Finger Blasting Halkidiki!

Words & Pictures by Shaun Troke

 One March evening, in a bar in Peraia, a Greek friend described Halkidiki’s Three Fingers (or, peninsulas, if you’re being precise) in three short sentences:

• The First Finger (Kassandra) is for those who are single
• The Second Finger (Sithonia) is for those who are a couple
• The Third Finger (Aristotelis) is for those who are old or a monk!

To be honest, I don’t think he was wrong!

Finding The Fingers

 Before I’d even arrived onto the larger peninsula of Halkidiki, a Mate from Massachusetts had recommended that I hire a car…

 AND, he’d had also warned that 4 days in Halkidiki would not be enough…

 He – like the Greek friend – also wasn’t wrong.

My first base was in Psakoudia, a small seaside village lodged between the First & Second Fingers…

And, only a 45min drive from Thessaloniki Airport.

Psakoudia was the perfect location to begin exploring Halkidiki (you can read all about Psakoudia here)…

The First Finger (for single people?)

 I saw the First Finger last, during a slight detour on the drive from Psakoudia, to my second base in Peraia (you can read more about the Peraia visit here).

The first town reached on the Kassandra finger was Nea Fokea.

Even on approach to this town, Kassandra already felt different to the other two fingers…

There are more built-up areas to drive through, with a greater population, too.

With only less than an hour here, it certainly wasn’t enough time to experience this finger properly.

Nea Fokea had some impressive views, and Kassandra is somewhere I’m very interested in seeing more of…

  

While I can’t say for sure that this finger does cater mostly for singletons, I can add that I did see one cafe housing a group of single-looking females…

And, another cafe housing another group of single-looking males…

Not that this cements any facts at all!

The Second Finger (for couples?)

I saw this Second Finger first, as it was only a 20min drive from Psakoudia.

And, my desired stop was the east-side village of Ormos Panagias, for a much needed walk along its Trani Ammouda Beach.

This finger – Sithonia – felt peaceful & relaxing.

The scenery is magnificent & natural. And, I can understand why this would be the Finger For Couples.

   

The Third Finger (for old people?)

I saw the Third Finger second, after a visit to the Second Finger.

 

 

From Ormos Panagias, I drove around the arch between Sithonia and Aristotelis to visit the Third Finger’s nearest east-side town, Ierissos.

While my first impressions of this Third Finger didn’t feel as though it was for those in the higher age bracket (I had lunch in a bar – Local Bar – that was occupied by mostly younger people), it did feel as though it was the quieter finger for the three.

 It’s also worth keeping in mind that you can only drive down as far as Ouranoupoli, since the nature reserve Mount Athos is known as the Holy Mountain, hosting 20 monasteries, where women are actually forbidden.

On the plus side, nearby Tripiti features a ferry port, shuttling holidaymakers to & from the island of Ammouliani.

A Good Old Finger Climax

 My Mate from Massachusetts was right.

 As was the Greek friend from Peraia.

 If you’ve looking for a variety of beauty spots, and, to explore the Halkidiki region, then hire a car…

But, keep in mind that 4 days won’t be enough.

And, depending on your marital status, this article will hopefully help you decide which peninsula is best for you to stay on, too!

Personally, I feel I’ve not spent enough time on these three fingers to see what each has to offer.

Which is why as I write this, plans are being made to revisit this part of Greece later in the year, for a longer period of time, to venture further down the peninsulas, discovering more small villages & towns, to learn more about them…

 I promise there’ll be plenty more finger action on my next trip to Halkidiki!

See more pictures on our Facebook & Instagram feeds!

You can find out more about Halkidiki in our series GOING SOLO, available to watch here on YouTube!