Summer means sea. All day, everyday.

Summer also means be wild, free and active. Be wild, free & active all day, everyday, at different times and by different meanings.

This August, being faithful to these motos, we went with WEndow (www.wendowproject.com) for Sea Kayaking in Halkidiki, Greece.

Halkidiki is not another great Greek island – but it looks like one. It is located in the Northern Part of Greece and its shape resembles a «hand» with 3 «fingers», which dive into the warm Mediterranean waters. Apart from its vast natural beauty – you can find there mountains, valleys, amazing sandy beaches, cliff points, wrecks, forests and many more- , its unbelievably delicious food and joyful people, Halkidiki is known for a unique characteristic, hard to find in many places in the world: the lush pines forests which reach the sea. The trees there, actually drink water from the sea and their branches bathe into the sea water, like true sea nymphs. These, together with the crystal clear green waters, create a niche, unmatchable scenery, from which you just can’t get enough.

Being only 1-hour away from Thessaloniki Airport (www.thessalonikiairport.com), Halkidiki offers a wide variety of accommodation, leisure and adventure options for every taste. As far as adventurous choices are concerned, one may choose from: Hiking, Jeeping, Snorkeling, Scuba Diving, Wakeboarding, various WaterSports like Stand Up Paddling, Waterskiing, Canoeing, etc, Kayaking, Sports -Cycling, Tennis, Running, Swimming-, Horse Riding, Wine Tasting, Cooking Lessons, Boat Trips & Tours, Fishing, Sailing and many more..

This August we followed two different sea kayaking routes, one in Kassandra, the First Finger of Halkidiki, and one in Sithonia, the Second Finger of Halkidiki, introduced by the WEndow Team.

The first one had its starting point in a remote secret beach in Paliouri Village, known only by local divers. We paddled next to magnificent tall cliffs with purple and white colors, huge rock edges and isolated beaches, a scenery that you thought was brought from another planet. We stopped for snorkeling in an isolated beach, accessible only from the sea, where we also collected «Kritama»- a plant growing only on sharp salty rocks, literally drinking sea water and which tastes pure ocean!- and we had a delicious lunch, picnic style! More on how to eat Kritama in another post soon 😉 .

The second route was a bit more «wavy» and adventurous, since we were able to «surf» some waves(!) and it took place in Diaporos, a truly magical place in Sithonia. Diaporos is a complex of small and tiny green islands, which you can access only by boat or kayak. Most of them are uninhabited, offering a sensational private experience of the surrounding nature.

We reached Diaporos within an 1,5-hour drive from Kassandra, -where WEndow is based- via Cherokee & Wrangler Jeeps, which were carrying our Prijon Kayaks on top of them. We entered the sea in Diaporos and we visited lots of these tiny hidden secrets of nature. We continued until Vourvourou village and we stopped for swimming, snorkeling and picnic in a beautiful sandy beach, next to which a cliff was located, with some ancient ruins of a lighthouse on top. We didn’t hesitate to climb and take some great pics!

 

Enjoy them both!