Parthenonas of Neos Marmaras

A different view of the famous beaches of Halkidiki, a place that surprisingly retains the old character of the villages before tourism turned the area into a popular destination worldwide. The Parthenon is built in Itamos, at an altitude of 350 meters, among the dense vegetation of the forest and with the traditional, Macedonian architecture, traveling visitors back in time. With the renovated, stone houses, the natural cobbled streets, and the endless view of the bay and the Shell, just 5 km away from the cosmopolitan Neos Marmaras.

The Parthenon has a history of centuries but was abandoned by its inhabitants who moved to the nearby, seaside Neos Marmaras after the 1960s. It was discovered by visitors, who increased as the fame of the holiday resort, grew, admired the beautiful layout of the buildings, tied to nature and the green environment of the mountain, "Dragountelis" and the view of Toroneos and the peninsula, starting to buy houses to renovate them. Old residents returned to the village, which has been characterized as a traditional settlement, rebuilding the beautiful houses to function as homes, hostels, and shops, and today Parthenonas is a mountainous tourist destination with complete hospitality infrastructure and has become an alternative to visitors.         

The route from Parthenonas to Neos Marmaras, through the old Watermill, is a popular hike, passing through streams, natural paths, and wildflowers, in the heart of the pine forest, while from the settlement one can continue to the top of Itamos (811 meters), by bike, car or on foot, always having in sight the view of Kassandra and the shades of blue in the bay in front of Neos Marmaras.