A WALK ON THE COASTS OF PIERIA
Pieria has the privilege of having an extensive coastline, which reaches approximately 70 km, which starts from Methoni, on the border with the Prefecture of Imathia, and ends at Neoi Poroi, almost on the border with the Prefecture of Larissa.
In this enchanting coastal route, the visitor will be able to find countless spotless beaches, with clear and crystal waters, that will surely satisfy him, since the combination of mountain and sea, green and blue, create a unique landscape.
Follow us on a journey through the wonderful settlements of the prefecture of Pieria, starting from the North and going down to the South.
Methoni
Methoni is the northernmost coastal settlement of Pieria and there the visitor will encounter a very shallow sandy beach. It is located in a key point of the prefecture, surrounded by the blue sea and the intense green, under the shadow of Olympus and very close to Thessaloniki and the capital of Pieria, Katerini.
In Methoni you can also enjoy your food in a tavern, taste fresh local fish and seafood, as a large part of the residents are fishermen. Here you can also visit “Moni of Panagia Axion Esti“, a women’s monastery with a peaceful environment.
Makrygialos
Then we will meet Makrygialos, a fairly large settlement next to the sea, with a sandy beach. It is a large tourist and fishing center of Northern Pieria. Nearby you can also visit the archaeological site of Ancient Pydna, which is also known from the Battle of Pydna. Ancient Pydna flourished during the Byzantine Years, mainly because of its privileged position and its port, as well as because of its important pottery workshop and its salt mines.
In the area you can find several tourist infrastructures, taverns, restaurants and also rooms for rent to enjoy your holidays.
Alykes Kitrou
Further south we find Alykes Kitrou, with a long sandy beach and a picturesque port. The lagoon of Alykes Kitrou, which is also a wetland, is one of the areas of special beauty of the prefecture of Pieria and there are also salt processing units here. The lagoon joins the sea through a small and narrow “channel”. In the lagoon of Alykes Kitrou, you can also find therapeutic mud baths.
After the wetland of Alykes and the Lighthouse, we come across several unorganized, deserted, sandy beaches. The area is considered protected for the flora and fauna that grows there. In the area you can also meet rare plants and birds.
Korinos
Next you can find Korinos, which is very close (8km) to Katerini and whose beaches are sandy, with relatively shallow waters. The total length of Korinos beach is 4 Km. Here there are organized beaches with clear blue waters, restaurants, hotels and cafes as well as many tourist accommodations, since in the summers it receives a lot of tourists. There are many attractions in the wider area such as Macedonian Tombs, and interesting Holy Monasteries to visit.
Katerini Beach
Katerini Beach, during the summer months, is really flooded with tourism. It is located just 7 kilometers from the center of Katerini, and is one of the favorite places of its residents, for swimming but also for food and intense night entertainment. There are plenty of options for accommodation, dining, water sports, nightlife and many other activities. The beach is sandy and the sea quite shallow, ideal for children and families.
On this beach that is 3 km length and receives a blue flag every year, there are dozens of beach bars, where you can enjoy your coffee or drink throughout the day. After your bath, in the afternoon, you can visit the central pedestrian street of the settlement for shopping and for your walk, while in the evening, bars by the sea and big clubs await you to go wild until the morning hours!
Culture lovers will be able to attend several cultural festivals, organized in the summer months, such as the Olympus Festival.
You can also visit the imposing church of Ag. Paraskevi which is located right on the beach, while you can do various activities, such as: Water sports, diving, cycling, hiking in the mountains, paragliding, etc.
Olympic Beach
Leaving Katerini Beach, a few kilometers further south, is the Olympic Beach or “Katerinoskala“. This is another sandy organized beach, with many choices for the visitor in hotels, rooms for rent, restaurants and entertainment. Here there is a fairly wide coastal promenade with a cycle path, where you can enjoy your ride throughout the day and at night. It is awarded every year with a blue flag and receives a large volume of visitors during the summer months.
Variko
About 12 km from Katerini and further south from the Olympic Coast, we can find Variko. The beaches here are also sandy with shallow water. There are mainly organized campsites in the area and the beaches are less mundane and unorganized and it is advisable to bring your own equipment.
Here is also the so-called “Fishermen’s Village“, which consists of small fishermen’s houses belonging to the Litochoro fishing union, where they began to be built at the end of the 90s. In any case, the wider area of Variko is a wonderful alternative, for visitors who they want to escape from the most “mundane” beaches of Pieria.
Port of Gritsa
Then, further south, we come across the Port of Gritsa, as well as it’s crystal clear beach with the same name, with crystal clear waters. In the area you can find restaurants, hotels and rooms for rent. You can find free parts of the beach but also organized with beach bars. At this point, the beach starts to have pebbles and sand and the sea is deeper than in the previous northern areas.
Beautiful, picturesque fish taverns, with fresh fish are waiting for you to enjoy them.
Also, very close, is the museum of Dion and the Archaeological site of Dion, that worths a visit.
Plaka of Litochoro
A little further south we find Plaka of Litochoro, with its beautiful beach, which consists of natural bays with pebbly shores, but also wide golden sandy beaches. At this point, the visitor is closer to the Mount Olympus, which combined with the sea creates a magnificent landscape. The beaches here are varied, some easily accessible but steep, which will surely compensate the visitor with the crystal clear waters and the excellent seabed.
In Plaka of Litochoro, you can find tourist infrastructure of every type, camping, hotels, rooms for rent, fish taverns, bars/cafes and the visitor can choose, the comforts of an organized beach, or the relaxation offered by a deserted beach.
Leptokarya
Then you will meet the enchanting Leptokarya, which we could talk about for hours, as this is the place where we grew up and have been active for many years, maintaining our rooms for rent, “Kathy Rooms” offering you the best possible accommodation experience.
Leptokarya is one of the largest and continuously developing tourist resorts of Pieria, in a privileged location of the prefecture, with excellent tourist infrastructure.
The coasts of Leptokarya, which reach 5 km in length, are covered mainly by small pebbles but also with sand . Here you can find almost everything. The beaches are mainly organized with beach bars, fish taverns, restaurants, and many hotels and rooms for rent of all types as well as campsites.
Finally, there is a train station right inside Leptokarya, which enables visitors to easily move to neighboring towns if they do not have their own means of transport, as well as connections with the rest of the prefecture via buses.
Skotina
South of Leptokarya, we find the beach of Skotina, with sand and pebbles. The crystal clear waters of the sea, at this point, begin to deepen in relation to the northernmost areas. In the area there are several accommodation options, camping and rooms for rent. There are organized as well as free beaches with rich vegetation and in several places the greenery almost reaches the sea.
Panteleimonas
Right next to Skotina is the beach of Panteleimon. The beach is quite large in area with sand and pebbles. Here, organized campsites dominate the greenery, with trees reaching all the way to the sea. In the area there are also rooms for rent, hotels, mini markets, but also several options for eating. The beaches are mainly organized with large beach bars and the combination of the green of the area with the blue of the sea, as well as the castle of Platamonas, create a landscape of incomparable beauty.
Platamonas
Immediately after, we meet Platamonas with its imposing castle and its beautiful beach. The beaches initially have large pebbles and sand while gradually, we come across sandy beaches. Just below the castle of Platamonas, there is an excellent beach, with crystal clear deep waters. There are countless options in the area, both for your stay and for day trips to the surrounding mountains.
Neoi Pori
Neoi Pori, located at the southernmost tip of the Prefecture of Pieria, is a tourist resort located right in front of the sea. You will find many hotels and rooms for rent and countless options for dining and entertainment. The sandy beaches stretch several kilometers to the border with Thessaly and the beach is quite wide and comfortable.
For what we mentioned above, but also for thousands more reasons that do not fit in the limited space of an article, we invite you to choose Pieria with its huge coastline, for your rest and your holidays. All of us at Kathy Rooms, we promise you that we will take care every moment, for your excellent and problem-free stay, so that you can fully enjoy this wonderful destination!
We are waiting for you !
