Possidi cape and its sand spit at sunset

At the western tip of the Kassandra peninsula the land narrows and then keeps going: a long, low spit of pale sand curving out into the Thermaic Gulf, with sea on both sides and, at its landward end, the small white lighthouse of Possidi. Walk out along it and there is nothing on either side but water, which is a rarer thing to stand in than a beach.

The composition writes itself. A couple walking the spit, seen from behind and low, has water left and right and sky above with no horizon clutter at all; from the lighthouse end the spit becomes a diagonal leading line. Because the sand is pale and there is water on both sides, the light is bounced from everywhere and even harsh sun stays workable.

West-facing, with an unbroken horizon and Mount Olympus visible across the gulf on clear days, this is the best sunset in Halkidiki. The sun drops into open water and the wet sand at the spit's edge mirrors the sky for twenty minutes afterwards. In spring and autumn the light is cleaner and the spit is empty; in August it is a swimming beach until early evening and then clears out for the sunset crowd.

Practical: the spit is exposed on both sides, so wind is normal here and there is no shade at all — plan hair and light fabric for it, and bring water. Its shape changes with the season and after storms; on a high sea the far end can be under water, so check before making it the centrepiece of an evening. Parking is by the lighthouse and it is about an hour and a half's drive from Thessaloniki.