Six of the seven best beaches in Halkidiki (also spelled Chalkidiki) are on Sithonia, the middle of the three peninsulas that reach into the Aegean south-east of Thessaloniki. Pine forest runs almost to the water there, and the shore breaks up into coves of pale sand and smooth white rock. The best of them is Kavourotrypes (Orange Beach), a cluster of small bays about two hours' drive from Thessaloniki airport that is full by mid-morning in August.
Kassandra supplies the seventh, the sand spit at Possidi, and its long resort sand at Sani is about an hour from Thessaloniki airport. The shortlist runs clockwise round Sithonia from Vourvourou, then crosses to Kassandra. For how Halkidiki compares with the islands, start with our guide to the best beaches in Greece.
Halkidiki won 93 Blue Flags in May 2026, more than any other Greek prefecture, and the official 2026 list shows which beaches on this page hold one. The 2026 award covers both 2026 and 2027, with annual checks continuing, according to the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, which runs the programme in Greece. Checked November 2026.
Sithonia or Kassandra: which leg has the better beaches
For beaches, Sithonia. Its coast is a chain of coves and bays backed by pine, with smaller villages and fewer large hotels. Kassandra, the "first leg" in local shorthand, is flatter and more built up, with long organised sand, resorts such as Sani and the bar strips of Kallithea and Pefkohori.
Kassandra makes sense if you want the sunbed, the taverna and the hotel within one short walk, and an hour less in the car. Sani is about an hour from the airport; Sarti, on Sithonia, is about two hours.
The third leg, Athos, is mostly off the table for a beach holiday. Beyond Ouranoupoli it becomes the monastic state of Mount Athos, which admits only men, and only with a permit from the Mount Athos Pilgrims' Bureau. Its beaches are on the near side, around Ouranoupoli and the islet of Ammouliani.
Sithonia's east coast looks across the Singitic Gulf to Mount Athos, so it gets the sunrise. That is where the loop begins.
Karidi, Vourvourou: the sheltered bay for small children
At the far end of Vourvourou, Karidi (also spelled Karydi) is a small bay framed by smooth white rocks, with fine, pale sand and shallows that run a long way out. The bay is sheltered from the wind, so the water is usually calm and warm. That makes it the best beach on Sithonia for young children.
It is unorganised. There are no sunbeds, showers or toilets on the sand, so bring your own umbrella; a mobile kiosk sells drinks and snacks, and a restaurant with toilets stands above the car park in the pines. Large crowds gather in season, so arrive early in the morning.
Karidi is 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45 minutes from Thessaloniki airport. South of Vourvourou the coast road passes Armenistis, a campsite beach with a 2026 Blue Flag, on its way to the coves at the top of almost every Halkidiki list.
Kavourotrypes (Orange Beach), the coves everyone comes for
About 7km north of Sarti by road, the shore turns into a jumble of smooth white boulders, with small pockets of very fine sand between them and long shallows over a pale bottom. Kavourotrypes means "crab holes" in Greek, and you will also see it spelled Kavourotripes. The main cove is sold in English as Orange Beach (Portokali). According to Visit Sithonia's beach page, the smooth, rounded stones around it look like oranges at sunset, and they separate Orange Beach from the rest of Kavourotrypes.
The coves are small and fill fast. The café and sunbeds are on the northern side, and a beach bar and a canteen stand above Orange Beach. The southern coves are unorganised, so bring shade, water and food, and in season arrive by 9am to get a spot there.
Parking is beside the main road, and a short path runs from there through the pines to the water. Visit Sithonia lists the drawbacks: limited parking, summer crowds, no lifeguards, limited facilities, and access that can be hard for anyone with limited mobility.
If the main coves are full, Mega Portokali is less than a kilometre further along the main road. It is a narrow beach with waist-deep water a long way out, reached by a very steep final 30 metres down from the forest.
A few kilometres north of Sarti, Platanitsi is a wide bay of coarse sand with Mount Athos filling the view across the gulf, a 2026 Blue Flag and the municipal Platanitsi campsite behind it. Sarti itself is about five minutes' drive south.
Sarti beach: 3km of sand facing Mount Athos
Sarti is the one town beach on this list: about 3km of sand along the front of Sithonia's busiest resort village, with tavernas, shops and cafés behind it. Mount Athos is directly across the water, and in summer the sun comes up over the Athos peninsula. The beach is long and wide enough not to feel crowded, and its main section (Sarti 1) holds a 2026 Blue Flag.
It is also the cheapest place to lie down. In summer 2026 every beach bar in Sarti let you use its sunbeds for the price of a drink, according to a July 2026 price survey by the Halkidiki travel site Nikana. The water deepens gradually in old Sarti and is shallower in the newer part of the village.
The beach catches the waves, and when the sea is up Nikana's Sarti guide advises staying out of the water in the central part. On those days, drive on to the sheltered harbour at Porto Koufo.
Further down the east coast, past Sykia, Kriaritsi is a long beach with a campsite, and Tigania is reached on dirt tracks that Visit Sithonia says need a car with good clearance. Beyond Sykia the road crosses the southern tip of Sithonia to Porto Koufo, about half an hour's drive from Sarti. On the way it passes Kalamitsi, a holiday bay with a beach bar charging €20 a set including two drinks in 2026.
Porto Koufo, the sheltered harbour at Sithonia's southern tip
At the southern end of Sithonia, Porto Koufo is a near-enclosed bay, open to the sea only through a narrow mouth. Thucydides wrote of it as the "deaf port"; the usual explanation is that the open sea can't be heard inside. Fishing boats from the village still moor in the bay for shelter, according to the regional tourism board, Visit Central Macedonia.
The beach is a strip of sand at the head of the bay. Because the harbour is so enclosed, the water stays calm on days when the east coast is rough, which makes this Sithonia's bad-weather beach. It deepens sharply, so it suits confident swimmers and snorkellers more than toddlers.
The hamlet behind the beach is known for fresh fish; the beach itself has no Blue Flag. Toroni is 3km further up the coast.
Toroni, the long sunset beach below a Byzantine fort
Facing west across the Toronean Gulf towards Kassandra, Toroni is a long, open sandy bay on Sithonia's south-west coast. At its southern end, the ruins of the Byzantine fort of Lekythos stand on a small rocky peninsula. The regional guide Visit Halkidiki calls it the place to be as the sun sets and says it never gets crowded. It holds a 2026 Blue Flag.
Sunbed prices depend on which bar you pick. Nikana's survey found Corso charging €10 a set plus a drink in summer 2026, while Astakos and DaLuz asked a €50 minimum spend a set. Barakuda charged €25, €15 or €5 depending on the row, with no sunbed fee after 5pm.
Visit Halkidiki warns that the water deepens quickly, so keep small children close. For snorkellers and divers, it points to the underwater remains of the ancient city. From Toroni the road climbs north up the west coast, past Neos Marmaras, to the most comfortable all-day beach on the peninsula.
Lagomandra, the pine-shaded beach near Nikiti
Pines shade the land behind Lagomandra, 7km north of Neos Marmaras and 13km south of Nikiti, and the car park next to the beach is mostly shaded too. A small rocky cape divides the sand in two, and the sandy bottom slopes in gradually (it is steeper at the ends). The Lagomandra Beach Hotel section holds a 2026 Blue Flag.
It is one of the best-value organised beaches on this list. Nikana lists a set of two sunbeds and an umbrella at €12 in 2026, with each extra sunbed €3 and the beds free after 5pm. It gets crowded in season, so arrive early for a spot in the shade or an empty sunbed.
North of Lagomandra, Nikiti's Elia beach and Kalogria are longer organised alternatives, both with 2026 Blue Flags. They cost more: Kalogria's Mango bar charged €40 a set in summer 2026, €25 of it as spending. Nikiti is also where the road leaves Sithonia for Kassandra and the last beach on this list.
Possidi, a sand spit with water on both sides
At Possidi, a cape on Kassandra's west coast, a spit of fine white sand runs out into the sea beyond a 19th-century lighthouse. With water on both sides, you can pick the calmer one: when the wind blows on the Possidi side, the Aigeopelagitika side is usually flat.
The spit has no sunbeds, bars or shade, so bring water, food and an umbrella. Park near the lighthouse and the campsite at the start of the spit and walk, because cars driven onto the sand get stuck. The village beaches behind it are organised, and five Possidi sections hold 2026 Blue Flags. Because the cape faces west, it keeps the light late into the evening.
Possidi is 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 minutes from the airport. Sani, Kassandra's resort coast, is further north on the same west coast, where several kilometres of white sand and shallow, calm water front the Sani Resort. Most of that sand is for hotel guests only.
At Sani's two beach bars, Nikana's Sani guide put an umbrella and two sunbeds at €80 to €100 for day visitors in 2026, or you can bring your own umbrella to the free stretch. Free parking is often 400 to 500 metres away. Sani suits families staying at the resort more than day-trippers.
Over on Kassandra's east coast, the resort beaches at Kallithea, Afitos, Pefkohori and Paliouri all have Blue Flag sections in 2026. In Kallithea, Nikana's survey found sunbeds at €20 to €30 minimum spend per person from June 2026.
Halkidiki's best beaches compared
Drive times are from Thessaloniki airport in light traffic. Blue Flags are from the May 2026 list and run through 2027. Checked November 2026.
| Beach | Best for | From the airport | On the sand | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karidi, Sithonia | Small children, calm water | 1h30 to 1h45 | Unorganised; kiosk, toilets at a restaurant above; no Blue Flag | Fills early in season |
| Kavourotrypes (Orange Beach), Sithonia | White rock and tiny coves | 1h45 to 2h | Sunbeds on the north side, canteen above; no Blue Flag | Hard access for limited mobility; no lifeguards; arrive by 9am |
| Sarti, Sithonia | A town base and free sunbeds | 1h50 to 2h10 | Bars, tavernas; Blue Flag | Waves on the central section |
| Porto Koufo, Sithonia | Calm water on windy days | 2h to 2h15 | No Blue Flag; the hamlet is known for fresh fish | Deepens sharply |
| Toroni, Sithonia | Sunset and a choice of sunbed prices | 2h to 2h10 | Beach bars from €5 to €50 a set; Blue Flag | Deep close to shore |
| Lagomandra, Sithonia | A full day in pine shade | 1h30 to 1h40 | Sunbeds from €12; shaded parking; Blue Flag | Shade and empty sunbeds go early in season |
| Possidi, Kassandra | Choosing the calm side | 1h15 to 1h30 | Nothing on the spit; village beach organised, Blue Flag | No shade on the spit |
Getting to Halkidiki's beaches from Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki airport is on the Halkidiki side of the city, and every beach here is within 2 hours 15 minutes of it by car in light traffic. Hire a car if you can: Sithonia's best beaches are coves off the coast road, and a car lets you move between them.
KTEL Chalkidikis runs the buses from its station on the 9th km of the Thessaloniki to Nea Moudania road, with timetables and e-tickets on the KTEL Chalkidikis website. They suit a stay in Sarti, Neos Marmaras or a Kassandra village with the beach on the doorstep.
If you have only a day, make it Kassandra and skip the longer drive to Sithonia. Sani is the closest, about an hour from the airport, and Possidi is 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 minutes. Outside Halkidiki, Perea and Agia Triada, on the Thermaikos shore near the airport, are closer still and hold 2026 Blue Flags, and so does Nea Vrasna, a longer resort beach on the mainland coast about an hour east of the city. Our Vrasna Beach review covers that trip.
When to go in 2027: June and September
Go in June or September. Over the past ten years the sea off Sarti has averaged 23.4°C in June and 24.3°C in September, against 26.4°C in August, according to seatemperature.info's Sarti data. That is a small price for emptier car parks at Kavourotrypes and Karidi.
July and August are the busy months, and the 15 August holiday (a Sunday in 2027) is the peak of Greece's own summer getaway. Prices rise with the crowds: in Nikana's 2026 survey, a set in Hanioti went from €20 in May and June to €30 in July and August.
May and October are quieter and cooler, with the sea averaging 18.5°C and 21.1°C. The beach bars thin out too: Greece Moments counts up to six at Kalogria in high season and one outside it.
For a first trip, base yourself in Sarti or Vourvourou in June or September 2027. Reach Kavourotrypes (Orange Beach) before 9am, cross the southern tip to Porto Koufo for lunch, and finish at Toroni for the sunset. Keep Karidi and Lagomandra for another day.
