Spathies Beach, Sithonia, Halkidiki: The 50m Lagoon With One Tree and the Larger Sandy Bay a One-Minute Walk South

Greece | Nikiti | Sithonia, Halkidiki

There is one tree in the middle of the small Spathies cove. Almost all visitors want to sit under it, which means the single piece of natural shade on a 50-metre beach concentrates the crowd in a very specific spot. Arriving before 9:30am in July and August is the specific instruction for the tree position — not because the beach fills completely, but because that one piece of shade fills completely and quickly.

Spathies Beach actually consists of two separate beaches, a small and a large bay. The small beach is closer to the road and you will come across it first. It’s only 50 metres long and in the middle it has a large tree that provides deep shade.

7.5 kilometres southeast of Nikiti there is Spathies with two beaches separated by a rocky mass. The first beach is small (50 metres) and rocky and the other a bit larger (150 metres) and sandy, but both with wonderful turquoise waters.

The name of the area has a legend attached to it. When the holy Apostle Paul left Nikiti and moved towards Akti Koviu, the sound of a magpie frightened the horse, which put the saint in great danger. Since then and to this day, magpies have not been in this area. The name Spathies derives from the area’s broader history, the local place-name preceding the beach’s reputation.

Getting There: 7.5km South of Nikiti, After the Kalogria Turn-Off, Limited Roadside Parking

Spathies Beach is located about 7.5 kilometres south of Nikiti. When arriving from Nikiti, after the turn to Kalogria, continue ahead for about 1 kilometre until you reach the turn for Spathies. You can park your car at the roadside extensions, and since there’s not a lot of space, it might be a good idea to plan your arrival to the beach as early in the morning as possible during the tourist season.

From Thessaloniki International Airport (SKG), the drive takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes — follow the highway toward Nea Moudania, take the exit for Sithonia, and drive south through Nikiti.

Spathies Beach is easily accessible by car, in less than 10 minutes from Nikiti, towards Neos Marmaras.

There is no public transport serving Spathies directly. A rental car or scooter from Nikiti is the standard approach. The Hotel Spathies Apartments is 150 metres from the small beach — the closest accommodation and a natural base for repeat visits to both coves.

The Small Cove (Mikri Spathies): 50m, One Tree, Rocky Entry, Turquoise Water, Crowded by 10am

The small beach is 50 metres long. It has an amazing, large pine under whose shade you can spend a whole day. Bear in mind, though, that there is precious little shade here, so if you don’t arrive early, you risk spending time in the sun. The water is amazingly clear and a joy to swim and snorkel in.

The small cove is enclosed by rock formations that keep the water calm even when the wind builds on the Toronean Gulf outside. The combination of the single large pine and the rock-enclosed calm water is the specific quality that makes the small cove the Instagram-famous side of Spathies and the reason the crowd concentrates here rather than at the larger beach.

Rocks — use water shoes! The rocky entry on the small cove is the honest practical note — the beach is not sandy to the waterline. The rocks at the entry are uneven and can be slippery. Water shoes are essential for the small cove and recommended throughout.

Sea urchins are present in the rocky sections — the standard caution for rock-entry beaches throughout Halkidiki.

The Large Beach (Megales Spathies): 150m, Sandy, No Shade, Quiet on Weekdays, Iron Gate Access

For the “Big Spathies (Megales Spathies)”, go through the iron gate above the little beach and follow the track around the hill. A large, sandy beach awaits you. Very little shade, but crystalline waters and lots of space.

The large Spathies beach is a large sandy bay that has practically no people. Here you can find a quiet space to put down a towel and umbrella and enjoy a swim in the shallow waters. Popular beach for the protected water. The second beach is mainly unknown and quiet.

The larger beach is the paradox of the two — the superior beach in terms of space, sand quality, and crowd level, but the less famous because it requires the extra minute of walking through the iron gate and around the hill. We recommend bigger Spathies beach which is very lovely, quiet, sandy and great for families with children and people looking for quiet places on the beach. During the week you might find only a few people on the bigger Spathies beach.

The larger beach faces west and provides the sunset view over the Toronean Gulf that the small cove, tucked behind the rock formation, cannot.

No Facilities at Either Beach: Bring Everything

Both beaches are sort of wild — neither has sunbeds, showers, parasols, toilets, nor kiosks with food — so equip yourselves if you want to spend a whole day there.

This applies to both the small cove and the large beach. No sunbeds. No umbrellas. No canteen. No toilets. No showers. The nearest restaurants and facilities are at Elia Beach or back in Nikiti — both a short drive away. The preparation list: water, food, own umbrella (essential for the large beach which has no natural shade), water shoes, snorkelling equipment.

Kalogria Beach: The Organised Alternative 1km North

The famous Kalogria Beach is very close to Spathies Beach, so you can visit it in the same day.

Kalogria — 1 kilometre north of Spathies on the same coastal road — is the organised beach with sunbeds, umbrellas, a beach bar, and full facilities. The two beaches are complementary: Spathies for the wild natural beauty and the snorkelling rocks, Kalogria for the infrastructure and the shade-with-drink arrangement. Visiting both in the same day is the standard Nikiti area beach programme.

The Sithonia West Coast Context: Nikiti, Kalogria, Spathies, Elia

The west coast beaches of Sithonia will soothe you with their richly warm evening sunsets. The west-facing orientation of all the Nikiti area beaches — Agios Ioannis, Koviou, Kalogria, Spathies, Elia — gives them the sunset quality that the east coast beaches (which face Mount Athos) cannot provide. The Toronean Gulf sunset from any of these beaches is the specific west coast Sithonia evening programme.

Spathies Beach on Sithonia in Halkidiki is two coves 7.5 kilometres south of Nikiti — the 50-metre small lagoon with one central pine tree (arrive before 9:30am for the shade), the 150-metre larger sandy bay through the iron gate one minute south (quiet, more space, no shade), no facilities at either, water shoes needed for the rocky small cove, sea urchins in the rocks, Kalogria 1 kilometre north for the organised beach programme.

Drive south from Nikiti past Kalogria. The next turn right is Spathies.

Go through the iron gate for the bigger, quieter beach.