Beauty and the beasts
Karin Wright enjoys the beach and the wildlife on a trip to northern Greece
Aherd of buffalo sweeping majestically across the plains wasn’t what I expected to see on an all-inclusive beach break in Greece, but there they were. Thousands of them.
Turns out there are around 4,000 water buffalo in the country – and 3,000 of the Asian beasts can be found grazing along the banks of Lake Kerkini in Thessaloniki.
The milk, yoghurt, cheese and meat produced on the 20 farms in this area are big business. And, unlike their African cousins, these animals are pretty docile, which is how I found myself on a 4x4 trip into their midst.
We got out to stretch our legs, and the herd barely acknowledged our presence as they munched on the grass and sank into the marshy waters around the lake.
Man-made Kerkini is also one of the most important birding sites in Europe.
More than 300 species make this reservoir their home over the course of the year, and we saw dozens of pelicans, herons, cormorants, egrets, storks and ibises as we cruised along on a traditional boat called a plaves.
If you’re lucky, at certain times of the year you can spot flamingos, eagles, falcons and hawks. This area of northern Greece is also home to wild boar, jackals, otters and wolves.
So, I had come to Greece for some autumn sunshine, and ended up on a safari!
Our full-day trip included a delightful lunch of local food (including buffalo meat served with noodles cooked in buffalo milk) under the trees in the Ydrogaia restaurant of a lovely little hotel called Oikoperiigitis, right in Kerkini village.
Satisfied that we could say we did more than just laze around by the pool on our holiday, we headed back to the TUI Sensimar Blue Lagoon Palace, near Kalives in Halkidiki.
This brand-new adults-only hotel is a luxury treat. It’s right on the beach and has only 92 rooms across just two floors. The upper rooms all have balconies, and the ground-floor suites have terraces with private pools. There is a stunning communal rim-flow pool at the front of the hotel, but there’s nothing better than having a pre-breakfast dip in your own little oasis (or a cheeky midnight paddle with a glass of bubbly).
And because this is a civilised place for grownups, there’s no mad dawn scramble for sunloungers – there are more than enough around the pool and lined up on the beach to cater for all the rooms (I actually counted them!)
Breakfast is a quite magnificent feast of hot and cold buffet and delicious cook-to-order stations, with everything from yummy Greek specialities to plan old toast and eggs. There’s also a table heaving with desserts if that’s what you
fancy first thing in the morning! I’m not generally a fan of buffets for lunch or dinner, but the offerings at Blue Lagoon Palace were amazing.
It’s quite possible it’s the first hotel buffet I’ve enjoyed where everything (inevitably) piled on the plate didn’t end up tasting the same. Delicious.
Facing the sea is the open-air à la carte restaurant Culinarium, which has a range of artfully presented local and international dishes (one meal here is included on allinclusive).
There are also two bars, a patisserie, low-key entertainment in the evenings, a daily programme of sport (boules on the beach, volleyball, aqua aerobics, yoga, tennis) and sophisticated activities such as cocktail making and wine tasting.
The spa is a haven of luxury and relaxation, with a massive menu of treatments, an indoor heated pool, gym and the usual steam rooms and saunas. Bliss.
If you fancy a day out, I highly recommend a trip to the gorgeous village of Afitos and its beautiful sandy beach. It’s full of stone buildings covered in bougainvillea and snoozing cats, with cute shops and plenty of cafés, bars and restaurants.
My top pick of places to eat there has to be Thea Thalassa, a traditional seafood restaurant whose food is only surpassed by the spectacular views across the bay. From the fried feta and the grilled octopus to the seafood platter and the prawn orzo and the pistachio linguine to the trio of local desserts... every mouthful was insanely delicious. Owner Andreas and his staff are friendly and superknowledgable – follow their recommendations for food and local wines and you’ll be blown away.
The bar next door is great for late-night post-dinner cocktails.
This area of mainland Greece has three pretty peninsulas pointing into the Aegean, so the best way to explore the area is obviously by boat.
We joined Nektarios and Petros from Sailaway-halkidiki on board yacht Aida for a day of cruising the fabulous clear blue waters, sailing in and out of little bays, occasionally dropping anchor to dive off the boat for a swim and a snorkel, and getting the lowdown on the history and geography of the area from Nektarios while enjoying cold wine, iced tea and fresh fruit and sandwiches.
This is not a thumping booze cruise (these are available elsewhere if you want one), so it complements the grown-up, laid-back vibe of the hotel perfectly.
The Blue Lagoon Palace is the perfect grown-up getaway in this little corner of Halkidiki – it’s far enough away from kids and busy resort chaos, but close enough to a host of brilliant things to do.
And as I sank into my private pool later, I felt as chilled as those water buffalo wallowing in the lake mud...
This adultsonly hotel is the perfect retreat