Greece · Halkidiki · Premium route guide
Sithonia loop, Halkidiki
The best coastal riding within reach of Thessaloniki. Around 305 km around the middle finger of Halkidiki, with the road hanging over the sea for most of it and Mount Athos across the water on the east side.
- Distance
- 306.4 km
- Peak elevation
- 641 m
- Elevation gain
- 3,182 m
- Best months
- May-Oct
The route
Thessaloniki to Polygyros and Ormylia, onto the peninsula at Agios Nikolaos, then anticlockwise around the coast through Vourvourou, Sarti, Kalamitsi, Toroni and Neos Marmaras before heading back via Nikiti and Polygyros. Pins are motorcycle-friendly stays other riders have vetted.
Works with Garmin, TomTom, BMW Navigator, Calimoto, Kurviger, komoot, MyRouteApp. Import as a track to ride the exact line. Road data from OpenStreetMap (ODbL); elevation from SRTM.
Track vs. route, how to load this into your GPS
What you are downloading is a GPX track, a dense, road-snapped breadcrumb of the exact line, with elevation on every point. It is not a GPX route (a short list of turn waypoints your device re-plans between). Tracks preserve our road choice; routes let the device pick its own way and can send you down a boring motorway shortcut.
How to use it on your navigator:
- BMW Navigator / Garmin Zumo / zumo XT: import as a track, then Convert to Route (or Trip Planner, new trip from track) if you want turn by turn prompts. Keep Recalculation off so it stays on our line.
- TomTom Rider: import the GPX in MyDrive, it loads as a track / itinerary. Enable Follow the exact route so it does not re-plan.
- Calimoto: open the GPX and choose Import as tour, Calimoto follows the track line.
- Kurviger / komoot / MyRouteApp: open the GPX and pick Import as track to keep the road choice. Only choose Import as route if you want the app to re-plan for your bike profile.
- Google Maps / Apple Maps: these do not read GPX. Use the map on this page for turn cues, or import the file into a GPX capable app first.
Rule of thumb: if your device asks "track or route?", pick track to ride our exact line, pick route only if you want the device to re-plan.
Elevation profile
From ~0 m at the base to 641 m at the top, 3,182 m of total climbing across the route.
Ride the east coast first. The morning light is behind you, Athos sits on the horizon across the Singitic gulf, and you get the twistiest section while the road is still empty. By early afternoon the west coast between Toroni and Neos Marmaras is in full sun and full of holiday traffic in August.
Getting there
Out of Thessaloniki the fast way is the Nea Moudania road, but Polygyros is the better line: it climbs into the hills, it is quieter, and it drops you at Ormylia with a decent stretch of curves already behind you. About an hour and a half to the neck of the peninsula.
The east coast: Vourvourou to Kalamitsi
This is the core of the ride. From Vourvourou the road climbs and falls along the cliffs with pine on one side and water so clear it looks fake on the other. Sarti is the halfway point and the best place for a swim and a coffee. South of Sarti the corners tighten towards Cape Drepano and Kalamitsi, where you get the classic view straight across to Athos.
The surface is generally good but patchy in places, with gravel on the outside of blind corners after rain. Expect campervans in July and August.
The west coast and home
Toroni and Porto Koufo, the deepest natural harbour in Greece, then a faster, more open run north through Neos Marmaras and Nikiti. There are plenty of beach stops if you have time. From Nikiti it is straightforward back through Polygyros to Thessaloniki, or extend the day with the Kassandra peninsula if you still have light.
Fuel in Nikiti, Neos Marmaras and Sarti. Nothing at all around Cape Drepano, so do not run it down.
What to see along the way
- Polygyros - Hill town and the sensible way onto the peninsula. Coffee before the coast.
- Vourvourou - Shallow bays and small islands at the start of the east coast section.
- Sarti - Halfway point on the east coast. Swim, coffee, fuel, view of Athos.
- Kalamitsi and Cape Drepano - Tightest corners on the loop and the southern tip of Sithonia.
- Porto Koufo - The deepest natural harbour in Greece, hidden behind a narrow entrance. Fish tavernas on the quay.
- Neos Marmaras - The main town on the west coast and the obvious overnight base.
Rent a bike
Rent a motorcycle or scooter for Sithonia loop, Halkidiki
Flying in? Pick up a bike near the start of the route. We've pre-filled the pick-up city with Neos Marmaras - change it if you're basing elsewhere.
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