This dream region, little known to the French, still escapes mass tourism.

Do you love Greece but are tired of encountering hordes of tourists and especially of hearing French spoken on the beaches of Santorini or Mykonos? How can you experience a change of scenery and immerse yourself in authentic Greek life? It's time to venture far from the circuits mapped out by our compatriots: this place offers a true immersion in the local culture and landscapes still untouched by mass tourism.

It's a region that locals call "Greece's secret paradise," ideal for a few days of tranquility with your feet in the water or in its olive-covered hills. Its unique trident shape, divided into three peninsulas jutting out into the Aegean Sea, is home to a hundred beaches of soft, white sand and ancient ruins.

Kassandra Peninsula in Greece. © Daniel Turbasa - stock.adobe.com

Welcome to Halkidiki, a still-secret paradise located in northern Greece. Sithonia, the central peninsula, and Mount Athos, the easternmost, are the most authentic. Sithonia is renowned for its secluded coves, accessible by license-free boat, and its pine forests that extend to the sea. It's a paradise for nature lovers and campers. Its beaches, such as Kavourotrypes and Vourvourou, are incredibly beautiful.

Mount Athos, meanwhile, represents the "spiritual" part of Halkidiki: an independent territory where thousands of Orthodox monks live and whose access is strictly reserved for men. However, it is possible to sail along its coast from the village of Ouranoupolis to admire the monasteries perched on the cliffs.

Simonopetra Monastery at Mount Athos. © Andreas - stock.adobe.com

Families and culture lovers will head to Kassandra, the westernmost and most touristy peninsula. Alongside Kallithea Beach, a long, sandy beach fringed with turquoise, are the remains of the ancient temples of Zeus and Dionysus. Since Kassandra is home to many seaside resorts with hotel complexes, you'll encounter foreign tourists, but only Germans, Serbians, Bulgarians, and a few Canadians who have come to discover this part of the world through word of mouth.

The mainland part of the Greek trident is also worth exploring: there is the archaeological site of Olynthos, a fascinating immersion into the daily life of a Greek city from the classical period (4th century BC) renowned for its magnificent pebble mosaics, as well as the traditional village of Arnaia with its traditional Macedonian houses and its folklore museum, a wonderful insight into rural Greek life.

Halkidiki can be reached in less than an hour from Thessaloniki International Airport, Greece's second-largest city. The best time to enjoy the sea on the peninsula is from May to September, but spring and autumn are ideal for hiking and cultural exploration.