Cycling in Greece, island to island on the sea breeze

Cycling in Greece, differently: gentle, coastal, luminous

You often read that cycling in Greece has to be earned, that you must take on long passes and the heatwave of summer. That is true if you cross the mainland from west to east, with a pack on your back, in the middle of July. But that is only one way of seeing the country, and frankly not the most agreeable one past a certain age. There is another cycling Greece, quieter: that of the islands, of small roads that follow the sea, of mornings in the saddle followed by a lunch of grilled fish and a nap in the shade of a vine.

That is the Greece we love to share at Kelifos. Cycling here becomes an art of living, not a discipline. You pedal in the morning, when the air is cool, you stop as soon as a white chapel or a cove calls you, and you keep the afternoon for swimming and idleness. The aim is not to swallow kilometres, but to take the time to look and to savour. A fig picked at the roadside, the smell of thyme warmed by the sun, the changing blue of the sea: that is the real programme.

What a day looks like

To picture it, here is how a typical day unfolds. You leave your hotel or the deck of the boat around nine o'clock, after an unhurried breakfast. The road follows the coast, crosses an olive grove, climbs gently towards a village where the baker is still taking his bougatsa out of the oven. You dismount to visit an old church, exchange a few words with a fisherman mending his nets, buy a handful of almonds at the market. Around midday, a taverna at the water's edge opens its arms to you: grilled fish, tomato and feta salad, a glass of local wine. In the afternoon you skirt a beach, swim in translucent water, then make your way to the evening's stage at a stroll.

The distances stay deliberately reasonable, 25 to 35 kilometres depending on the day. Nothing exhausting, especially with electric assistance. And if the urge takes you to stay an hour longer on a terrace or to extend a swim, nothing stops you: your day belongs to you.

The electric bike changes everything

Let us be honest on one point: Greece is a country of marked relief, and its islands are no exception. The villages often nestle on the heights, and even a coastal ride has its share of small climbs. That is precisely where the electrically assisted bike makes all the difference.

With an e-bike, the hills become a game. The assistance takes over as soon as the road rises, you arrive at the top fresh and available, ready to savour the panorama rather than to get your breath back. Within a couple or a group of friends, differences in fitness fade away: everyone pedals at their own pace, nobody waits for anybody, and everyone enjoys the same day. That is, for us, the key to a successful cycling trip in Greece after 60. On all our trips the electric bike is offered at the time of booking, and we recommend it without hesitation.

Bike and boat: island to island without packing your bags

If you had to keep only one way of discovering Greece by bike, it might well be this one. The principle of bike and boat is simple and delightful: a traditional wooden boat serves as your floating home for the whole trip. You sleep on board, you take breakfast on deck, and each day the boat sets you down on a new island that you explore by bike. In the afternoon you sail towards the next port of call, a glass in your hand, facing the parade of coastlines.

The advantage is immediate: a single cabin for the whole stay, no case to pack and unpack, no transfer to organise. Our trip Cycling and sailing in the Cyclades covers six islands in 8 days, from the Cyclades to the Saronic islands, from gourmet Kythnos to pistachio-growing Aegina, by way of confidential Serifos and Syros with its pastel façades. The stages, of 25 to 35 kilometres, follow quiet roads between coves and perched villages.

In the Ionian islands the formula exists too: our trip Boat and bike on the Ionian islands links Corfu, Paxos, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Ithaca and Meganisi, six islands reached above all by sea. It is probably the most serene way of touching several islands in a single journey.

From hotel to hotel: freedom with comfort

Perhaps you like to find a real room on dry land each evening, with a shower of your own. The self-guided hotel-to-hotel formula is made for that. You pedal from one stage to the next, your itinerary is marked out on your phone, and your luggage is waiting for you on arrival. You carry only what you need for the day in your panniers.

Corfu lends itself wonderfully to this formula. Greener than the other Greek islands, scented with cypress and century-old olive trees, it unrolls its gentle hills between the sea and an unspoilt hinterland. Our trip Corfu the green, discovery by bike takes you from the old town of Kerkyra, a UNESCO site, to the Venetian fortresses and the secret beaches of the south, all on an e-bike to tame the slopes.

Further south, Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian islands, amply deserves the detour: the beach of Myrtos curled between two cliffs, the underground lake of Melissani, the small colourful harbour of Fiskardo where you taste the local Robola wine. Here again, the electric bike turns the rolling roads into a stroll.

To explore all our ideas and our collections, the starting point is our page devoted to cycling in Greece. There you will find guided trips as well as self-guided escapes, in the Cyclades as in the Ionian islands.

When to go, and how to organise it

The calendar counts for a great deal. The best periods for cycling in Greece run from April to mid-June, then from September to November. The light is fine, the air still mild, the roads quieter. July and August, on the other hand, combine strong heat and crowds: less agreeable by bike, even beside the sea. To refine your choice island by island, our guide to when to visit Greece sets out the seasons month by month.

As for organisation, be aware that the EuroVelo cycle routes announced in Greece remain, for the most part, projects on the ground, and cycle lanes there are rare. That is precisely why an organised trip makes full sense: itinerary scouted and waymarked, charming hotels booked, luggage transported, bike delivered to the hotel and assistance if needed. You have only to pedal and enjoy, the rest is invisible.

One last thing: do not let yourself be intimidated by the country's mountainous reputation. On the itineraries we have chosen for you, the distances stay reasonable, the difficult sections are bypassed, and the electric bike does the rest. If you are hesitating between several destinations, our article which Greek island to choose will help you find the one that resembles you.

The reward: the Greek table

Pedalling sharpens the appetite, and Greece knows how to answer it. Each island has its specialities, and it is often at a bend in the road that you make the finest gourmet discoveries. Kythnos has lived from its honey and its cheeses since antiquity, Aegina grows pistachios, Kefalonia produces the white Robola wine on its slopes. In the Ionian islands, the Venetian heritage can be tasted in a cuisine more fragrant than elsewhere in Greece. And everywhere, the same generosity: the mezze multiplying on the table, the olive oil from the producer next door, the fish taken from the water that very morning. To travel by bike is to earn each of these pleasures, and to appreciate them all the better.

Frequently asked questions about cycling in Greece

Where can you cycle in Greece?

The islands offer the finest way to pedal in Greece, sheltered from traffic and always close to the sea. The Cyclades are ideally savoured by bike and boat, the Ionian islands such as Corfu and Kefalonia unroll gentle hills between cypresses and olive trees, and Crete holds a hinterland accessible to lovers of stone villages. On the mainland, the Peloponnese and its ancient roads also attract cyclists, but the relief there is more marked and the services less present. For a thoroughly gentle trip, the islands remain the most serene route.

Is the electric bike suited to Greece?

Yes, and it changes everything. Greece is a country of marked relief, where the villages often nestle on the heights: electric assistance flattens the slopes and carries you to the top fresh and available, ready to savour the panorama. Within a couple or a group of friends, everyone pedals at their own pace and nobody waits for anybody. On all our trips the electric bike is offered at the time of booking, and we recommend it without reservation.

What is bike and boat?

It is the gentlest way of linking several islands in a single trip. A traditional wooden boat serves as your floating home: you sleep on board, you take breakfast on deck, and each day the boat sets you down on a new island that you explore by bike before sailing towards the next port of call. No case to repack, no transfer to organise. Our bike and boat trip in the Cyclades is the finest example of it, with six islands covered in 8 days.

What level do you need for a cycling tour of Greece?

No athletic preparation is necessary: our itineraries are designed for pleasure, never for performance. The stages stay deliberately reasonable, 25 to 35 kilometres a day, on quiet roads, and the electric bike takes care of the climbs. Your luggage travels separately, by road or on board the boat, so that you pedal light and enjoy every halt. And if the urge takes you to extend a swim or a coffee on a terrace, your day belongs to you.

Continue reading

• Which Greek island is right for you? The complete guide
• Hiking in Greece: the best trails island by island
• When to Visit Greece: Our Month-by-Month Guide