It's got ouzos of charm! From bird-watching to bootcamp, you can do as little or as much as you like in this swish corner of Greece

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Bearded, earnest, erudite, Theo the naturalist was surely the most charming character in The Durrells, the 最近の ITV 演劇 奮起させるd by Gerald Durrell’s memoir My Family And Other Animals. It was Theo who opened a young Gerald’s 注目する，もくろむs to the marvels of Greek 野性生物.

And now here we are 存在 guided through a pine forest to the shores of Lake Stavronikita by our own Theo. 類似の in 外見 and temperament, George is 述べるing to us the array of bird life for which this lake is, as he calls it, Piccadilly Circus.

Just 支援する from the seashore in this divine corner of the Halkidiki 半島 in north-east Greece, the 272 acres of wetlands are an avian terminus between Africa and Europe where more than 200 bird 種類 spend a warm winter.

'Laze away by all means, but there is 簡単に too much to do here to 低迷 on a lounger all week', 令状s 示す Simpson

So it is that we gazed enraptured ― even our not-easily-pleased children, Toby, 15, and 12-year-old Isobel ― at 整然とした （人が）群がるs of little egrets, terns, 沼 harriers and 広大な／多数の／重要な cormorants by the dozen. We almost 推定する／予想するd them to pull out little binoculars and 星／主役にする 支援する at us.

And there are more surprises. A flash of red and purple wings, and suddenly Isobel, who has evidently been 支払う／賃金ing attention, yells: ‘Isn’t that a purple heron?’ Even George is excited.

始める，決める まっただ中に those fragrant pine forests, the Sani 訴える手段／行楽地 lies on a curving 私的な bay in which nestle five ― count them ― five-星／主役にする hotels, each with a 際立った flavour. Some are more ふさわしい to families, others to couples 捜し出すing a 平和的な corner.

You’ll find it on the Kassandra 半島 about 45 minutes east of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city. At one end of the bay, a 中世 Byzantine watchtower stands guard, its 直面する 始める，決める across the 海峡s に向かって the 頂点（に達する） of 開始する Olympus, where the gods of Greece once 支配するd.

We stayed at Sani Club at the east end of the bay, where 得点する／非難する／２０s of rooms are dotted up the 法外な hillside. But who needs to walk when you can call a chauffeured ゴルフ cart at any time of the day or night? Toby and Isobel whizzed about even if they were just 長，率いるing 負かす／撃墜する to the pool.

Laze away by all means, but there is 簡単に too much to do here to 低迷 on a lounger all week. The place thrums with activity, from the 早期に morning Pilates 開会／開廷／会期 on a hillside above the Aegean to biking along the 沿岸の 追跡する, sailing, football at the Chelsea 学院 or tennis at the new Rafa Nadal centre, where 階級s of pristine clay 法廷，裁判所s （犯罪の）一味 to the 安定した pock-pock-pock of tennis balls. And new for this year is the 耐える Grylls 生き残り 学院, 目的（とする）d at teaching children 老年の six and 上向きs the basics of outdoor adventure. Lessons on 偽装する and raft-building are on 申し込む／申し出. Problem is, I think a lot of dads will 調印する up.

Isobel 長，率いるd for the Sani Adventure Park, opened last year, which is like your own 私的な Go Ape 回路・連盟 with ropes strung high between the trees. She whooped with delight as she screeched 負かす／撃墜する a zipwire through the 支店s, while her mum made rather more stately but 決定するd 進歩 through the treetops.

Another day, Toby and I 雇うd beefy mountain bikes to 調査する 古代の 穴掘りs, puffing up dusty paths and then 爆破 負かす／撃墜する に向かって tiny beaches.

Idyll: Dining by the sea at the Sani 訴える手段／行楽地. There are 24 restaurants in total?

Once, we dropped the children at the オゾン Teen club behind the swanky marina, where they loved the guitar jam 開会／開廷／会期 and a pedalo ride on the sea as part of the Sani Green eco-programme, in which they 熟考する／考慮するd grasses on the 海底 and peered at darting fish.

If there is one 刺激（する） to get moving, it’s the sheer number of calories you can’t help shovelling in every night in any of the 訴える手段／行楽地’s 24 restaurants.

There is a smart ‘dine around’ 計画（する）: from the classic Greek Ouzerie to a 素晴らしい new caviar place, it’s all a culinary joy. Our favourite was the Cabana restaurant on the beach, one of many where the menu is 含むd in a half-board stay.

If you’re going a la carte, then a beetroot salad will 始める，決める you 支援する ?17 ― but this is a 高級な 訴える手段／行楽地 and once you have 受託するd that your wallet will take a bit of a bashing, you can 沈む into the sheer indulgence of the place.

And, boy, did it feel 価値（がある） it when the kids were pootling up and 負かす／撃墜する the sand under the 星／主役にするs between dinner courses while we sat 支援する and sipped a glass of 冷気／寒がらせるd bliss.

Those gods knew what they were doing when they settled in this outpost of heaven on earth.