In Focus: Halkidiki, Greece
The Prefecture of Halkidiki is located in the southeastern portion of Central Macedonia and consists of a large peninsula in the northwestern Aegean Sea resembling a hand with three "fingers" – Kassandra, Sithonia, and Agion Oros which contains Mount Athos and its monasteries. Kassandra has popular tourist resorts with organized beaches. The second peninsula, Sithonia, features less organized resorts and more secluded coves. The third peninsula, Mount Athos, is a secluded monastic community where entrance is allowed only to men and after special permission. The prefecture occupies 2,918 km² of land and features approximately 105,000 permanent inhabitants.
By Nana Boussia and Pavlos Papadimitriou