Beachfront villas in Sithonia

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. Sithonia is the second leg of Halkidiki, the one people come back to. Pine forest runs down to small coves, the road loops the peninsula past Nikiti, Neos Marmaras and Porto Carras on the west, Toroni and Porto Koufo at the tip, Sarti and Kalamitsi on the east and Vourvourou with its islands in the north. Villas are spread out, quieter and closer to nature than on Kassandra.

The beaches behind these villas are Kavourotripes, Karydi, Kalogria, Lagomandra, Tristinika and Orange Beach, 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 Sithonia 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.

Sithonia fills in July and August; June and September are the locals' months, with warm sea, open tavernas and easy parking. If you want a particular beach, tell us and we will shortlist the villas that sit on it.