Late Summer in Neos Marmaras
Day 1 in Neos Marmaras, late summer vacation 7 September, 2022. Confident in the beautiful weather and with plans to explore, we set out at 4 in the morning from Bucharest. Before crossing the border from Romania to Bulgaria, we stopped to buy a vignette to avoid any interruptions in Bulgaria. On the way, we realized that we hadn’t activated roaming, so after a quick stop at McDonald’s in Bulgaria for breakfast for the kids and to get internet for activating roaming, we hit the road again. By 11:30 AM, we were already at our accommodation in Neos Marmaras at our host’s Angelika Rooms, booked through booking.com. Although there was available parking in the courtyard, we left the car parked outside due to fatigue. After settling in, and since it was already lunchtime, we decided to take a walk to get to know Neos Marmaras and find a kid-friendly restaurant and, for me, definitely a coffee, as the day was still early, allowing us to make the most of the available time. We had lunch at Roma Pizza, discovering that the prices were similar to those back home in Bucharest. After the kids enjoyed the water at N. Marmaras Beach, we decided to drive since there were parking spaces available near the beach. The water was warm, the weather pleasant, and we stayed until sunset. On our way back, we stopped at the nearest gyro restaurant, SNACK BAR ΓΙΑΝΝΑΚΗΣ; the service was quick, and the food was delicious.
Day 2 in Neos Marmaras. After breakfast, we set out to explore. After reading about Azapiko Beach on Google Maps, we decided to discover this more secluded beach. It turned out to be a good idea as it was not crowded at all, and the water was very clear. Since it was a more remote beach, there were no restaurants at lunchtime, so we returned to Neos Marmaras, stopping at Bazaar Supermarket Oikonomou for supplies. Later, we had lunch at Origano restaurant. After leaving the car at Angelika Rooms, we walked to N. Marmaras Beach, where the kids enjoyed themselves until sunset. In the evening, we decided to try local specialties, and with a beautiful view, we stopped at “Ta Kymata” fresh fish & seafood Taverna restaurant. On our way back to accommodation, to delight the kids, we made a small stop for ice cream at Queen’s gelateria. Today was a relaxing day.
Day 3 in Neos Marmaras. Breakfast was hearty as today was planned for exploration and Adela’s scuba diving. We found Poseidon Diving Academy on Google Maps, but since it is located in Porto Carras Grand Resort, we had to pay for access by car, as it is a private beach. After reaching and getting in touch with the scuba diving instructor, we found out that the price for a session was 100 euros, but they required at least 2 sessions for accommodation, theory, and instructions before entering the water. At this point, we decided to forgo scuba diving and continued to enjoy the beach facilities offered by Porto Carras Grand Resort; it was a pleasant day, with very few tourists. After lunch, we went to eat in Neos Marmaras, and in the afternoon, we stayed at the beach in the town until sunset.
Day 4 in Neos Marmaras. Today 10 September 2022, we dared more and set out on an adventure to Sithonia Cape. The Epar.Od. Nikitis-Sartis road was good, but the adventure began when we left the road. We managed to reach Secret Beach, leaving the car behind as the last 500 meters were only accessible for 4×4 vehicles with higher ground clearance. For almost the entire day, the beach was just ours, making us feel like we were on a lost island; it was a paradise. We reached our accommodation at 5:00 PM, after which we went out to have dinner, stopping at the Arto…zymia bakery, where the kids enjoyed pastries.
Day 5 in Neos Marmaras 11 September 2022. We packed our bags and went out for the last day at the beach. At 11:00 AM, we returned and checked out, heading home to Bucharest, Romania. Thank you, Neos Marmaras, for being a picturesque town with beautiful beaches.
