Ammouliani Island: Halkidiki’s Hidden Gem

Located in Central Macedonia, in Halkidiki, Ammouliani is one of the islands near Thessaloniki. Ammouliani isn’t as popular as other Greek islands, one of the reasons being its geographical location, right between Sithonia and Athos peninsulas.

Ammouliani counts about 500 permanent residents (according to Wikipedia, anyway).

This article is a guide to Ammouliani: how to visit the island, where to stay, when to go and what to do on the only inhabited island in Halkidiki.

Boat Trips to Ammouliani

If you’re already on the mainland, you can visit Ammouliani on a boat trip. Here are some options:

1. Mount Athos tour with Ammouliani island stop

This is a mixed cruise with very good reviews. It starts from Ouranopolis, the last village with free public access on the road to Mount Athos.

The boat makes a 1.5 hours stop on Ammouliani, where you can enjoy beach time, swim or have a couple of drinks at the beach bar.

Click here to see the details and to book your Ammouliani island & Mt. Athos cruise at the price of today.

If you’re lucky, you may see dolphins during the Athos peninsula tour. I saw lots of them and I fell in love with Greece right away! Also, the deep blue color of the water got me hooked on booking at least one week in Greece every year.

2. Mt. Athos & Ammouliani Cruise from Thessaloniki

If you’re in Thessaloniki and you don’t have a rental car, you’ll want to check out this Mt. Athos & Ammouliani boat tour that starts from Ormos Panagias.

This cruise stops on Banana Beach, on Ammouliani, where you’ll have two hours to do what you want.

On your way back to Ormos Panagias, there will be a bouzouki player on the bat entertaining you with traditional Greek songs.

This tour takes a maximum of 20 travelers and it requires good weather. If it gets canceled due to poor weather, you’ll get a full refund or a different date for the cruise.

3. Mount Athos & Ammouliani Glass Bottom Boat Tour from Ouranopolis Port

This is a sightseeing cruise around the holy monasteries of the western section of Mount Athos.

In addition, it offers an excellent opportunity to explore the only inhabited Halkidiki island: Ammouliani.

Click here to see more details about this boat tour and to book your spot.

Main features of this tour:

• Views of 6 out of 9 of the holy monasteries on Mount Athos, with multilingual commentary
• Pass through the Drenia islet complex, an amazing photo opportunity
• Visit Ammouliani Island for 1.5 hours
• Discover Ouranoupoli’s reef on a glass-bottom vessel

Glass bottom boat tours can be a lot of fun. I remember seeing lots of fish waiting for the boat, as they already knew the crew would feed them.

Ferry to Ammouliani

Ammouliani ferries depart every hour or so from the port of Tripiti.

Click here to see the ferry schedule for 2024.

One way tickets Tripiti – Ammouliani cost 3.5 Euro per passenger, 10 Euro per car, and 4 – 6 Euro per motorcycle. The journey takes about 10-15 minutes.

Ferries are the way to go if you want to spend more than one day on Ammouliani.

Ammouliani Beaches

Ammouliani is a small and quiet island. It has only one village (or town) and several beaches.

Some of the Ammouliani beaches are big and organized with sun lounges and umbrellas. There are also many small and wild beaches where you can enjoy the sound of silence, the sun and the sea, without having to put up with other tourists.

Alikes Beach

Alikes in the main beach on Ammouliani. It is an organized beach, with sunbeds, umbrellas, beach bars and restaurants.

Alikes is a very beautiful beach, with fine sand and beautiful, blue water. You can have sunbeds for free, provided that you spend at least 15 Euro on foods or drinks.

During the peak season Alikes beach can get crowded. I prefer wild coves with small beaches, to be honest.

Megali Ammos Beach

Megali Ammos is a very beautiful beach with fine sand and a view to Drenia islands.

Sunbeds and umbrellas on Megali Ammos beach are free with any order from the bar.

Karagatsia Beach

Karagatsia is a wild beach sheltered in a beautiful cove. There are some sunbeds and umbrellas, as well a a generous sandy area where you can put your beach towel directly on the sand.

There’s only one place where you can eat, so it can get a bit busy.

Agios Georgios Beach

Agios Georgios is a narrow sandy beach that stretches alongside the road. Best for a swim, if you happen to be in that area.

There’s a beach bar where you can have a coffee or other refreshments.

Two sunbeds and one umbrella rental cost 7 euro per day.

Faka Beach

Faka beach is remote and almost isolated. The road isn’t suitable for cars, so you’ll need to walk for at least one kilometer to get there.

Faka beach has an exotic look that makes it very attractive, though. Just keep in mind that there are not facilities here, so you’ll need to bring your food and drinks with you, should you decide to spend some time on this beach.

It’s probably best to visit Faka beach by boat. Boat rentals are available in the port of Ammouliani. The price is 40 Euro per day plus the fuel you use.

Skalakia Beach

If you like off the beaten path places, Skalakia Beach is what you need.

Skalakia is a very quiet beach, with few people and with pristine waters that come in many shades of blue.

Bring everything with you, as this is a truly wild beach.

 

Best Things To Do on Ammouliani Island

Nobody comes to Ammouliani or other similar islands for fun and nightlife but rather for a peaceful stay.

The best thing to do on this tiny island is to relax and enjoy swimming and snorkeling.

Another interesting thing is to rent a small boat and take a tour on water. These boats are very easy to drive and fairly inexpensive to rent. You don’t need a boat driving license. Rental boat prices are about 40 Euro.

Beware, though, there an extra charge for the fuel you use, and that can be as high as the rental price. That’s still a good deal for having your own boat for a full day, I think.

Taking photos is another thing to do on Ammouliani, particularly if you know how to find the best geographical locations for interesting shots.

Ammouliani Accommodation

Here are some of the best accommodations on Ammouliani.

Trinity the Hotel

Trinity is a basic 2-star hotel in Ammouliani village. It provides quick access to the beach of the village.

Other beaches are less then 3km away from the hotel. Check out the availability and the prices of their rooms here.

Nafsika

Nafsika is a family run property located near the port where ferries from Tripiti arrive.

Basic but comfortable, this accommodation can be the perfect place to call home for a couple of days on Ammouliani. Check out their prices and other details here.

Uposkapha Cave Concept

This apartment is right on Megali Ammos Beach. It is also close to Alykes Beach and Porto Agio Beach.

This makes it perfect for anyone who wants to try a different beach every day. The apartment is 55 sq meters in size and it has air conditioning. It can accommodate up to 5 people.

This would be my top pick for Ammouliani Island. Check out the prices and the available dates here.

Have you been to Ammouliani island? Do you want to read my other articles about Greek islands?