Porto Carras

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View of Porto Carras Marina.

Porto Carras (Greek:Πόρτο Καρράς) is one of Greece's biggest and most famous holiday resorts and tourist places. It is located in Sithonia, Chalkidiki peninsula in Northern Greece. It is about 120km away from Greece's second biggest city, Thessaloniki.

View of Meliton Hotel in Porto Carras Resort.

View of the sea from Sithonia Hotel, Porto Carras.

The 25 leaders of the European Union in Porto Carras, during the Thessaloniki European Summit, June 2003.

In the end of 1960s, the land on which the resort exists today, became property of the Greek ship-owner Yiannis Carras. In 1973 the construction works in the area started and brought a revolution in northern Greece's tourism. The land of Porto Carras Grand Resort includes two major hotels, the 5-star Meliton and 4-star Sithonia as well as Villa Gallini which is a bangalow-style residence. There are also 45,000 olive trees; basketball, football, tennis and golf sports areas as well as a vineyard covering an area of 475,000 m². Porto Carras Resort has the biggest private Marina in northern Greece and one of the largest in South Eastern Europe as well as Thalassotherapy and Spa Center. It also contains restaurants, interior and beach bars and an estival Cinema theatre.

The resort of Porto Carras is near the traditional village of Neos Marmaras; a tourist, busy on summer period town, with lots of restaurants, cafeterias and tourist shops.

[edit] European Union Summit

During June 2003, Porto Carras was the place of the Thessaloniki European Union Summit; organized under the Greek Presidency, during which the draft Constitution of the E.U. was presented for first time. The 25 leaders of European Union, along with Turkey's Prime Minister and the heads of NATO and E.U. took part in an official dinner, hosted by the then President of Greece, Costis Stephanopoulos.