Popularity: Moderate
Style: Freeride, Slalom, Race/Formula
Level: Intermediate, Good, Specialist
Volvi Lake is located in the root of the Chalkidiki Peninsula, near Thessaloniki Town. It is the second biggest lake in Greece as it is about 12 miles (19 km) in length and 6 or 8 miles (9,7 or 12,9 km) wide.
Kakkalous beach is one of the ideal windsurfing spots in northern Greece. If the wind rises from the Rentina straits, tens of bird species nest in the lakeside forest and surfers prepare their boards. Along with Lake Koronia, located west of Volvi Lake, they make up the largest national park in the country.
Medium Months:
Wind Type: Thermal Winds, Local Winds
Best Direction: ENE, E, ESE
Main Direction: ENE, E, ESE
Worst Direction:
Wind Factor: 11-16 knots (4 bft), 17-21 knots (5 bft)
Main Wind Direction: Side Shore
Blowing at:
Wave Tack: Starboard (from the right)
Best months to visit Lake Volvi are May, June and July, when ENE, E, ESE thermal wind (Venturi effect) blows. Average wind from 12-22 knots depends of the forecast.
Quality: Cloudy
Depth: Average (deepens gently and incrementally)
Seabed:
Attention:
Swamp downwind. Lake’s depth is 20 m.
Kitesurfers downwind, windsurfers upwind.
Access to Volvi Lake:
Volvi Lake is located in the Macedonian region of northern Greece. It is an outstanding connection to other regions of Greece, neighboring and distanced European countries.
Volvi Lake is located roughly halfway between Thessaloniki (approx. 77 km distance through Egnatia Highway), the second largest Greek city, and Kavala (about 95 km away), the main seaport of Macedonia. The new Via Egnatia Highway runs along the northern shore of the lake, while the ancient road ran along its southern one.
If coming to Volvi Lake from more distanced regions, your best option is to fly to “Macedonia Airport” near Thessaloniki, and catch the regular bus connection to Asprovalta (from the southern shore of the lake) and stop just 2 km before Nea Madytos Village. Kavala seaport is connected with some Aegean Islands, Rhodes Island and Attica region by ferries, and you can also catch a bus to Thessaloniki from there and stop just after Nea Madytos.
The matters are simplified if you travel with your vehicle since Volvi is located close to Egnatia Odos, the main motorway of northern Greece, which extends from Igoumenitsa on the Ionian coast (near Albania) to Alexandroupoli, near Turkey (620 km = 385 miles). Considering that speed limits on Egnatia Odos are 130 km (80 miles) per hour, and that the motorway is conveniently located near state borders, a simple calculation indicates a close proximity to Volvi Lake from any neighboring country.
That being said, by avoiding overcrowding that tends to form at the borders in peak tourist seasons, travelling times from FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and Bulgaria don’t exceed a couple of hours at most. On the other hand, if your journey starts in Serbian or west Turkish regions, you should plan roughly half a day to reach the Lake.
Access to Thessaloniki:
Thessaloniki is the second main aerial entrance to Greece. It has ample ferry, air, road and even rail connections with Athens and other major cities of Greece.
Arrival by Airplane: The International Airport “Macedonia” of Thessaloniki (IATA code: SKG) connects the region with approximately 31 countries and 81 destinations with direct flights, as well as 35 cities and islands in Greece (direct flights and transit). Taxis and busses are to be found at the exit of the airport.
Arrival by Car, Moto, Camper Van: The Egnatia Motorway (Egnatia Odos), which crosses Greece from its westernmost edge -Italy (Igoumenitsa)- to its easternmost borders with Turkey (Kipi, Evros), is a modern motorway of international standards, equipped with devices and safety systems that aim at protecting and helping the motorists.
From Italy: Igoumenitsa --> Egnatia Odos Motorway towards Thessaloniki, From Turkey: Kipi --> Egnatia Odos Motorway towards Thessaloniki, From Albania: Kakavia --> Greek National Road towards Ioannina & Egnatia Odos towards Thessaloniki, From F.Y.R.O.M.: Evzoni --> Greek National Road towards Thessaloniki until reaching the Egnatia Odos Motorway, From Bulgaria: Promachonas --> Greek National Road towards Thessaloniki until reaching the Egnatia Odos Motorway. Connection from Egnatia Odos Motorway to the Halkidiki Road Network: Exit K1 Thessaloniki, Exit K4 Thessaloniki, Exit Redina & Exit Vrasna-Asprovalta.
Leaving from Thessaloniki may be a little frustrating especially if you are travelling during the peak summer season due to a lot of traffic congestion that you may encounter.
Arrival by Ferry/Boat: The Port of Thessaloniki is one of the largest Greek seaports and one of the largest ports in the Aegean Sea. As a free port, it also functions as a major gateway for the Balkan hinterland, southeastern Europe and Adriatic. It is connected with Pireaus and other major cities of North and Cental Greece, as well as islands of North Aegean, Sporades Islands, Cyclades, Dodecanese, Crete, Ionian Islands and Argosaronic.
Furthermore, the port of Thessaloniki is at a 16 km distance from the International "Macedonia" Airport and 1 km only from the Passenger Railway Station.
Arrival by Bus: There are regular bus connections from Athens and Thessaloniki. The buses run daily and several times per day, throughout the year.
Arrival by Train: Travelers coming by train from other parts of Greece or from abroad arrive at the Train Station of Thessaloniki. After arriving at the Train Station of Thessaloniki you can take a taxi or a bus to reach your destination.
- Windsurf Lessons
Open only in weekends - Windsurf Rental
- Kitesurf Lessons
- Kitesurf Rental
- Surf Lessons
- Surf Rental
- SUP Rental
- Storage
- Washing
- Rescue
When the Center is open - Events
Freeride, Slalom & Long Distance windsurf events
- Parking
May park on the beach, there is plenty of space - Toilet
When the Center is open - Shower
When the Center is open - Beach facilities
- Food
When the Center is open - Market
- Acommodations
There are a few rooms in the area - Room for Camper Vans
- Nightlife
- Internet Access
- Medical Center
Hospital & Pharmacies in Stavros Town - More Activities
Canoe-Kayak - Other Facilities
Children's Playground