Just returned from Halkidiki and it is with a heavy heart that we have decided it will be our last visit. We have been coming to Halkidiki since 1979 and have many Greek friends and have lived there on and off over the years. My other half learnt to read, write, and speak Greek which has served us well over the years.

We always new that the area could get busy during July and August when the city dwellers of Thessaloniki took their holidays with extra traffic and sometimes parking problems on the more tourist side of the Kassandra peninsular but this problem seems to have increased massively over the last few years. This is not due to more Greeks coming to the area but a massive influx of tourists from Eastern Europe, cars with BG, RO, SRB, number plates in some areas outnumber every other nationality.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the eastern block but these tourists don't seem to contribute to the Greek economy, they seem to just purchase accommodation, buying food from Lidl which they cook in the room or cook and eat on the beach. In the hotel where we were staying the majority of guests were from Eastern Europe yet at night we and a couple of German tourists were the only ones in the bar.

Pefkochori in particular is just like a little Serbia. A friend of ours has to walk her dog in the early morning to avoid abuse from these visitors.

We hate to see empty taverna’s and café’s and feel for our friends who own these businesses.

So for now it’s goodbye to Halkidiki and hello to southern Greece where it’s a little quieter.

The answer is not to come over in July and August.I find September to be one of the best months.It's much quieter and the sea is still warm