As promised earlier, I’m sharing a few things about Ammouliani Island. We were there for such a short time that we didn’t get to discover it in full and photograph much, but we loved it so much that we are eagerly going back in the near future. Before reading below, you can feel just a tiny bit of Ammouliani’s charm in a video I recently posted here.
The Island
Ammouliani is the only inhabited island in Halkidiki, located between Sithonia and the Athos peninsula. It’s really small – only 5 square kilometers. It is really charming and has all the necessities one would need like grocery stores, tavernas, greek beach bars, ice cream spots, children playgrounds, etc., but you should not expect a luxury experience at all. In my opinion, it delivers an authentic greek experience, very unpretentious and simple. And I feel that is its true charm.
Getting there
Wherever you are coming from aim for Tripiti. From there you can catch a ferry every 30 minutes. It is a 5-10 minutes sail to Ammouliani.
Where to stay
We were with friends and stayed at a small hotel of their choice which wasn’t by a sandy beach, so we had to go for a short drive to one of the beaches. It is not a big deal since everything is so close. You can even walk the distance, but beware of the heat wave. However, you can still find a couple of accommodation options by the beach, if you really insist on this. No luxury resorts, though.
The beaches
As we were there for a really short period of time, I can’t say too much about the beaches. But those we visited had amazing crystal clear water, which felt even saltier for some reason. Great thing here is you have actual sand unlike many places in Halkidiki and the area – very convenient for walking and perfect for children. As recommended by visitors on Trip Advisor, good ones are Alykes, Agios and Megali. We went to Alykes only – really nice but gets busy in high season.
Where to eat
We can certainly recommend Taverna Tzanis. Located by a small beach with a beautiful marine view, it serves delicious seafood, traditional Mediterranean and Greek dishes, plus it is vegetarian friendly and also has some vegan options. But the seafood – oh, you should not skip on their seafood dishes, including seafood couscous! Also, one of you recommended Taverna Glarus, which we haven’t visited. For next time I have also bookmarked The Roost – read some good reviews.
Things to do
One thing I would certainly do next time is rent a boat and go around the island and certainly visit the nearby and uninhabited Drenia Islands – a small set of islands with pristine beaches and crystal clear waters. They are only reachable by boat and I’ve heard there’s one organised beach bar with umbrellas, so it will not be a completely deserted experience. But still a dreamy one, in my opinion.
