Nea Potidea
Nea Potidea is only 65km away from Thessaloniki and is the first place you encounter when you arrive at the Kassandra peninsula from Thessaloniki. It is connected to Nea Moudania, located in front of Nea Potidea, by a kilometers-long beach that stretches on both sides of the peninsula. On the western side, luxurious hotels with private beaches are lined up one after the other, while on the eastern side, there is a long beach where 5-6 large bars with umbrellas and sunbeds are located.
At the entrance to Nea Potidea, there is a canal that connects the Thermaic Gulf with the Toroneos Gulf. This canal exists so that ships can cross from one side to the other without bypassing the entire peninsula. The canal is still navigable but is not intended for large vessels. It does not affect pollution because it is rarely used. Also, there are rocks next to the canal, so that part of the beach is not used. The water in the canal is very clear and transparent.
The old Potidea is adjacent to the canal, above the main road, while below the main road, there is a long sandy beach with villas and apartments for rent. The tourist part is exclusively located below the main road.
The old Potidea is densely populated by local residents and you can take a walk to it. There are a few more bakeries, pharmacies, and shops for a total of about 1000 permanent residents. The old part of the town faces the west, while the new tourist part faces the eastern coast of the peninsula.
Nea Potidea belongs to the category of smaller resorts, recommended for families with young children and couples in need of peace and relaxation. There is no nightlife.
The place has two promenades along which shops, bars, taverns, and playgrounds for children are located. The playgrounds are within the bars, except for one that is outdoors, and there is also a Luna Park and two not very well-maintained parks with swings for the youngest, so children in Nea Potidea will not be bored.
Beach in Nea Potidea
The beach is very long and wide, sandy on the shore and in the water, with gradual depth and shallow water. Since the beach is very long, there are parts of the beach where the shallow water is shorter, meaning you reach deeper waters faster. There are areas with rocks in the water on the edges of the beach, but these are shorter parts and can be easily avoided because 90% of the beach is sandy. The part of the beach located in front of the canal (towards Thessaloniki) has a longer shallow area compared to the central part of Nea Potidea, where the majority of tourists are located, although the beach in the central part also has shallow water and gradual depth.
There are many beach bars that offer sun loungers and umbrellas with a drink, but most of the beach is available to visitors who have their own equipment. The beach is large, so it is almost never crowded. It stretches for kilometers beyond the canal towards Thessaloniki.
The beach is most crowded during the weekends and in August when people from Thessaloniki come to relax, as a large number of them have houses and cottages in Nea Potidea. There are showers and beach volleyball nets on the beach. The water is clear and clean, with the possibility of seaweed in deeper areas. Outside the season, it happens that the sea throws seaweed on the shore (the second half of September and the first half of June), but bar owners regularly collect and remove it. The beach is regularly maintained.
Food Supply
In Nea Potidea, you will find three well-stocked supermarkets, but for larger purchases, you should go to Nea Moudania (6km), where there is a Lidl and a well-stocked Masoutis supermarket inside the town. In Nea Moudania, there are other tourist facilities, so you can go there for an evening walk, entertainment, or shopping.
Within the supermarkets in Nea Potidea, there is a display case with bakery products, so you can buy bread and pastries for breakfast there. For a wider selection, you can visit the old part of the town where there are several larger bakeries, including one from the Lemonis chain.
You can only buy gyros in one place, at a kiosk located at the beginning of the beach near the canal.
In the old part of Potidea, there are fish markets, while vans selling fresh fish pass through the tourist part daily. The prices are similar to those in fish markets.
What can you visit if you are staying in Nea Potidea?
Nea Potidea can be an excellent base for exploring Kassandra, Thessaloniki, and Sithonia. The center of Thessaloniki is about 65km away, and the Waterland aqua park, Cosmos, Mega Outlet, and Ikea are about 55km away, Nikiti in Sithonia is about 43km away, and therefore some of the most beautiful beaches in Sithonia (Kalogria (50km), Agios Ioannis (47km), Koviou (48km), Trani Ammouda (50km), Lagonisi (51km), and Lagomandra (56km).
For exploring Kassandra, Nea Potidea is also in a good starting position because beautiful places are accessible on both the eastern and western coasts. Sani, with an excellent beach, is only 17km away. Here you can visit the famous Sani Resort hotel complex, which is one of the largest complexes in Greece with its own marina for yachts. Afytos is a very interesting place in Kassandra that you should definitely visit and is only about 15 kilometers away, while Kallithea with its phenomenal beach is about 17km from Nea Potidea.
If you wish, you can also visit Polichrono (29km), Hanioti (35km), Pefkohori (38km). On the western side, besides Sani, you can also visit Siviri (27km), known for its excellent beach, as well as the less interesting place Skala Furka (34km).
Exploring Kassandra by regular bus lines
All these places in Kassandra can be visited by bus. The bus station is located on the main road. Buses also go to the second finger, but you would need to change buses in Nea Moudania and then choose whether you want to go to the eastern or western side of Sithonia. Buses from Nea Potidea to Moudania run every two hours, and the ticket costs 1.8e per person.
Taxi
There is a taxi service in Nea Moudania but no taxi station, so you can ask the owner of the villa where you are staying to call a taxi for you if needed. A taxi to Nea Moudania and Lidl costs about 10e (not per person).
Just outside Nea Potidea, actually at the entrance (1km before the town), there are a large number of luxury hotels that you can visit. They are all on the right side of the main road when coming from Thessaloniki. The best one is Pomegranate, a five-star hotel where you can enter for free, walk around, use the beach, pools, playground, and free parking, and there is also an ATM within the hotel. We recommend visiting this hotel around half past nine in the evening to see a light show on the fountain, which lasts about twenty minutes and is particularly interesting for children. Hotel Portes also has a very nicely arranged courtyard that you can walk through, as well as a restaurant, pool, and a beautiful beach. Entry here is also free.
Nea Potidea is a decent place that has all the facilities necessary for a nice family vacation. It is unusual because it faces both sides of the peninsula, and the greatest advantage is the long and wide sandy beach where there is never a crowd. There is very little traffic, so there is no worry for children crossing the street to the beach.
Swimming is generally safe, the buoys are far away, and there are no motorboats near the shore.
The beach in Nea Potidea does not stand out in any way, and the sea in this part of Kassandra is not as breathtaking as in Kalithea or Kalogria, for example. However, it is quite good for swimming and enjoying a vacation in the true sense of the word. The place is small and easy to get from one end to the other, but it has enough facilities and is not too small for a relaxing holiday of about ten days. It is not for demanding tourists and those accustomed to turquoise waters on the islands but for lovers of a peaceful sea, in a place without nightlife and discos, and close to Serbia. It is a good choice for those looking for more affordable accommodation that Nea Potidea certainly offers, with the possibility to visit Sithonia and Kassandra, as well as Thessaloniki, which is very close.
Nea Potidea is a good choice if you want to escape from noise, crowds, and bustle, and have a good night’s sleep and rest on your vacation.
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