07 night 4* Half Board holiday to Halkidiki from only £219

Offering a warm and hospitable welcome, the family-run Alkion Hotel rests on a hillside 500 m from popular Kriopigi Beach and the sparkling blue bay of Kassandra, on the Halkidiki peninsula. Featuring comfortable guestrooms with modern amenities, this 4 Star property is great for visitors wanting to get away from it all while still be able to enjoy the beach and resort centre. Guests to the Alkion Hotel can visit nearby historical sites and attractions such as the large Blue Flag marina with plenty of water sports, a vast coastline featuring private bays, and the old and scenic village of Kriopigi. A community train and bus is available to the beach and the village on a regular basis.

Location...

• 500 m from popular Kriopigi Beach and the sparkling blue bay of Kassandra
• Short walk up the hill to the nearby resort town of Kriopigi for a great selection of local taverns, bars and restaurants

Accommodation...

Facilities...

•    Onsite restaurant
•    Pool bar
•    Sun beds and umbrellas
•    Reception

Resort...

Decide on holidays in Kriopigi and you get the chance to mix coast and countryside, contemporary and character, sun-soaking and sightseeing all in one place.

First things first there's a super beach of sun-bleached sand. The broadest bit is at the southern end, but there are smaller, quieter coves too. Down at the seafront is the newer part of Kriopigi. Holidays tend to focus on this lively part of town, where there's a good variety of tavernas and bars some staying open well into the night. But don't get the idea that this is a place to party. Evenings are essentially low-key leisure sundowners overlooking the sea, table talk in a typical taverna the kind of evening that's relaxed and refreshingly cheap. Holidays to Kriopigi now introduce their second persona the old town. Set on the hillside, with views across the gulf to Sithonia, it's a cluster of red-roofed Macedonian houses, lining a labyrinth of streets.

Then you come to the countryside a series of pine woodlands and groves of gnarled old olive trees. It's here you'll find the natural 'cool spring' (krio pigi) which gave the town its name, along with an ancient amphitheatre that's worth the effort.