Sykia
The first cove as you head east. Pebbles, shallow water at first, and an easy pace away from the bustle of town.
The place · Beaches
Where the forest steps into the waves
An entire pine forest rests on the sea and shades the beach. In front of it the water deepens quickly, quiet coves open to the left and right, and Parnassus stands across the gulf.
The signature
Pefkias: a forest in the sea
A seafront pine forest that begins where the pebbles end. The pines reach the very edge of the water, cast shade all through midday and fill with cicadas all summer long.
Pefkias has been a declared aesthetic forest since 1974, protected exactly as we know it: a narrow ribbon of pines running about 1.7 kilometres along the shore. Among the pines stands the historic Tourist Pavilion of 1932, one of the oldest landmarks of the town.
At each end of the forest stands a building with a history. To the east, towards Sykia, the villa built in 1916 by the poet Angelos Sikelianos and Eva Palmer — a listed monument since 1986, blending ancient Greek, Byzantine and Ionian elements. At the western end, until the mid-1970s, ran the celebrated summer camp of the Typaldos brothers, which hosted holiday guests among the pines.
1.7 km
of forest along the shore
1974
declared an aesthetic forest
1932
the historic Tourist Pavilion
With respect: Pefkias is a protected forest. Keep to the paths, no fire and no litter, so we find it the same every summer.
The main beach
In front of the pines, deep clear water
The main beach stretches right in front of Pefkias. Pebbles that turn to sand, water that gets deep quickly and stays clear, with a long Blue Flag tradition.
There are organised stretches with sunbeds and free strips for your towel, and the shade of the pines is always one step behind you. Across the gulf, the bulk of Parnassus stands out above the water.
The coves around
East and west, quieter waters
A few minutes out of town, the coast breaks into smaller coves. Quieter and less crowded, each with its own character.
Melissi
An open shore in front of the village of the same name, with tavernas close to the water. Plenty of room to spread out and spend the whole day.
Kamari
A pebbled shore with a clear horizon, one of the finest spots in the area to watch the sun drop into the Gulf of Corinth.
Pitsa
More remote and quiet, in the area that gave us the famous archaic Pitsa panels. You come here for the peace.
Kato Loutro
Towards Kiato, with shallow warm water and a calm sea. Ideal early in the morning or for swimming with children.
Practical
When to swim, how warm it is, and why you stay all day
The swimming season usually runs from May to October, with the waters of the Gulf of Corinth warming up properly in midsummer. Xylokastro's great advantage is Pefkias: when the sun beats down, you step ten metres back into the shade of the pines and stay on the beach from morning until sunset without baking.
See the live sea temperature →