Bike-trip: the 5 best cycling routes in Greece
Cradled by a thousand years of history and enchanting landscapes, Greece is a dream destination for a cycling trip. The Bicycles Quilicot team has travelled its sunny roads to bring you its selection of the best cycling itineraries in Greece, perfect for discovering this magnificent country and its incredible culture.
Ride around Athens
Every traveler to Greece passes through Athens, an essential stopover. At first glance, Athens may not seem the most welcoming city for a cycling trip, with few kilometers of bike paths compared to other European capitals, and very dense urbanization. However, as soon as you leave the city center, you'll find yourself in very quiet and charming residential areas, where you'll enjoy pedaling along small roads criss-crossing the first hills of the Athenian hinterland.
This intermediate-level itinerary takes you out of Athens to the north of the capital, before venturing between the small rural towns on its outskirts and the superb upmarket seaside resorts on the coast. The most difficult climbs are concentrated at the beginning and end of the route, ideal for enjoying the beautiful scenery halfway through. In less than 100km, you'll discover the different atmospheres of the fascinating city of Athens, and get to know its many facets while enjoying an incredible day's cycling.
Amazing landscapes around Nafplio
The city of Nafplio is the pearl of Greece's Peloponnese region, with an extremely rich history (like most Greek cities) and an extremely well-preserved, Unesco-listed historic center. Relatively small in size, it is nevertheless one of Greece's most attractive cities, and one that abounds in treasures both within and around it.
This itinerary of less than 70 km, which you don't need to be an expert cyclist, takes you to the hilltop archaeological site of Mycenae, where you can admire the ancient ruins of the tomb of Agamemnon, hero of the Trojan War and figure of Greek mythology. If you keep your bike with you, you'll be able to wander along the hillside paths and catch a glimpse of many ancient ruins. You can also enjoy a superb view over the bay of Nafplio, and perhaps set your sights on a swim and post-ride recuperation on one of the many beaches in the area.
A day on Naxos island
Naxos is a much less visited island than Santorini or Mykonos, yet you can still enjoy the typical Greek island scenery: white houses that blend into the azure blue of the Cycladic Sea, ancient ruins and enchanting landscapes. After taking a ferry from the port of Piraeus in Athens (transport of all types of bicycles is free on ferries to the islands), you can pedal your way to one of the most beautiful islands in the Cyclades, and certainly one of the most welcoming for cycling.
The 74km route is one of the most demanding of this selection: on the Greek islands, nothing is flat. You immediately find yourself on a mountainside, with two big climbs of around ten km and sections with percentages regularly in excess of 10%. But the effort is worth it: the views are incredible, the effort is rewarding, and the roads are extremely quiet. Unlike Santorini or Mykonos, you'll come across very few tourist buses and cars on the roads of Naxos, which makes cycling all the more enjoyable on this superb island.
Kalamata and the South of Peloponnese
Kalamata is one of the main cities of the Peloponnese, and world-famous for its olives! After fortifying yourself with a local culinary speciality (olive oil is one of the best nutritional allies for cyclists), you'll be able to ride your two wheels through a region of enchanting landscapes between sea and mountains. While the landscapes are typical of Greece, with mountains jutting out into the blue water, the architecture is very different from that of Athens or the Cyclades: we're closer to the medieval influence and small brick houses found in southern Italy, for example.
In 75km, you can cycle here through charming villages on the mountainside and take breaks on the beaches: whether you prefer pebbles or fine sand, the different types of beaches alternate along the coast and will satisfy everyone!
Mountains and gravel in North of Greece
The North of Greece is the country's most mountainous and picturesque region, but it's also the least touristy, offering the perfect playground for cyclists who want to get off the beaten track on a trip to the country. Between a succession of hills and alternating between asphalt roads deserted by cars and gravel and dirt tracks, this 100km itinerary will delight the most trained and demanding cyclists for an atypical experience in Greece.
At the eastern tip of Thessaly, the Nikiti peninsula is a dream for any cyclist looking for a (very) hilly outing in the heart of little-known Greece. As everywhere else in Greece, the slopes are steep and the descents technical, but the scenery at the top of the hills or on the way down to the seaside rewards the effort. A hidden nugget, a real unexpected highlight of this trip to Greece!
Good to know before traveling by bike in Greece
Although cycling is not (yet) widespread among the Greek population, and infrastructure is limited, Greece is a paradise for cyclists . Away from the city centers (Athens, Thessaloniki) and the tourist islands (Santorini, Mykonos, Corfu, Rhodes...), Greek roads are deserted by cars and offer an ideal playground for pedaling. However, beware: Greece is entirely covered by mountains, and the roads are never flat: a good level of physical fitness and cycling experience are essential to enjoy the ride!
The cyclist's main stake in Greece will be the heat : during our trip in the middle of July, temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius almost every day. Bear this in mind when choosing your cycling gear: short, light, breathable clothes are a must, whatever the season. Even in winter, average temperatures hover around 20 degrees Celsius, and only the mountain peaks are cooler. Keep well hydrated too: in Greece, drinking water is easy to find in the many cemeteries and churches that dot the country's towns and villages.
The consequences of this extreme heat are well known: the summer of 2023 will not have spared Greece from fires, so stay well informed if you're traveling there to avoid venturing into a high-risk area. The Copernicus agency offers accurate, real-time updated mapping, which you can use as a basis for organizing your trip in the event of fires in the country. All in all, we'd say that July/August is perhaps the least favourable period for cycling in Greece: March to June and September to November are the perfect months for cycling , with an ideal climate and colorful massifs set against the blue backdrop of the ocean.
If you're planning a cycling trip to Greece, we can't recommend it highly enough, so you'll have everything you need to plan your itinerary!
Get equipped for your cycling trips by browsing our online store , and get inspired for other cycling destinations on our blog: why not try cycling to Boston from Montreal , for example?
Good bike trip to all of you!
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