Beachfront villas in Halkidiki

Beachfront means something specific on this page: the listing states a distance to the beach of 100 metres or less. Not "sea view", not "near the beach", but a villa you leave in flip-flops and reach the water before the sun cream dries. Halkidiki is three peninsulas an hour south of Thessaloniki: Kassandra, the lively first leg with the big resorts; Sithonia, the wilder second leg where pine forest runs down to small coves; and the Athos coast, the quiet third leg beside the monastic peninsula. The sea is shallow, warm and calm on almost every beach, the season runs from May to October, and the villas sit in villages rather than gated compounds.

The beaches behind these villas are Sani, Possidi and Paliouri on Kassandra; Kalogria, Karydi and Kavourotripes on Sithonia, mostly sand, shallow for a long way out and calm enough for young children. Some villas open straight onto the sand, others have a lane or a quiet coastal road to cross; each listing says which, and whether there is parking, sunbeds and a beach bar within reach.

What to check: whether the beach is sandy or pebbled; whether it is organised with sunbeds or wild; noise from beach bars in July and August if you are light sleepers; and whether the villa has outdoor showers and somewhere to rinse sand off. Beachfront villas in Halkidiki are the first to sell out for the summer weeks, and the last to have availability in the shoulder months, when they are also at their best.

July and August are full and hot; June and September have the same sea with half the crowds. If you want a particular beach, tell us and we will shortlist the villas that sit on it.