Sometimes, privacy hides in plain sight.
The northern, mainland Greek region of Halkidiki is hardly known for off-the-beaten track escapes – more for mass-market resorts – and yet here, on the quietest and easternmost of its three peninsulas, far, far away from the crowds, awaits the beachfront, all-villa hotel of Avaton.
The lowdown
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Nearest Airport
Thessaloniki, a two-hour drive. Direct flights operate here from various UK airports.
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Need to know
Airport shuttles can be arranged at extra cost, but such is Avaton’s remoteness that you’ll need a car to explore the rest of Halkidiki.
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Combine With
Thessaloniki’s bustling harbour, Roman remains and foodie credentials are well worth a few days – so how about a fly-drive starting there?
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Insider Tip
Upgrade to the VIP service to have your own butler or chef.
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Kids Club
There is a kid’s club providing a range of activities for younger visitors as parents relax, or perhaps visit a vineyard.
Located between UNESCO-protected Mount Athos’s restricted-access monastery and the beautiful white-sand sweep of Komitsa Bay, Avaton is, above all, a place for recharging. In fact, such is the guarantee of seclusion that the prizes doled out to 2019’s Oscar-winning actors and director included a stay here.
All guests, be they Olivia Colman, Mahershala Ali or you, stay in one of 16 spacious, two-bedroom, two-bathroom villas dotted across exotic gardens. Most villas have private pools neighboured by oversized daybeds, with a dining room, lounge, kitchenette and sea-facing balcony also promised by each two-storey property .
Residents can also charter a private yacht to sail around Mount Athos, looking up in wonder at the towering, man-only monastery, or request yoga classes or scuba-diving excursions. Otherwise, you’ll need a car to explore Halkidiki’s pine forests, Paleolithic caves, beaches and thermal spas.
Avaton’s silky-sand beach is lapped by dreamily blue-green waters; that, plus occasional birdsong and the distant trickle of chilled-out music from a public lounge will be the only sounds you’ll hear. Food-wise, a residents-only, al-fresco restaurant serves healthy Mediterranean fare on hillside facing Mount Athos, with a range of local wines in support; nearby is a champagne and cocktail bar positioned to face Aegean Sea sunsets. Romantic? And then some.
Ultra-attentive staff look after the big and small things, from providing poolside towels or smoothies to organising candlelit beach dinners.
