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Derek Ford |
| Lives in: | United Kingdom | | Registered: | 22 June 2008 | | Last visit: | 24 June 2008 |
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| Pefkohori Travel Guide: All about Pefkohori - by a regular visitor
| | Written by Derek Ford on 23 Jun 2008 about a trip in Jun 2008.
Trip was for a couple on holiday. Derek Ford would definitely visit again.
| Pefkohori shopping |   8.0 | Shops are all "Local" shops. For groceries there are two fairly major chain "Supermarkets" with good selections, and many smaller "selling everything" stores which also call themselves "supermarkets".
There are two "shoe" shops, and numerous "clothing" shops catering for a broad range of fashions. Jewellers, Hairdressers, Butchers, DIY shops, Florists, etc. all abound. In fact though only small the village has every shopping facility which might be required, - even a computer shop !
There are of course many "tourist" shops (which we all love to browse) but these, in common with some of the others, are open only during the summer "season" between May and October.
A little "bartering" is still acceptable (despite the advent of the Euro) but is dependent on which type of shop. |
Pefkohori nightlife | 6.0 | Nightlife is a matter of choice ! If you want "Nightclubs", "Booze Bars", "Noise", "drunken Yobs" - Don't come to Pefkohori !
Pefkohori is not "dead" at night. There are several "music" bars along the front, and everywhere a plethora of excellent restaurants and tavernas. (There is one "nightclub" just at the end of the village - away from most of it, but in 7 or 8 years of coming to Pefkohori I have never "heard" it, - or in fact "seen" it open !)
There are plenty of people during the summer if that's the sort of liveliness which you like, (though my personal preference is for the winter months when the village slows to a more leisurely pace). It is ostensibly a "Families" and "Couples" resort, where the locals welcome visitors with a friendliness which is hard to match.
Many English couples return year after year (we know 'cos we keep meeting them !), and many actually settle here permanently.
The streets are "safe" in all respects (though the main road may be a trifle hazardous to cross in the summer). There is very little in the way of apparent "crime", and violence simply doesn't occur. (though you might be forgiven for thinking that it's about to when you hear Greeks shouting at each other ! ?).
To sum up .... Safe, ... Pleasant, ... comfortably quiet to a Family holiday level ... Lovely ! If you want "Boom - Boom" reeling about in an alcoholic haze, ... walking the streets with a bottle etc .... Please go somewhere else ! |
Pefkohori restaurants | | Pefkohori has some excellent Restaurants/Tavernas. But again, these would be a matter of personal taste/choice, and it would be unfair for me to rate any of them above or below the others, as it would only be my personal choice. However, I can list a few of those most popular among the tourists. None of the establishments here have what one could call noteworthy "cuisine", but there are some wonderful well prepared dishes to be had at very acceptable prices, and eaten in more than acceptable surroundings (even some of the more "ethnic" establishments are a delight to eat in).
So, ... list of "popular" tavernas (not in any order) .....
"Captains" .... on the main road; "El Greco" ... down towards the beach near the jetty; "Hercules" ... opposite Hotel "Diana";
"Zihne" ... now moved to the eastern end of the beach; "Maxim's" ... also on the main road, and opposite to Captain's;
If you like "Italian" food, then there is the choice between "Roma Pizza" ... on the main road; and "Capri" ... also on the main road, which does a full selection of authentic Italian dishes ... (but be sure to have a good appetite if you go there - meals are more than generous !)
The foregoing are just a few among the many, and are probably the easiest to find in the main part of the village. A wander up to the Old Square however will reveal 2 or 3 more. "Maki's" ... is very popular with the locals. |
Pefkohori attractions | | | H-m-m-m .... Pefkohori doesn't really have any ! Except perhaps for it's very long beach which has been awarded the coveted "Blue Flag", and which is totally safe for all ages. (In the season there is a "life-guard" present, but I think only ever called upon to administer first-aid to those who have lain for too long in the sun ! ?). Cafe's and bars line the beach, and many provide free sun loungers on the beach for customers. |
Pefkohori History and Culture | | "Pefkohori" .... the name is derived from "Pefkos" (Pine) and "Horio" (Village) ... so is roughly (and fairly amusingly) translated as "Pineville" !! ..... (well it amuses me !). It is/was set among Pine Forests, but unfortunately an intense forest fire in 2006 destroyed most of the surrounding forest, and only at the very last moment was the village itself saved by a sudden change in wind direction. Bizarrely the "old" name for the village was "Kapsohori" (Smoking village) because in times past pirates used to set fire to it !. .... in 2006 the fires almost justified a reversion to the old name !
The surrounding terrain is now green again, but sadly not with forest. Although some effort is being made to replace some of the trees it will be many decades before the original landscape returns, - if ever ?. However, It's still a lovely place to be. |
Getting to Pefkohori | | Pefkohori - lying toward the end of "Kassandra" the first of the three "Halkidiki" peninsula's, is accessible throughout the year.
During the summer months tour companies from many countries book holidays in Pefkohori, and other villages of "Halkidiki". All flights land at "Thessaloniki" airport, and the tour companies then do the "transfers" to the various resorts by coach.
Pefkohori is the second furthest along the peninsula from the airport, and coach transfer times can be up to about 2½ hours.
Car hire is available from the airport, and driving direct to the village takes about 1½ hours. (This is our preferred mode of travel as having bought a home here we travel out from England at least four times per year, and there are no "tour" coaches outside of the holiday season). There is a "local" bus service which runs hourly from Thessaloniki, but visits all the villages en-route, so it is a fairly lengthy journey, and is not a 24 hours service.
Flights out of England to Thessaloniki "out of season", are predominently from Gatwick. "B.A." fly out once per day, and more recently "Easyjet" have also introduced flights from Gatwick. |
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