Loutra is a small seaside resort located on the south-west coast of Kassandra, which is twinned with Agia Paraskevi the next villagealong the peninsula on the mountain resulting in the official name “Loutra of Agia Paraskevi”.
Agia Paraskevi used to be an active town, which had its own police station, school and municipal offices but being 3 km away from the coast the area of beach the locals traditionally frequented was Loutra. Today however, it is more of a charming yet sleepy little village because many of its inhabitants moved away for work at the seaside with the rise of tourism in Halkidiki.
Loutra is probably best known for its spa centre, which is where the name “Loutra” originated because in Greek the word Loutra means “baths” so in other words the ‘baths of Agia Paraskevi’.
Its spa centre is situated on the south side of the village on top of a cliff and they pipe the naturally thermal mineral water to fill the swimming pools from the source, which is at sea level within the rocks beneath. These powerful waters are said to have special healing properties for people with certain medical conditions and people visit here from all over the world for treatments. The centre features indoor and outdoor swimming pools, hydro massage, sauna and hamam. The baths are open annually to the public from around Easter until Christmas. The location is a spectacular setting with amazing far-reaching views, which you can also just enjoy from their cafe-bar.
In the centre of Loutra there is a small sandy beach cove lined by a few nice cafe-bars who have sunbeds and umbrellas directly on the beach where they serve drinks and snacks during the day. Loutra also has a small natural harbour and a beautiful church very close to the sea, which is a wonderful setting for a summer wedding.
After Loutra on the way towards Agia Paraskevi there are some other ‘wild’ beaches with huge rock formations in the sea and this areais great for snorkelling and scuba diving.
In general Loutra is the perfect place for relaxing holidays, to swim in the sea, using the facilities at the spa centre and enjoy the good food of the local restaurants. Loutra is predominantly a summer resort and only has a handful of families living there permanently, but because of the spa centre the season is somewhat longer than in other resorts. The close proximity to Nea Skioni makes Loutra habitable all year around because it is only 5 km to the shops. Although Loutra closes down over the winter there are still a couple of quality fish restaurants and a café-bar on the beach open most weekends.
As Loutra is a relatively small area there are not that many buildings. Most of the properties are apartments located within the central building zone, some considered relatively new but all at least 10 years old, which are for sale second hand by the owner. There are still some land options available suitable for development in the centre, which would be ideal for either a private or even business investment in a peaceful holiday resort and the property prices are very reasonable. There are also a few bigger properties with gardens on complexes outside the village on the hill top which have fantastic sea views.