Pefkohori,Halkidiki, Greece

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Pefkohori - Halkidiki

A hundred or so kilometres south of the port city of Thessaloniki, on the first of the three fingers-shaped peninsulas comprising Halkidiki that juts out into the Aegean Sea, and south of the pretty coastal town of Kassandra is the picturesque Greek village of Pefkohori, literally translated as “village of pine trees”.

The drive down from Thessaloniki is spectacular. As you hit the motorway heading south, you start to witness some stunning views of Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece, far in the background.

Once you are at the top of the peninsula, there is one point where the land mass is so narrow that you can actually see the sea from either side of the road. The west is open sea, whereas the east is protected by the second peninsula, which is close enough to be seen across the water. On either side of the road as you go down the narrow strip of land, you have gentle slopes of fields lined with Olive groves and other local produce.

The water along this stretch is a combination of the most brilliant blues and sea greens. Pefkohori town is essentially a large cluster of summer homes, a few local stores, quaint B&B places and a promenade lined with Tavernas facing the sea, serving the freshest and tastiest seafood ever.

Being March, it was still pretty cold and windy, but we were fortunate to have a clear and sunny day. Halkidiki - in general - is very popular in the summer and a perfect destination for anyone looking at some serious sun and sea time. Most of the summer homes belong to people from Thessaloniki and suburbs and it gets packed with holiday-makers as soon as it gets warmer.

We headed down the promenade and found ourselves a cosy Taverna that was mostly empty when we got there, but filled up quickly as lunchtime approached. Not too many restaurants are open this time of year, anyway. My hosts did most of the ordering - squid calamari cooked in two ways - one grilled and the other batter-fried, some grilled octopus, mussels in a tomato sauce and a very delicious warm cheese salad with tomatoes. And to compliment this sumptuous meal was Retchina, a local Greek dry white wine. Perfect! It was tough getting up with all this in the belly, but we eventually did. As all good times come to an end, it was time to head back to Thessaloniki and take my flight back home that night. I know I am definitely headed back that way some day soon.

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