Pieria, a picturesque Greek region much loved by tourists, is located south of Thessaloniki. It is also known as Olympic Riviera.
Its good location and its good roads make Pieria memorial places easy to reach. Mount Olympus, the majestic abode of the ancient Greek gods, is also located here. Nowadays, it’s a national reserve famous for its abundant Mediterranean flora and fauna and for their variety. Despite popular belief, Olympus is not a single mountain; it’s a mountain range running across several Macedonia and Thessaly noms.
Every year this place is visited by lots of tourists, and ancient Greek civilization left this area with a rich cultural legacy. Dion village which is located directly on Mount Olympus is one of such places. A perfect sea view opens from the Mount Olympus slopes, and if you buy property here, you’ll have a splendid opportunity to explore its surroundings and to discover new and amazing spots.
Katerini is the capital of Pieria. It’s a rather large (if measured by the Greek scale) and modern city, with various business activities and a good social and transport infrastructure. Its great tourist flow which is constantly increasing makes it possible for Katerini to grow; that is why buying real estate in Olympic Riviera in general and in Katerini in particular is a good capital investment.
Small and charming Litokhoro town lies by the foot of Mount Olympus. Its beauty made it a popular tourist destination, but it also managed to preserve its traditional style. This town falls into two parts. One is full of life and vivid activities as well as of various entertainment spots while the other one is more peaceful. You may walk along its narrow streets and admire its traditional old houses. And if you decide to climb Mount Olympus, Litokhoro is a good starting point.
Paralia Katerini is a sea resort which is much loved by young people. It lies on Aegean seashore in Pieria region. Young people from Northern Greece and from all over Europe come here to have good rest and really good fun, and its numerous bars, discos and clubs are famous among its visitors. Besides this round-the-clock activity, Paralia Katerini offers its visitor its highly developed infrastructure, magnificent landscapes and sandy beaches. They make it very popular among prospective investors willing to buy a second home by the Greek sea. Crystal clear water of the Aegean Sea and the legendary Mount Olympus which is nearby are a couple more reasons to consider buying real estate in Pieria and in Paralia Katerini in particular.
Paralia Katerini has several good tennis and basketball courts as well as good cycle ways. Its city council organizes different kinds of sport events for those who would like to try their hand at beach volleyball, football or other sports. There’s even a good carting track here – you may go carting just for fun, or you may choose to participate in some local rally. So you see that buying real estate in this part of Olympic Riviera will bring a lot of joy to every member of your family, big and small.
Pieria features various recreation opportunities which would satisfy any visitor’s most sophisticated desires and let him choose entertainment to his own taste. You may choose to enjoy its magnificent beaches and its crystal clear sea, or to experience the rhyme of its round-the-clock activities.
Leptokaria is another tourist spot which is located 25km from Katerini and 92km from Thessaloniki. This village magically combines old Greek traditions and typical European moderation. But active night life is not neglected here either. The place is good for economy class tourism as well, and the prices in its cafes, taverns and restaurants are very inviting. Leptokaria is probably the only sea shore resort which has a railway station, and its real estate prices are not just reasonable, they are much lower than in a lot of other sea resort areas in Greece.
Platamonas little village is famous for the most part for its natural charm and for its medieval fortress. It’s a pretty village and it has a nice sea shore lined with numerous cafes, bars and taverns. Platamonas beach is protected by an artificial breakwater, so you will never see rough waves here, and it’s an ideal place safe for children.
Old Pantheleimonas is a small mountain village which is located on the slopes of Mount Olympus not far from Platamonas. It has a splendid sea and seashore resorts view. Old Pantheleimonas is one of the most beautiful places in Pieria; you can experience true Greek colors and true Greek spirit here. Cars are very few here, only locals are allowed to drive them. As for visitors, they are supposed to park their vehicles outside the village and to explore it on foot. There are a couple of charming taverns here serving wonderful local dishes. Please notice that all those dishes are cooked on the spot, and only locally grown vegetables and meat are used in them. As for bread, they bake it here as well and serve it fresh from the oven.
New Pantheleimonas is another little village at the foot of Mount Olympus. This village differs greatly from Old Pantheleimonas: its houses, shops, taverns and even its church have been recently constructed and look quite new. A county house in this village will be a good choice if you like peaceful and measured life style.
The village of Nei Pori is located 43km from Katerini, in the very south of Pieria region. It is famous for its excellent sandy beach running for 5km. Every year it wins the EU “Blue Flag” award for its cleanliness.
Olympiaki Akti (or Olympic Coast) is another village 8km from Katerini. Its excellent and very comfortable beach, beautiful landscapes and its proximity to Mount Olympus attract numerous tourists. The village has a good tourist infrastructure: its hotels would satisfy any taste (and any purse), and its numerous bars, cafes and taverns serve best quality food.
Apart from these famous beaches, Pieria offers a couple more beautiful sea coast spots such as Skotina, Makriyalos, Mefoni, Gritza and some others. All of them regularly win EU “Blue Flags” for their purity and comfort.
So you see that Pieria is a perfect place where you can experience a magic combination of a loud and cheerful sea resort atmosphere and the harmony of Greek natural landscapes together with the inspiration coming from the sea waves.