Paralia - Paralia

Paralia is a city in Pieria. It is very close to Katerini.

background

Paralia is just a few minutes' drive from Katerini on the Olympic Riviera. It is a pure seaside resort of the Greek kind. The guest structure in Paralia is a colorful mixture of Greeks, and especially Eastern and Southeastern Europeans. Compared to the islands or Chalkidiki, there are relatively few German-speaking guests here. For the latter, however, the trend is increasing. Nevertheless, one cannot assume that German is understood everywhere on the Olympic Riviera, but since almost all Greeks speak English quite well, one gets along very well there.

The tourist infrastructure essentially consists of many smaller, family-run hotels, in every conceivable category from simple to luxurious. Larger hotel complexes for wealthier and more demanding guests can be found mainly north of the actual town center. In the south of the city there is a harbor mainly used by pleasure boats. A little outside of the town center, there are inexpensive accommodations that are also a bit quieter.

In the city itself there are a large number of restaurants, taverns, shops and service providers of all kinds. The church is located exactly in the middle of the village, and there is a large discotheque at the southern and northern end of the village. And on the outskirts towards Katerini there is a large self-catering supermarket.

The beach is kilometers long, with fine sand and almost everywhere it is wide, gently sloping and therefore very child-friendly. Unfortunately, the cleanliness of the beach and the water is not always perfect.

A positive side effect of the many Eastern European guests is the very low price level, even for Greece. And if you would like to try something other than Greek or European cuisine, there are also restaurants with Hungarian, Bulgarian or Balkan cuisine.

getting there

By plane

The nearest airport is that 40.51972222.970917Thessaloniki Airport(IATA: SKG) . From here it takes about an hour to drive to Katerini.

By train

Katerini is on the railway line Athens to Thessaloniki. There is a train station. It takes about 45 minutes to get to Thessaloniki and around 5 hours to Athens, depending on the train. Paralia then has to be reached via the bus routes, which is quite easy.

By bus

There is a bus station in Katerini. From here you can explore all the localities in Pieria. From here it is completely uncomplicated by bus to Thessaloniki. It takes longer than the train, but it can be very attractive and memorable. From this train station you can reach Paralia in a good 10 minutes. The bus is quite regular. Not only for tourists but also for the locals who work in Paralia.

In the street

Paralia is close to the A1 motorway that runs from Athens to Thessaloniki.

mobility

Paralia is quite compact. When you arrive at the bus station, you can reach all destinations very quickly on foot. Paralia isn't big enough to get lost. Better to leave your car behind when you have found a parking space anyway.

Tourist Attractions

There are actually no real sights in Paralia. The beach is already it for many tourists. Paralia is right on the Olympic Riviera. 70 kilometers of sandy beaches. That's nice. But the beach is not pure sand, it also contains many small or large pebbles. Apart from the areas with deck chairs, the beach is often poorly maintained. The quality of the water also lags behind that which travelers to Greece enjoy elsewhere.

activities

shop

Paralia is very geared towards tourists. Here you can get everything you need for a vacation and even if the prices are higher than, for example, in Katerini., The vacation in Paralia is consistently cheaper than in mainly western European guests due to the financially not so lavishly equipped Southeastern European guests Tourists dominated areas. But you can buy souvenirs, beach accessories and everything else you need for beach life.

kitchen

As befits a seaside resort, Paralia has plenty of restaurants, almost all of which are near the beach. You can find anything. From the Greek snack to the ice cream parlor to the Italian restaurant that specializes in spaghetti and pizza. But there are also bars and pubs where you can have a good time. However, there is occasional rip-off. Every now and then, false promises are lured into the restaurant or the initially discounted menu is billed in the individual components. Even in fast-food restaurants, a surprisingly unordered item appears on the bill - 2 euros for the cover (coperto).

nightlife

The night life takes place near the beach. The cafes and bars are open here. As already mentioned, there are larger discos at the southern and northern end of the town. In the restaurants, too, you can sit and chat until late at night, drink wine and eat something.

accommodation

In summer, i.e. in the high season, it is quite crowded in Paralia. The search for a hotel room can take a while. They also have "better" prices in the low season than in the high season. But there are plenty of rooms. You always get a place to stay. If you are traveling by mobile home, you can also find a campsite nearby. They're not that cheap, but they are acceptable.

Work

Pieria is severely affected by unemployment. It's hard to find work here. One is better equipped with foreign language skills than others.

security

Typical for Greece, no problem. If you take the known precautionary measures, you have no problem; you have to be aware that reckless tourists are welcome everywhere. Wear something valuable on your body. If something seems too expensive to you, you can offer half the price. A little action encourages making friends.

health

In Paralia there are resident doctors who also have knowledge of foreign languages. You can also buy medicines in the pharmacy. Here you can get some things cheaper and without a prescription than in Germany.

Practical advice

Paralia is quite clear. It is best to orientate yourself on the beach. From here you can actually go anywhere.

There's no problem. Post works as usual. A postcard takes two to three days to get home. There is a connection in all known cell phone networks. No problem. In the internet cafés you can check your e-mails and write them yourself. Many hotels also offer WiFi. Some even for free.

trips

If you have chosen Paralia as your base, you have many opportunities to go on excursions. You can experience the Greek city flair in Thessaloniki, if you want to see the small towns, then you drive to Katerini, here you can also experience a beautiful farmers market. If you want to experience history, then you go to it DionIf you want to experience the mountains (nature park) then you drive to the Olympus.

literature

Web links

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