Stays — Olimpska regija

The Olympus region (Pieria) is a ribbon of sandy coast squeezed between the sea and Mount Olympus, south of Thessaloniki. For guests driving down from Serbia and the region it has one unbeatable advantage: it is the closest by car — you reach Paralia without leaving the A1/E75 motorway, and sooner than any resort in Halkidiki. That is why it has been the first stop for families, first seaside holidays with a baby, and anyone who wants the shortest possible drive.

Main towns

• Paralia (Paralia Katerinis) — the region’s best-known resort: a wide sandy beach, a long promenade, and an abundance of restaurants, shops and activities for kids. Very lively in summer, almost urban.
• Olympic Beach (Katerinoskala) — continues on from Paralia, somewhat calmer, with the same wide sandy beach; popular with families.
• Leptokarya — further south, right beneath Olympus: a large town with a town beach and mountain views, a good blend of seaside and excursions.
• Nei Pori — the southernmost of the popular resorts, with a spacious sandy beach; nearby is Platamon with its medieval castle above the sea.

Beaches

Pieria’s beaches are sandy, wide and urban — they stretch along the towns themselves, with a gradual entry into the sea that suits small children. Organised zones with sunbeds alternate with free stretches where you can plant your own umbrella. The water near the shore is shallow, so it warms up quickly in summer.

Day trips — the region’s trump card

Trip	What awaits
Litochoro and the Enipeas gorge	a town at the foot of Olympus, riverside hiking trails and natural pools
Old Panteleimonas	a restored stone village on the slopes, overlooking the coast
Platamon Castle	a Byzantine–Crusader fortress above the sea, next to Nei Pori
Dion	the archaeological park of the ancient Macedonians’ sacred city below Olympus
Meteora	the monasteries on the rocks — a feasible full-day trip from Pieria

Who the region suits

• Families with small children — a short drive, sand, shallow water and everything in town.
• First-timers in Greece — everything is simple: no ferries, no narrow mountain roads.
• Sea-and-mountain combiners — Olympus rises literally above the beach; a trail in the morning, the sea in the afternoon.
• Those after turquoise coves and wild beaches will be happier in Sithonia or on Thassos.

Practical tips

• From Belgrade to Paralia it is roughly 600–650 km, almost all motorway — realistically 7–8 hours with stops and the borders (see the road-trip guide).
• Paralia and Olympic Beach stay partly “awake” outside the season too, which makes them convenient for longer stays in flats — and Katerini, a proper town, is ten minutes away.
• For a quieter stay, pick streets away from the promenade or the more southerly towns (Leptokarya, Nei Pori).