Gerakini Holidays

The village of Gerakini’s a 15-minute walk from Halkidiki’s first-rate shoreline. The closest beach – Gerakini Beach – is a Blue Flag number, so expect clean, pillow-soft sand and cyan-blue water, plus a few bars and restaurants. There’s plenty in the way of activities here, too. In between sun-tanning sessions, you can try your hand at watersports like sailing, windsurfing and snorkelling.

If history’s more your forte, Gerakini’s within reach of lots of ancient landmarks. The 12,000-year-old remains of Olynthos are a 15-minute drive away, and line up a collection of frozen-in-time mosaics. Further afield, you can learn about the legendary Greek king Alexander the Great during a visit to his home town, Pella. Or, head to the town of Vergina and see what’s left of the Macedonian kingdom’s former capital city, Aigai. You can reach them both in under two hours’ drive.

The village is surrounded by rolling-green countryside, which is speckled with a handful of easy-going walking routes that weave in and around olive groves, farms and forests. On your way back from your hike, you can stop off for a bite to eat in one of Gerakini’s tavernas. Olive oil, goat’s cheese and crusty bread are just a few things the locals are great at whipping up in this part of Halkidiki.