Family villas in Sithonia

Nikiti, where the town beach is sandy, shallow and organised, with a supermarket and a pharmacy on the front. Agia Kiriaki, a calm bay between Nikiti and Neos Marmaras. Toroni, two kilometres of shallow, calm sand. Kalamitsi, a small sheltered bay of sand at the south-east, is the quietest village with a beach worth the name, but you need a car for the rest.

Yes, for most of them, because Sithonia has one road running all the way round it. From Nikiti it is 15 minutes to Neos Marmaras, 20 to Vourvourou and 40 to Sarti. Nearly all family villas here have parking. A private transfer from Thessaloniki airport, an hour and a quarter from Nikiti, has fixed prices with VAT and tolls included.

Most of the villas here list themselves as pet-friendly, and nearly all have parking. The listing says so. If you are travelling with a dog, tell us the breed and size before you book and ask us to check the details. Most of the villas have a garden, which is where a dog will spend the day.

It is less busy than Kassandra, with less traffic, but not empty. The week around 15 August is the busiest of the whole year across Greece. Kavourotripes near Sarti gets busy in August, so go early, and Vourvourou books early for July and August. Nikiti and Neos Marmaras have lively evenings by the sea, and quieter bays are never far.