Peloponnese on the road

Did you know Peloponnese is a cycling paradise? I didn’t. I will bring you through an on-the-road trip to discover the Greek region giving you the best advise on beaches, towns, archeological sites and of course riding!

The roads outlined by the orange groves and the scent of oregano. Olive trees and the loud noise of the crickets, the southern Greek Region is the perfect destination for chilling and cycling.

I am no new to Greece and I almost visited every region and many Islands, but for some reasons never made a trip to Peloponnese. I felt like I needed to discover it and I wasn’t disappointed. Peloponnese has it all: history and archeological sites, beautiful sand beaches and stunning forgotten rock bays, small little towns and unexpected insane cycling routes. Thinking back to it, I am convinced that cycling in Peloponnese is truly underrated, it has nothing to envy to many renowed cycling destinations, what it doesn’t have is traffic and globeros doing reps while talking marginal gains. Mine wasn’t a cycling holiday, but a relaxing one with some riding in the morning: bike, rides, good life!

Important things first: renting a road bike in Peloponnese

To discover Peloponnese the trip starts in Athens with a stop at Gr Cycling warehouse to pick up the rented road bike booked last-minute the day before. The warehouse is a 15 minutes drive from the airport and they have a large range of bicycles, including many road bikes. I picked a low range one with an honest rental fee of 30€ per day, they also deliver bikes all over Greece, with significant extra costs. Road cycling in Greece is not as popular as in other European Countries, therefore the renting options are a few. If you are interested in organized bike tours, Gr Cycling organizes them, another local operator that looks really inspiring is Pedal Greece. I hadn’t the chance to test their services, but the people behind the business are really kind and passionate, so I am confident their trips can be really good.

With the road bike crooked inside the small rented car I am ready to bring you along my on-the-road trip in Peloponnese, here my concise guide for you!

A brief overview

Peloponnese has three “fingers”, from east to west you have Lakonia, Mani and Messenia. Lakonia and Mani offer the more inspiring roads, and the more scenic spots, Messenia the most famous sand beaches.

The roads in Lakonia and Mani are stunning, the traffic in the morning is almost non-existent. There aren’t big climbs, but a pleasant eternal flow of up & downs and tiny hairpins climbing up the many hills. The gradients are gentle, the asphalt on the main roads close to perfection, the great views make the rest.

In this map you can find all the places that will be mentioned below, by clicking on them you will be able to read brief notes and some tips.

Lakonia and Monemvasia

To explore Lakonia I would suggest to use Monemvasia as a base camp. The Medieval town with its romantic fortress is charming and it sits in a strategic point to discover the area. Don’t miss the sunset from the Cafè Monemvasia and a dinner at Voltes, a small restaurant offering Greek traditional dishes with a creative twist at populuar prices. 

What not to miss when in Lakonia?

• The archeological sites: Epidaurus Theatre and the archeological site of Mycenae with its Lion Gate are a must visit. The tickets cost 12€ each, visit them early in the morning to avoid heat and tourist buses.
• The small Elafonissos Island, with its white sand beaches and clear waters. The island can be reached from Pounta with a ferry that runs every hour starting from 9 am, tickets can’t be booked in advance so the sooner you arrive, the better. Don’t miss Simos Beach, its most scenic beach.
• Lakonia is full of beautiful beaches, I suggest you to visit two “hidden gems”: Vlychada and Damos, they are less known and not so easy to reach (especially Damos) but they will reward you with peace and relax.
• Cycling: every road I saw deserved to be ridden, two hold a special place in my personal GC: the new and old road that from Monemvasia cross the peninsula and bring you to the opposite coast, two gentle climbs with spectacular views. If you have the chance to ride them in the early morning, they will gift you some unique vibes hardly matchable.

Mani and Areopoli

Mani is perhaps the most touristic area of Peloponnese and it often feels like a living postcard. Sometimes it can become a bit too touristic, but never too much. The beaches in Mani are great, the towns lovely and the roads scream to be ridden, perhaps the best area where to cycle.

What not to miss in Mani?

• The Archeological Site of Mystras, part of UNESCO World Heritage, Mystras sits on a hill, it was built in the XIII century and it is in stunning conditions. The site is pretty big and its visit can take up to 4-5 hours.
• The towns, especially Areopoli, that can become crowded and a bit too loud in the evenings but it is absolutely lovely. Mandatory to have at least a dinner here enjoying the great kontosouvli (spit roasted pork) that can be found in almost every taverna. I suggest also a stop at the abbandoned village of Vathia, a dinner in Kardamili and a visit to Gerolimenas, even if I found the latter a bit too touristic for my holiday mood.
• The beaches are mainly of small pebbles and white rocks. Don’t miss the ones located in the south (Cape Matapan area) such as Vathi Beach, that can be reached with a 30 minutes walk.
• Cycling: the perfect tarmac and neat villages make Mani the best area for cycling. Near the coast there aren’t big climbs, but a continuous up&down of gentle little cotes and scenic hairpins. Going towards the inland mountains become higher and the roads more interesting for climbers. In general cycling in Mani is an experience that will feed your cycling soul, one of those moments of peace that your mind will recall as a motivation once on the indoor trainer in Winter.

Messenia: white beaches with some surprises

Messenia owns the most scenic beaches, personally I preffered Lakonia and Mani, but it is undeniable that these bays are among the best white sand beaches you can dream of. The towns are interesting, but what makes the difference it’s its proximity with places like Olympia or the hidden treasure of the Polylimnio Waterfalss.

What not to miss when in Messenia?

• The white sand beaches, especially the stunning Voidolikia Beach and Divari. The two renowed beaches are large and can become pretty crowded, make sure to walk until the very end of them to enjoy a day in total relax.
• The towns of Methoni with its Castle, Koroni and Pylos
• A day trip to Sapientza Island, a tiny island with only one (lovely) beach. You can reach it with a taxi boat from Methoni port, it runs every hour starting from 10 am, round ticket is 15€ and it takes no longer than 15 minutes. 
• Not only beaches, my favourite discovery in Messenia were the amazing Polylimnio Waterfalls, pay them a visit and have a bath in their freezing waters
• Ancient Messene and above all Olympia, probably my favorite archeological site along with the Acropolis of Athens. Here the Olympic Games originated and the vibe of the Stadium is undescribable, close your eyes and travel back to Ancient Greece. The ticket is 12€ and it includes the visit to the 2 museums, the site is huge and the visit takes easily half a day.
• Cycling: compared to the previous two “fingers” the asphalt is poorer especially when leaving the main roads, my suggestion is to ride the road that from Pylos brings you towards Koroni, a nice mixed route for your fun

Hope you enjoyed and managed to write down some useful tip, if you might need any additional information, feel free to contact me, I will be happy to help!