Peloponnese

Wonderful ancient seaside

Peloponnese bike trip.

Almost unbelievable but true. On this bike tour you will experience the current Greece at its best and at the same time you discover ancient treasures of world level. From the small village Vytina, you will start a wonderful bike route through the striking mountain scenery to Tripoli, the capital of the Peloponnese. Afterwards, you will dash through the Tanos Valley in the Parnonas Mountains down to the turquoise coast and enjoy wonderful 5 days here. Marvel at the ancient theater of Argos, about the Lion Gate at Mycenae and about Epidaurus, the most famous place of worship of ancient world. Look forward to the small fishing village of Paralia Astros, and the picturesque old town of Nafplion, where you spend 3 nights and start to round trips. Nafplion with its beautiful promenade and the many taverns and restaurants in the old town is for many locals as well as visitors one of the most attractive city in the country. So, pack your saddle bags and go for it!

1. day Arrival Vytina

By plane to Athens or Kalamata. Transfer from the airport to the hotel (approx. 1-2 hours travel time depending on the airport) can be booked.

2. day From Vytina to Tripoli 38 km

Look forward to a wonderful bike ride through the mountains of the Peloponnese. From the excursion town of Vytina you cycle on small streets through rugged mountains, green forests and small dreamy towns to the lively town of Tripoli, the capital of the region. A total of approx. 550 meters in altitude.

3. day Round tour of the Kapsia stalactite cave, approx. 47 km

Look forward to this day tour through the plateau around Tripoli. Marvel at the wealth of the earth as you cycle through apple orchards, small orchards and vineyards. Completely surprisingly, you suddenly find yourself in front of one of the most important caves in Greece with magnificent stalactite creations, before you can get to know a selection of red, rosé and white wines from a winegrower. Other highlights of your round tour are the excavations of the ancient city of Mantinea. A total of approx. 270 meters in altitude.

4. day Tripoli - Paralio Astros, approx. 55 km

Today you cycle past the ruins of the temple of Athena Alea in Tegea through wide olive groves and through the Parnonas Mountains down to the old, picturesque fishing village of Paralio Astros with its kilometer-long pebble beach and tranquil restaurants right on the water. Shortly before your destination for the day, however, you should definitely pay a visit to the small monastery of Loukós and plan a short visit to the current excavations of the ancient city of Eva. A total of approx. 700 meters in altitude.

5. day Paralio Astros - Nafplion, approx. 45 km

A beautiful bike ride on the coastal road awaits you today. Again and again you will be fascinated by magnificent views of the turquoise sea, small fishing boats and the wide bay of the Argolic Gulf. After a refreshing dip in the sea, you continue on the fertile plain to Argos, which is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Impressive here is not only the mighty fortress high up on the Lárissa mountain, but above all the archaeological excavation site at the foot of the mountain. Marvel at the ancient remains of the amphitheater built into the mountain, one of the largest in Greece. Look forward to your day's destination with its narrow old town streets, the beautiful harbor promenade and the many cafés. It is not for nothing that the picturesquely situated Nafplion is now considered the most attractive city in Greece. A total of approx. 460 meters in altitude.

6. day Round trip Mykene, approx. 51 km

Today you roll through wide orange and lemon groves to Mycenae, a fortress with massive walls that was built around 3,300 years ago and is one of the most important cities of antiquity. The ascent at the edge of the mountain slope is quickly forgotten, because you are amazed at the impressive excavations and important finds. The world-famous Lion's Gate, which weighs tons, and the shaft tombs are among the great cultural and historical attractions in Greece and will not only inspire us cyclists. A total of approx. 360 meters in altitude.

7. day Excursion Epidaurus, approx. 42 km

The last cycling stage of your journey begins quite comfortably with a transfer to Epidaurus, which is one of the historical highlights of every trip to Greece. Be impressed by the gigantic and well-preserved amphitheater, which is over 2,300 years old and held 14,000 spectators at the time! After an extensive tour get on your bikes. Mostly going downhill, you whiz through mountainous karst landscape and through the vast pistachio-growing area back to the coast. Enjoy another refreshing swim in the crystal clear sea water and look forward to another evening in Nafplion. A total of approx. 330 meters in altitude.

8. day Departure Nafplion

Transfer to the airport (can be booked), or extension program, if desired.

Worth knowing about your bike trip Peloponnes

Below you will find specific information about the bicycle tour in the Peloponnese. If you have any further questions about this trip, simply give us a call: Tel.: +49 (0)6421 - 886890.

Arrival to Vytina

- By car: If you want to travel completely overland from Germany to Greece, the route from Frankfurt is about 2550 km long and leads via Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Macedonia to Athens and on to Tripoli. Or you can drive to Italy and take a ferry from Venice, Trieste, Ancona, Bari or Brindisi directly to Patras in the Peloponnese. From Patras it is then about 150 km to Vytina.

- By plane: Flights to Athens airport or - depending on the season - to Kalamáta. A transfer can also be booked from the airport (journey time approx. 2 hours from Athens, 1 hour from Kalamata). Public intercity buses also run every hour from the airport to Vytina and from Nafplion to the airport (journey time approx. 3 hours).

The cycling routes

You cycle 99% on paved paths and only a few km on gravel roads. The fertile plateau of Tripoli and the flat countryside between Nafplion and Argos are criss-crossed by small and very small asphalt roads, and even on the few passages on wider roads there is hardly any disruptive car traffic. Overall, the sparsely populated region has little traffic and is therefore ideal for leisurely cycling. On each cycling stage there are always short and some longer climbs to be mastered, but overall the descents predominate, since you start in Tripoli at 600 m altitude and roll down to the sea and are also brought to 300 m altitude on the transfer to Epidaurus and again roll down to the sea. With a basic level of fitness, this tour, which is generally "moderately difficult", is easy to do and enjoy.

The Bikes

The rental bikes are equipped with a large luggage bag, a tool set and a first aid kit. New bikes are used as women's and men's bikes in different frame sizes (women's bikes from a height of 150 cm, men's bikes from a height of 160 cm). Circuit 27-gear derailleur. Electric bikes can also be booked.

The Travel Seasons

From March, the daytime temperatures in the Peloponnese are well suited for leisurely cycling and from April you can expect mild evenings. In May, the sea temperature is also pleasant for a longer swim, and in June shaded areas are already in demand. Real high season with hot temperatures is in July and August, then the locals are also in large numbers at the water. The hustle and bustle subsides abruptly from September and pleasant temperatures for the cyclists prevail again. October is still a good month to travel in the saddle of a bike and the crystal-clear water has retained the heat.

The catering

Greek cuisine is more diverse than you might think. Of course, all the usual dishes known in this country are offered, but mostly the taverns and restaurants also have their own regional specialties on offer and of course fresh fish is always served in a variety of ways, especially on the coast. In addition, a suitable house wine from the barrel and an aperitif in advance, and the sunset on the beach or on the promenade can become a real pleasure!

The Hotels

You will stay in small family-run hotels, all of which have either been newly opened in recent years or have been extensively modernized during this time. In the selected hotels, personal charm is combined with modern comfort. According to German criteria, these hotels would get 3 - 4 stars and thus convincingly meet the expectations of most cyclists.

Extensions/ Additional Arrangements

In the saddle of a bike you will get to know and love one of the most beautiful and historic regions of Greece. You are welcome to extend your cycling holiday and your time in Greece, we will be happy to help you further. Just ask about this when you make your booking.

Bathing Facilities

You can cycle to a large number of bathing bays and can go swimming every day from the 3rd day of cycling. Fine pebble beaches with crystal clear water await you everywhere, and there is often a public shower nearby.

Navigation app (GPS)

You often cycle on small roads and paths with many junctions in a very varied landscape. There are no cycle path signs here and there are usually no other place or information signs. To make it easier for you to find your way around, we provide a navigation app that makes navigating on your smartphone easy and convenient. This will always get you to your desired destination without detours and long searches - we guarantee that!

Cycling in Greece

One thing is certain: as a cycling holidaymaker you are still exotic in the Peloponnese. In the towns, children are the dominant group in the saddle and in front of the city gates, local cyclists are only rarely to be found on the mostly deserted streets. At the latest when you stop at the next tavern along the way, you are sure to get admiring looks and you will soon be involved in hospitable conversations. As a cyclist you are very close again - to the people, the beautiful landscape and the many sights.

7 day hotline service

Just in case the bike chain breaks, flooding makes it impossible to continue your tour or any
other nasty surprise: You can reach us seven days a week and we will do anything to help
you as fast as possible.

Passport and visa requirements, health regulations

For EU citizens, there are no special passport or visa requirements and no health formalities to be considered for this trip.

Corona travel information:
Before booking your trip, please inform yourself about the measures in place to contain the Corona pandemic.

An up-to-date overview of applicable measures and travel and safety advice regarding Covid-19 for all countries in the EU and Switzerland can be found here:
https://reopen.europa.eu/en/

You can also find more information on our website at:
Corona virus and holiday planning

Travel insurance

The tour price already includes the statutory insolvency insurance. In addition, we recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance upon receipt of your travel confirmation in order to protect yourself against financial disadvantages in the event of travel cancellation, interruption of travel, illness or accident.

The Peloponnese

The Peloponnese is located in southern Greece and is separated from the mainland by the artificial Corinth Canal. The Peloponnese is ancient cultural land and offers unique archaeological sites of antiquity and the Middle Ages. Mycenaeans, ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Franks, Ottomans, French and English all left their mark on the region. The peninsula also has a lot to offer in terms of landscape: the spectrum ranges from beautiful bathing beaches to wide plains to high mountains. Almost the entire peninsula is very fertile and, in contrast to the Greek islands, has little to do with drought and the resulting lack of water. Large parts of the mountainous region are covered with dense forests, in the valleys the good soil is used for agricultural development.

The name of the Peloponnese means something like "Island of the Pelops". Pelops is a mythological king who conquered large parts of Elis and Arcadia. Later the whole peninsula was named after him.

Tolo

Due to its location, the natural beauty of the landscape and the proximity to neighboring archaeological sites (such as Corinth, Mycenae, Tiryns and the famous sanctuary of Epidaurus), economic growth in this region began in the 20th century. Tolo has become a popular resort for tourists from all over the world, which is why there are more than 15 hotels and numerous restaurants

What gives Tolo its special charm is the elongated bay surrounded by mountains and the buildings right down to the sea. In the taverns you sit directly on the water.

Day tours with different ships (capacity up to 300 or 500 passengers, depending on the ship) take place from the port of Tolo. The islands of Spetses, Hydra and Poros are approached, as well as Monemvasia.

Mycenae

Mycenae was one of the most important cities of Greece in pre-classic times and the Mycenaean culture was named after her. The city lay on a hill north of the plain of Argos. From here one surveyed and controlled the land route between the southern Peloponnese and the Isthmus of Corinth, the isthmus connecting the peninsula with Athens and northern Greece.

Sights: The Löwentor forms the entrance, its stones are huge, the lintel alone is said to weigh around 20 tons. Above it is a block of stone, which serves as a relief triangle for the side wall ashlars, its front is formed by two lions, whose heads were probably made of a different material in ancient times. Behind the entrance to the Acropolis lie the royal tombs excavated by Schliemann, behind which lie some former residential buildings. Other remains of the building have been identified as granaries, followed by craftsmen's homes and the artists' workshop. Further up, the outline and structure of the palace can be seen. To the north the terrain slopes down, here is a bailey with a partially accessible cistern, a simpler gate forms a second entrance to the castle.

A number of other foundations are visible outside the castle walls, and it can be assumed that this area of ​​the city still holds a number of secrets.

The associated museum is clearly laid out. The golden exhibits are copies of Schliemann's finds, the originals are in Athens. Also worth seeing are the small finds on display, which allow conclusions to be drawn about the religious ideas of this archaic people.

Castle remains in Tiryns

Tiryns is an ancient city near Nafplion. The city stretched on a limestone cliff up to 30 meters high, about 300 meters long and 40-100 meters wide. Originally, the coast ran closer to this hill. From the third millennium BC Tiryns was one of the most important centers of Bronze Age Europe.

Between 1876 and 1885 excavations were carried out by the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. He was able to uncover a Mycenaean palace on the highest part of the rock, the so-called upper castle. Subsequent excavations under the direction of Wilhelm Dörpfeld, Kurt Müller and Georg Karo, which were carried out between 1905 and 1929, gave further conclusions about the once outstanding importance of the city in prehistoric times. Since 1976, Tiryns has again been systematically explored by German archaeologists, until 1986 under the direction of Klaus Kilian, later under the direction of other researchers from the University of Heidelberg and the German Archaeological Institute.

In 1999, Tiryns was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Mycenae.

Nafplion

Nafplion or Nauplia, the capital of the Greek prefecture of Argolis, is a beautiful port city in the Peloponnese with almost 17,000 inhabitants. In the 19th century, from 1829 - 1834, Nafplion was even the provisional capital of all of Greece.

Nafplion has many historic buildings worth seeing, including the city's three fortresses and a Venetian barracks built in 1713. You can also visit numerous important churches, e.g. the church ‘St. Spiridonas' and the churches of St. Sofia and St. Nicholas and the Church of the Virgin. In addition, Nafplion has three interesting museums, the well-known Archaeological Museum as well as a War Museum and a Folklore Museum.

Nafplion was besieged by Greek revolutionary troops for a year during the Greek Revolution and finally conquered in December 1822. From 1829 to 1834, Nafplion was the second capital of modern Greece after gaining independence from the Ottoman Empire, after Aegina (1827–1829). In 1833 the city became the residence of Otto of Bavaria, who became the Greek king. In 1834 the court moved to Athens, which has been the Greek capital ever since.

Argos

Argos is a Greek city in the north-east of the Peloponnese, which was founded around 5000 years ago and was shaped by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Turks and today has 25,000 inhabitants. Argos is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe.

Argos is an important city in Greek mythology. According to legend, Danaos became ruler of the Argolis after fleeing Egypt. His son Adrastus became the leader of the seven against Thebes. In the epics of Homer, Diomedes becomes king of Argos. Argos is said to have originally been called Phoroneikon, after Phoroneus, Argos' grandfather and mythical founder of the first trading colony in the Peloponnese.

The amphitheater hewn into the rock (built around 300-275 BC) is impressive, which held 20,000 spectators and where numerous performances take place again today. Below the theater are the best preserved remains of thermal baths on Greek soil (1st to 2nd centuries AD). On the Agora, which was overgrown until 1998, there were, among other things, some columned halls (Stoai) from the 5th century BC. 200 BC, a racecourse and the well-preserved rotunda of a Nymphaion, which was converted into an ordinary fountain house in 200 AD. In the Archaeological Museum, a fragment of a crater from the 7th century BC is particularly important. It is worth mentioning that Odysseus blinded Polyph and the only complete suit of armor from the Geometric period (8th century BC). Larissa Castle on the hill that can be seen from afar dates back to Mycenaean times.

Paralio Astros

Paralio Astros is considered one of the best summer destinations in Greece, as the picturesque fishing village with its kilometer-long pebble beach has developed into a popular bathing resort in recent years. Inexpensive taverns with guaranteed freshly prepared fish can still be found at the harbor and the pedestrian zone has recently been redesigned and laid out with beautiful natural stone. While farmers and fishermen determine the picture in the off-season, the scenery changes abruptly in midsummer. Then the yachts of many Greeks are anchored in the small harbor, there are performances in the new amphitheater at the lighthouse and life rages on the beach. But already at the beginning of September the place falls back into its slumber.

Loukos Monastery

In Loukos there is a monastery founded in the 12th century. The monastery, now inhabited by nuns, is called Metamorphosis Sotiros and was built on the ruins of the sanctuary of Polemocrates, a grandson of Asklepios. Inside the cross-domed church there are well-preserved frescoes from the 17th century, as well as a floor mosaic and a richly carved iconostasis. The outer walls are decorated with ceramic plates and spolia from the nearby villa of Herodes Atticus. Other spoils from the same site can be found on other buildings of the monastery. A special attraction of the monastery is the lovingly tended garden.

Kapsia stalactite cave

Only in the period from 2010 - 2012 was the cave prepared for the public and around 3 million euros were invested in the expansion of the paths and the lighting.

The cave surpasses many others in its blaze of color and diversity. It has been known for a long time that there is a cave here, because here is the famous “Schwindow” of Kapsia, where masses of water just disappear into the depths. Almost all of the plateaus around Tripoli have no natural outlet, so the water has to find its own way. It did so here many millions of years ago and the result is the glorious cave. It is not only interesting for tourists, archaeologists, biologists and geologists have conducted extensive research here. Around 6,500 square meters have been developed so far, provided with professional lighting and accompanied by subtle music. Stalagmites and stalactites form bizarre figures that fascinate above all because of their colorful design and were created by water and salt over hundreds of thousands of years.

The cave was discovered in 1887 by French archaeologists digging in nearby Mantineia. In 1911, a French journal wrote that Kapsia is one of the most beautiful caves in the world. After that, unfortunately - or fortunately - it fell into oblivion. Many freely accessible caves in Greece suffered from stalactites being taken home as souvenirs by “tourists”. The cave in Kapsia was spared that.

Kapsia stalactite cave

Tripoli

The first settlement arose in Tripoli between the 8th and 10th centuries by Slavic settlers. During the Venetian rule (1685 - 1715), Tripoli was an important economic and political center with around 10,000 inhabitants. Also during the Ottoman rule the city was the administrative center of the Peloponnese.

Today, Tripoli has almost 30,000 inhabitants and is located on the edge of the fertile Arcadian plateau, in which mainly cereals, fruit and wine are grown.

By Greek standards, the city of Tripoli is relatively young. Since it was completely destroyed in 1827 during the Greek war of liberation and then rebuilt, there are no longer any older historical buildings to be discovered in the city. The main square of the city, Areos Square, with the imposing Court Palace and the renovated monument to the city leaders and the statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis, supreme commander of the revolution of 1821, is particularly worth seeing. There is also the Byzantine church of Saint Vassilios, bishopric and symbol of the City. Also worth seeing is the neoclassical building of the People's Theater in Petrinos Square and the house of the poet Kostas Kariotakis, which was recently rebuilt, and the traditional Grand Café. Findings from the excavations of ancient sites of Arcadia are on display in the neoclassical building of the Archaeological Museum of Tripoli.

Epidauros

Epidauros is the most important ancient place of worship for the healing god Asklepios in Greece. It is located in the area of ​​Lygourio, about 30 km from the city of Nafplion. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

The most imposing and still most striking building of Epidauros is undoubtedly the large theater built into a hillside with a magnificent view of the mountain landscape of the Argolis. It dates from the 4th century BC. (~ 330 BC), i.e. from the late classical period. Especially the large, semi-circular spectator stand, which was rebuilt around 170/160 BC. Chr. offers space for up to 14,000 people, also impresses today's visitors. The round orchestra, the venue for the choir in classical ancient drama, was closed off at the back by a mighty stage house, of which only the foundations have survived today. This once served as a changing room, for storing important theater props and - after a change in performance practice at the beginning of the 3rd century B.C. BC – also as a performance and performance location for the actors. The stage wall was either painted with pictures or hung with panels, which made it possible to create theatrical scenery for the respective play.

The theater has excellent acoustics, so you can hear every word, even from the top rows. This is probably achieved by the downwardly curved shape of the seat stones. A popular "acoustic test" in the theater of Epidaurus is dropping a coin on the stone slab in the center of the stage ring, which can easily be heard by the top tier.

Classical dramas have been presented here regularly since 1952 and – like back then – attract spectators from all over Greece to Epidaurus during the summer months.

The associated museum is divided into three rooms. The first room shows gifts of thanks for successful cures and miracle cures, as well as the medical instruments used at that time. In the second room there are a number of statues, mostly votive offerings from the last years of the Aiskleipeoin. However, the statue of Aesculapius is a copy, the original is in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. In the third room parts of the building are reconstructed or available as models, there is also a model of the tholos here.