# The Ultimate Guide to Nea Roda, Halkidiki > The village on the Xerxes Canal: a marina, sandy beaches and a key position 10 minutes from Ammouliani, Ouranoupoli and Ierissos. Nea Roda sits on Halkidiki's most historic ground: the isthmus where Xerxes dug his canal in 480 BC — today a lively seaside village of ~1,000 residents with a marina, sandy beaches and a key position between Ierissos, Tripiti and Ouranoupoli. Founded in 1922 by refugees from the Propontis, its refugee DNA still shows in the street grid and the names. ## Beaches - **[Voulitsa](https://chalkidikihub.gr/en/beaches/voulitsa-athos)** (1.3 km): The sandy, quiet beach on the Tripiti side. - **[Wet Dream](https://chalkidikihub.gr/en/beaches/wet-dream-beach-athos)** (0.4 km): The nearest sand, with a beach-bar mood in summer. - **[Ierissos beach](https://chalkidikihub.gr/en/beaches/ierissos-beach-mainland)** (3.8 km): Kilometres of open sand on the isthmus's east side. - **[Komitsa](https://chalkidikihub.gr/en/beaches/komitsa-athos)** (4.7 km): A swim with Mount Athos in view, towards Ouranoupoli. All options: [beaches near Nea Roda](https://chalkidikihub.gr/en/places/nea-roda/beaches). ## The Xerxes Canal The 2-kilometre isthmus between Nea Roda and [Tripiti](https://chalkidikihub.gr/en/places/tripiti) is the narrowest point of the Athos peninsula — this is where Herodotus places the canal Xerxes dug to pass the Persian fleet. The channel has silted over, but the line shows in the terrain: a coast-to-coast bike ride puts you literally in the tracks of ancient engineering. ## Things to do - **Ammouliani in 10 minutes**: The ferry leaves from neighbouring Tripiti (1.8 km) — see the [island guide](https://chalkidikihub.gr/en/blog/ammouliani-island-complete-guide). - **Ouranoupoli** (7 km): The Prosforio tower and the Mount Athos cruises. - **The marina**: Nea Roda has one of the area's few organized moorings — handy for anyone travelling by boat. ## Food and stay Tavernas and cafés on the seafront, serving local fish and mussels. Stay in rooms and small hotels at gentler prices than touristy Ouranoupoli — browse [stays in the area](https://chalkidikihub.gr/en/listings). ## Practical - **Distance**: ~120 km from Thessaloniki (1h 50m). - **Parking**: Easy almost everywhere. - **Best period**: June-September. ## Practical notes for international visitors Nea Roda sits exactly on the line of the Xerxes Canal of 480 BC — a goosebump detail for antiquity fans that no mass resort offers. Clever as a base for the whole Athos corner: Ammouliani ferry (5 min to Tripiti), Ouranoupoli (10 min), Ierissos (5 min), at prices below touristy Ouranoupoli. ## Frequently asked questions ### Why base yourself in Nea Roda? It is the practical hub of the Athos coast: Ammouliani, Ouranoupoli, Ierissos and Komitsa all within 10 minutes — at village prices and village quiet. ### Where exactly was the Xerxes Canal? Its line crosses the isthmus's lowest point, between Nea Roda and Tripiti — today the provincial road crosses it and it reads as a shallow valley. More: [the Nea Roda page](https://chalkidikihub.gr/en/places/nea-roda). --- Source: Type: BlogPosting · Halkidiki, Greece