Itinerary

Day 1: Nafplio
Today’s highlight is biking to Ancient Epidavros, Greece largest ancient theatre. This 3rd century BC outdoor wonder seats 15,000 and its acoustics are still so impeccable spectators atop the last tier can hear whisperings from the stage.  From here we coast down to elegant Nafplio, modern Greece’s first capital.  You've probably never heard of it, but Nafplio will most likely rate as your favorite Greek town.

Day 2: Nafplio
An easy one hour ride through orange grove to Mycenae (a/k/a Mykines), a World Heritage Site.  You will marvel at the unusual beehive tomb built for the mighty King Agamemnon who launched the Trojan War.  Evening boat ride to Bourtzi island for a panoramic view of Nafplio, the Palamidi fortress and the expansive bay.

Day 3: Stemnitsa
The highest and most ascents of the tour.  A “bald” tree-less mountain allowing panoramic views of distant mountains misleadingly resembling sea waves (2297 ft). After lunch the terrain turns forest-y, a bit steeper, climbing 4265 ft in the heart of Arcadia to Stemnitsa, a precious mountain village with stone houses and red tiled roofs overlooking the splendiferous Lousios Gorge.

Day 4: Olympia
Most of today's route is downhill with detours en route, including to a monastery built into a cliff from where you can see the "secret school" from the days of the Greek Revolution. A pit stop in Langada to buy homemade “sun liqueurs” or hand carved canes with goat antlers. The ride cycles past the Olympia stadium, the ruins lying within a discus throw of our bike route.

Day 5: Lampei
In the morning tour Ancient Olympia, the actual grounds where the world's original athletes competed as early as 796 B.C. The modern Olympics were resurrected in 1896.  After lunch, it takes  roughly three hours to reach a traditional mountain village called Lampei where the loudest noise is simply the clang-y orchestra of goat and sheep bells.

Day 6: Kalavrita
We are cycling deep in mountain territory, mostly following a ridge, but a fair amount of rolling ascents and descents make the ride entertaining. The day’s highlight is Cave of the Lakes, a series of subterranean lakes inside a huge cave. Thereafter an hour’s climbing until reaching Kalavrita, a charming mountain village popular for skiing, paragliding and homemade products.

Day 7: Athens Airport Sofitel or central Athens
The last cycling day has lots of mileage but it is most is down hill and flat hugging the Corinth Gulf coast.  Lunch in Xylokastro where the pine trees border the beach. Ambitious cyclists can rendezvous with the vehicle at Ancient Corinth and Akrokorinthos Fortress whose strategic height offers panoramic views of surrounding seas. Dinner at a sea side taverna before transfers to Athens Airport Sofitel Hotel or central Athens.   

Day 8: Departures

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