Route for North / central Greece
 

Hi, we want to travel in The northern and central part of Greece in July. we fly into Thessaloniki and return from Corfu. We travel with 2 young kids, so our pace is a bit slower. So that's why I have now a luxury problem :-) as there's so much I want to see, but I have 1 place too much in my list. As we like to stay a couple of nights in each place.
So which of the below places would you skip? or is there still something I forget anyway.
We love nature more then cities, nice beaches, remote places, variety...

Sithonia / Pilion / Skopelos / Meteora / Prespa Lakes / Zagorohoria / Parga / Corfu

Thanks for your input

May be you will have to skip more than one area.
The sandy beaches of Sithonia, especially those south of Nikiti, are stunning.
Parga is a nice place too and the main beaches (all sandy) are usually reached by shuttle boats from the city center. The boat trip from Parga to Antipaxos Island (beaches, but no accommodation) is recommended.
The beaches of Pilion area are usually pebbly, but more familiar.
Skopelos is a forest hiking and beach destination, less crowded than neigbouring Skiathos.

If you are interested in archeology, you should try to pass through Vergina and Pella
https://www.discovergreece.com/trave...s-thessaloniki
as well as the ancient Greek theatre of Dodoni, close to Ioannina. Ioannina has furthermore a nice lake and a stunning cave.

All places you mention in your post are worth a visit. But it's not easy to link them all with a logical itinerary. May be you will skip Lake Prespa and Parga and go by car from Thessaloniki airport to Nikiti etc - Thessaloniki town - Pilon - Volos - car and passenger ferry - Skopelos and back - Volos - Meteora - Zagorohoria - Ioannina - Igoumenitsa - car and passenger ferry - Corfu. Corfu Island has all kinds of beaches, according to the area you will prefer.

When I visited Greece, on the return flight, which took me from ATH to ZHR, I saw these beautiful mountains and a large equable lake.

I learned that this was in a region called Evrytania, which is described as the Switzerland of Greece.

Certainly a lot different than the islands and Athens.

How long will you have altogether? Many of the places you mention are regions, which means two nights (one full day) will not be much time. I don't see two nights in each place as slow. Do you prefer car or public transport?

As they are all good choices so if you don't have a clear 'non-favourite', I'd exclude the one (or two) which are furthest flung and require the most travel time. I don't think there is a ferry from Thessaloniki to Skopelos but pretty sure there used to be, so it might be worth checking closer to the time.

No one knows yet what the travel situation will be by July next year (assuming you mean next year?) so I'd be wary of booking things that can't be cancelled without penalty. I hope you make it though - it's a beautiful part of the world.

well we Will go for Almost 1 Month and travel with a renstal car, at least 4 nights each stop. I already mailed the Ferry company that used to travel from Thessaloniki to Skopelos, but they don’t go anymore. Which is a pity because that would Made ik easier.

"I already mailed the Ferry company that used to travel from Thessaloniki to Skopelos, but they don’t go anymore"
Since Minoan Lines stopped their Thessaloniki - Heraklion service some 20 years ago, this line was never reliable. Different companies offered some services in high season only and for 1-2 years or so. In the last years (until 2018) they used catamarans with rather limited garage capacity.
But the road distance beteween Thessaloniki and Pilion isn't that huge. And for Meteora, you will have to pass through Volos anyway.

If you are looking to skip a place, for me it would be Sithonia and Halkidiki in general. Some beaches are indeed stunning, mostly those on the east side of the peninsula eg Vouvourou but there is little else there. And there are great beaches all over Greece so would not detour just for that. We stayed in Neos Marmaras once, it was a great base for going to nearby beaches which were very crowded. It was a good town to stay in as you can walk to restaurants in the evening, it's on the seafront, there was a great Italian bakery etc, very nice lively traditional town.

If it is nature and remote places you want, Pelion is the place to go. The beaches are stunning, marble pebbles with crystal clear water, dramatic cliffs, gorgeous perched villages (mainly on the north coast) and the area stays green even during summer. Pelion does have sandy beaches along the Pagasetic Gulf.

Ok thanks! I guess I would prefer Pelion also above Halkidiki