A warm welcome awaits in northern Greece

His name is Theodorus Siokas, and he runs an eponymously named hotel — Hotel Siokas — in Nei Pori, a quick hour and a half south of Thessaloniki, in northern Greece.

As any decent Greek god would do, Theo has located his holiday retreat in a charming seaside town with plenty of day trips beckoning, as well as a view of Mount Olympus.

Its vantage to Thessaloniki is but one of its many geographic benefits. Mount Olympus towers above the not-so-distant mountain range. Thirty kilometers away, Dion, an ancient capitol of Alexander the Great, has been unearthed and made accessible and presentable for the casual historian.

Two hours distant the monasteries of Meteora perch upon towering outcrops of rock. Within site of the hotel are remnants of a medieval castle, standing proudly on a bluff protruding into the sea.
Speaking of the sea, the beaches are a stone’s throw from the hotel: comfortable white sand stretching for kilometers along the sparking blue Aegean coast.

Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city, is a seething mix of traffic chaos. An early outpost of Christianity, the city features churches dating from the 5th century onwards and both Byzantine and Ottoman monuments. Driving into it, however, is not advised unless one revels in thrills of an automotive sort. Thankfully, day trips via bus can be booked with Theo’s help.

The chaos of the city can be countered with a drive up Mount Olympus. The road that leads to a national park doesn’t go to the top of the mountain (the gods wouldn’t allow that) but it does wind its way high enough for some spectacular views of the northern plain and coast.

There are also numerous trailheads along the route, including one that begins at a monastery. Hundreds of years old, St. Dionysios’ monastery has a small, ornate church and a shop featuring local goods, including icons, though much of the monastery is currently being restored.

The real treat of the place, however, is the trail that winds down the mountainside, quickly leading to a clear stream spilling over a series of small falls and collecting in cold pools. Feeling the serenity present here one can certainly understand why monks selected this area for a monastery despite — or perhaps because of — its remoteness. One could replicate the monks’ likely journey by hiking the trail to the closest town, Litochoro, a long half day’s walk away.

Dion rests on the plain seen from Mount Olympus and was once a thriving city — from Hellenistic through Roman times — with a renowned sanctuary for Zeus as its focal point. Over the past several decades, much work has been done to unearth and make presentable its former glory, and the excavation continues. The site itself is vast and offers a wide variety of ruins, including an amphitheater, bathhouses, large sections of the city, and several temples.
For a much smaller walk into the past, the medieval fortress, 10 minutes north of Nei Pori, offers a couple of hours’ diversion. Its story continues to be unearthed, so the presentation of it isn’t fantastic, though the views of the coast certainly are.

Farther afield and dramatically built on thrusting jolts of fragmented mountains, the monasteries of Meteora provided a haven to Orthodox priests during the Ottoman’s Islamic rule and were the center of Byzantine religious art. First constructed in the 14th century, only five remain inhabited today, all of which are open to the public and a few of which contain museums. The two-hour drive from Nei Pori is worth the effort even if one doesn’t enter a monastery. These splinters of the Pindus mountain range are breathtaking.

But enough running about. The beach beckons and is less than 50 yards from Hotel Siokas. Theo provides lounging chairs with umbrellas at the water’s edge and a beverage service. Lounging about on the white sand; buying a pastry or trinket from the vendors walking up and down the shore; and splashing around in the warm, clear waters is activity enough to spend a fulfilling yet relaxing day.
Though these historical and natural wonders are reason enough to visit this less trodden part of Greece, it is for Theo and his hospitality for which I continue to return. A broad smile, hug, and welcoming ouzo are always offered in greeting.

And while the reasonably priced half-board option (which provides both ample breakfast and late lunch buffets) sates the appetite, it is Theo’s personally prepared seafood dinners that thrill. Local fish, prepared in a variety of ways, are always excellent; but it is Theo’s melt-in-the-mouth octopus that alone is worth the trip.

If you go:
Hotel Siokas Website: www.siokashotel.gr
Regional Information: www.justgreece.com/macedonia/pieria.php
Meteora: www.meteora-greece.com
Thessaloniki: www.thessaloniki.travel

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