There are many beach resorts in Greece, so choosing where to go on vacation is not an easy task. But every tourist can be sure that no matter the destination is spelled out in his air ticket - Halkidiki or Rhodes, traditional Greek hospitality is guaranteed to him from the very precious minute when the landing gear of the plane touches the landing strip.
Criterias of choice
Travel preparation usually includes:
- Monitoring of prices for air tickets. Both Greek and Russian carriers operate direct flights from Moscow to the nearest airport to the Halkidiki region in Thessaloniki. Travel time is from 3.5 hours. Ticket price - from 21,000 rubles. The flight to Rhodes will take half an hour longer, and tickets for a direct flight will cost about 24,000 rubles.
- Hotel selection. The average price for a room in a 3 * hotel in Rhodes will be about $ 55. Breakfasts are usually included, and it takes a few minutes to get to the beach. You will have to pay $ 60 per day in a similar hotel in the resorts of Halkidiki. Most of the hotels here are built right on the coast.
The weather at the beach resort of your choice raises no less questions. The Mediterranean climate of Rhodes, traditional for these places, guarantees the beginning of the swimming season already in mid-May, when the air warms up to + 27 ° С, and the water in the sea - up to + 23 ° С. They sunbathe and swim on the island until the end of October. Even in the height of summer, when the thermometers go far beyond the 30-degree mark, the beaches of Rhodes are fresh and comfortable, thanks to the northeasterly winds.
The Halkidiki peninsula, despite its more northerly latitudes, is also waiting for its guests in May. In hot months, the air warms up to + 35 ° C, but the dry air makes it easy for vacationers to endure high temperatures. Mountain ranges close the beaches in Halkidiki from the winds, and therefore strong sea waves at the local resorts do not happen.
Beaches in Halkidiki or Rhodes?
The choice of beaches on the peninsula can only be determined by the wishes of the guests. All of them are municipal with free admission and are equipped with sun loungers and parasols, rented out for a few euros per day for rent. The beaches in Halkidiki are both sandy and pebbled, while the rocky coves contain many secluded spots.
Rhodes is also distinguished by its diversity, especially since it is washed by two seas at once. The Aegean in the west of the island offers a good wave for surfers, and its shores are covered with small pebbles. In the east, the sea is calmer and the beaches are sandy, and therefore the local hotels are preferred by families with children and fans of absolute serenity.
For the soul and photo album
The educational program on the Halkidiki peninsula is incomparably richer. Here you can go to the monasteries of Meteora and book a place on the cruise ship to Mount Athos. It is only an hour's drive from the local resorts to the capital and, by renting a car, tourists have time to explore Athens in a day.
However, you will not be bored in Rhodes either. The ancient streets and palaces of the island's capital, the Valley of the Butterflies, wine-making villages and the place where the Aegean and Mediterranean merge in the "kiss of two seas" await its guests.
