis
-Best Activity: Beach
Negative opinion about the island
With the increased traffic to the area, the roads need to be widened. We witnessed two accidents while driving in Halkidiki. The Greeks are aggressive drivers, and there appears to be very little enforcement of reasonable speed limits
Recommendations for future visitors
Do not try to visit during August unless you book well in advance. August 15 is a huge holiday in Greece, and there was no availability in Halkidiki around this date. Also the crowds were overwhelming. We attempted to visit the (once) charming village of Neas Marmaras, but there was no place to drive, let alone park, so we abandoned the plan and returned to Thessaloniki
Rating of the overall quality/organization/services of this island/area in comparison with other countries
7/10