HH2801
August 2, 2021
Barbagiannis House is located on top of a small headland offering gorgeous views of the coast and Aegean sea. The village of Ormos Panagias is a few minutes walk downhill - there you will find cafes, restaurants and a small supermarket and the village is also the jumping off point for boat trips to beaches and Mount Athos. We were a last minute booking. This was not a planned holiday but a trip we had to do to meet UK travel requirements as we were moving house from Cairo. We had travelled from Athens up to Thessaloniki and were looking to move on from there. Halkidiki was a place I remembered offered beautiful beaches and I had always been fascinated to see Mount Athos. I looked at lots of accommodation. We were late in so doing. By this point in the year villas were very expensive for just two of us, many aparthotels looked too 'communal' and, potentially, noisy, hotels seemed to limit the feeling of freedom. What we wanted was a comfortable, grown up, relaxing, uncrowded environment with close proximity to the sea. Arriving at Barbagiannis House I knew we had found what we were looking for. We had a two bed apartment which was perfect for us. We have a lot of luggage, my husband is working throughout our stay and it gave us space for him to do so. The balcony was simply wonderful with a direct and wide view, past the palm trees and the grape vine to the bay, so close. It was wonderful to sit and gaze out to sea with a pre-dinner glass of ouzo. We found the apartment to be comfortable and it was spotlessly clean. It was cleaned daily which was just as we wanted. In fact the whole place is spotlessly clean and well cared for. Beds were comfortable and the bathroom was large and practical. We had moved from a 5 star boutique hotel with no shelving in a tiny bathroom but here we had room to spread out. There were two large wardrobes in the hall with drawer space and some drawer space in the bedrooms. You could stay as separate couples as both bedrooms had direct access to the balcony. There is a small kitchen which was ample for our catering needs. There was plenty of equipment if you wanted to cook and a small oven with two hot plates. Breakfast is served by the pool. It was plentiful and very tasty. Choices included bacon, eggs (fried and scrambled), salad, breads, wonderful Greek yoghurt, juices... At night it was all so gloriously peaceful. We slept so soundly. There is a Blue Flag beach a short walk downhill (in the opposite direction to the village). Barbagiannis House arranges for free sun loungers and umbrellas for its guests at a specific location 1 km from the hotel. You could walk there if you wished . There is a drinks and food delivery service to your lounger if you choose. Because we had been touring around the peninsula and had taken a boat trip (from Ouranopoli) to Mount Athos we only went to the beach once but it was simply glorious. Barbagiannis House offers a great formula combining the independence of apartment liv