The beaches of the Halkidiki Peninsula are regarded as some of the best in Greece. Long, long stretches of golden sand. The backdrop here is Mount Olympus, about 80km southwest of Thessaloniki. Olympus has 52 peaks and deep gorges. The highest peak, Mytikas, rises to 2,917m. In Greek mythology, Olympus is the home of the Greek gods, on Mytikas peak.