Toroni: Ancient Torone, the Lekythos Fortress and a Long Sandy Beach

Toroni sits at the south-west edge of the Sithonia peninsula, and it has two attractions that rarely share a village: a long curved beach and the remains of an ancient city. The headland at the northern end of the bay carries a medieval fortress, and the ruins of ancient Torone lie beside the sand. The modern village itself is small and quiet.

This guide covers the names, the history, the fortress, the beach and how long it really is, then the practical details of getting there from Sarti, including what to check about the archaeological site before you go.

Toroni at a glance

Toroni (Τορώνη) is also written Toroni or Torone in English. The ancient city shares the name, and the fortress on the headland is called Lekythos, Lecythus or Likithos (Λήκυθος). The village lies at the south-west edge of the Sithonia peninsula in Chalkidiki. It is a municipal unit of the municipality of Sithonia, covering 194.0 km².

The numbers are small. The 2021 census counted 204 residents in the Toroni settlement, down from 213 in 2011, and 3,330 in the whole municipal unit, down from 3,553. That unit also includes Sarti, which is why Toroni comes up so often when you read about our corner of the peninsula. For the village you are probably staying in, see our complete guide to Sarti.

Modern Toroni stands about 1 km north of the ancient city ruins. The population left the old city in the 17th century.

Ancient Torone

From colony to battlefield

Torone was founded by Chalkidians from Euboea in the 8th to 7th century BC.

The city's story runs through the Persian and Athenian periods. In 480 BC it was forced to help the Persians under Xerxes, and a few years later it joined the first Athenian alliance, the Delian League. In the Peloponnesian War it became a battlefield between Athenians and Spartans, as Thucydides records.

The Spartan general Brasidas took the city in a night surprise attack in 423 BC, and Cleon recaptured it for Athens. Later it joined the Chalcidian League and, after Philip ended that league in 348 BC, passed to Macedon. The Romans invaded in 168 BC. The city declined, but it did not vanish.

What the ground tells us

The Lekythos headland was inhabited, with short breaks, from the Early Bronze Age to the 17th century AD. That is a very long span for one small rock.

Excavations began in 1975 under the Archaeological Society with the Australian Institute in Athens, led by Professor Al. Kambitoglou. The site has three zones: the acropolis, the main city on the plateau, and the proasteion, or suburb. Its Iron Age cemetery held 134 tombs, 118 cremations and 16 burials.

Stone was also taken away. Around the turn of the 20th century much of the old granite and the fortification's materials were reused elsewhere, some of it to pave roads in Constantinople and Thessaloniki.

The Lekythos fortress

The headland

Lekythos is the small headland at the north of the ancient city. It rises 13 m above the sea, with the ancient harbour to its east. A narrow isthmus links it to the shore, wider in antiquity than it is now.

What remains

The ruins of a medieval fortification stand at the edge of Toroni beach, probably built with material from the ancient acropolis. Allow about 25 minutes for a visit. The Byzantine castle has a polygonal plan, with a separate fortified tip and an internal gate, and the settlement and castle were destroyed around the 15th or 16th century. In the 14th century the area belonged to Mount Athos.

The harbour fort was rebuilt in Byzantine times and had cisterns and a small early Christian temple. The visible remains today include walls of large granite blocks, a partly submerged harbour with breakwaters and warehouse foundations, and the ruins of the three-aisled Agios Athanasios basilica, from the 5th century AD, destroyed by fire.

Can you walk in?

Walls up to about 2 to 3 m high remain. The entrance is fenced and the gate is usually closed to protect the ruins, though it is occasionally open, and goat paths lead to the summit. Go expecting to look from outside, and be pleased if you can do more.

On a map, "Toroni Castle" and "Ancient Toroni" sit about 0.9 km south-west of the village.

Under the water

Three seasons of preliminary underwater surveys found a foundation about 60 m long and almost 2 m wide, about 35 m offshore and roughly parallel to the shore, and a second structure over 80 m long about 20 m from the beach. They are thought to be commercial or storage buildings near the ancient harbour, dated to the second half of the 5th century BC.

Sea walls lie 20 m and 40 m offshore in the harbour, but this is an archaeological site and we would not advise swimming over the remains. Enjoy them from the shore.

The beach: how long is it, really?

You may read that Toroni's beach is among the longest in Greece. It is a long beach, not an extraordinary one:

The 2 to 2.5 km figure is for the beach itself, and the larger numbers describe the whole chain of neighbouring beaches. Our own measurement from OpenStreetMap, which we describe in more detail in a separate article on Toroni Long Beach, is in the same range: the mapped Toroni Beach alone is shorter than 2 km, and the named strips taken end to end are a little under 4 km.

So expect a long, curved, open beach of about 2 to 2.5 km on its own, continuing as a chain of beaches with short breaks. For a wider comparison, see our guide to the best beaches of Sithonia.

Sand, sea and facilities

The sand is golden and medium to coarse, with rice-sized grains in places that help keep the water clear. The water deepens from the first swimming stretch, then gradually.

There are organised sections with sunbeds and umbrellas, often free with a drink, plus free sections. There is little natural shade, especially in the central part, so bring your own umbrella.

Blue Flag

"34. Toroni / Τορώνη" is on the official 2025 Blue Flag Greece map for the municipalities of Aristotelis, Sithonia and Polygyros. The official 2026 list, announced in May 2026, includes it too. Flags are awarded season by season, so check the Blue Flag site for the year you travel. Our guide to the Blue Flag beaches in Sithonia and Chalkidiki covers the wider picture.

The village

The village is quiet and family-oriented, with several tavernas along the shoreline, three small markets (no separate bakery), children's playgrounds on the beach and no developed nightlife. It is a small place, so bring cash and any essentials with you. Porto Koufo is 2 to 3 km away, an easy walk.

Getting there from Sarti

Distances are free-flow driving figures, without traffic.

In other words, about half an hour from Sarti. From Neos Marmaras, Toroni is about 20 km. The access road is a provincial road, and the ancient site sits beside the beach at its southern end.

Opening hours and tickets

The archaeological site is open to the public, with information signs and guided tours, but hours and ticket arrangements change, so check them before you go.

The site is looked after by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Chalkidiki and Mount Athos, which has an office in Toroni, and the Ministry of Culture's site-hours page lists current times.

Combining Toroni with a day out

From Sarti, Toroni is about 34 minutes each way, so it suits a half-day excursion, and Porto Koufo (see our Porto Koufo guide) is 2 to 3 km further on if you want a second stop. If you are planning the wider route, our complete guide to Sithonia lays out the peninsula, and the Vourvourou and Diaporos guide covers the bays and boat trips on the other side of it.

Where to stay

If you would like a base on the east coast and a day trip to Toroni, Sarti Thea Boutique Rooms is in Achlada, on the hill above Sarti harbour, about 34 minutes from the village by car with free parking on site. You can look at our rooms or check dates on our booking page.

Quick answers

• Is the beach one of the longest in Greece? No, but it is long: about 2 to 2.5 km for the beach, up to nearly 5 km for the chain.
• Is the fortress open? The gate is usually closed, so plan to view it from outside.
• Can I swim by the ruins? We do not advise it; keep clear of the submerged remains.
• How far from Sarti? About 29 km, about 34 minutes.

Practical info

• Where: south-west Sithonia, municipal unit of Toroni, 204 residents in the settlement (2021).
• Beach: about 2 to 2.5 km, golden medium-to-coarse sand, Blue Flag "Toroni" in 2025.
• Ancient Torone and Lekythos: beside the beach, about 0.9 km south-west of the village. Check current hours before you go.
• From Sarti: about 29 km, about 34 minutes.
• Porto Koufo: 2 to 3 km south.
• Check before going: archaeological site hours and tickets, whether the fortress gate is open, Blue Flag status.