Afitos Holidays

Afitos sits on a cliff on the eastern side of the Kassanda peninsula in Halkidiki. It’s an old, rustic village with a preservation order that’s kept its stone-built houses and cobbled streets untouched. This peaceful retreat comes with friendly locals who’ll welcome you into the cafés and tavernas in and around the main square.

There’s a bit of a steep track down from the village to Afitos Beach, about one-kilometre away, but you can soon rest up on a sunlounger. There’s a good sweep of sand here that nudges gently into the water – you can walk quite a long way out. This is a quiet, sheltered spot, though a couple of tavernas are on hand for beachside lunches.

It can feel like time's stopped at Afitos. In the central square there’s a church, Agios Dimitrios, which was built in 1859. And the village is also home to a folklore museum where you can see photographs, old costumes and carpenter’s tools – all donated by generations of townsfolk.

This side of the eastern peninsula has some great little places to explore. 10-minutes north takes you to the fishing village of Nea Fokea, which has a well-preserved Byzantine tower and fortress overlooking the beach, as well as a wildlife reserve. And less than half an hour in the other direction gets you to Polichrono, where a walk up into the hills takes you to a woodland pond with turtles.