GREECE – FROM SEA TO SKY

Our start/finish hotel is located in Kalávryta, approx. 2.5 hours drive from Athen’s airport. If you arrive early, we recommend exploring this picturesque village. You will find a supermarket and several restaurants within walking distance. In the evening we have a joint dinner and go over the week’s plans.

We meet up in the morning and start with a presentation of ourselves and the motorcycles. After a setup of the bikes, the day offers about 250 km of mixed gravel and asphalt roads. We start at a high altitude, make our way even higher to one of the ski resorts of the Peloponnese. Then continue through forests and agricultural landscapes, over plateau mountains and farmlands to Korinthos where of course we make a stop at the Corinth Canal before rolling the last km to the night’s hotel right by the sea.

This day, we will round a large part of the Gulf of Corinth before we start climbing “From Sea To Sky” during the afternoon. During the day, we also pass Delphi (which the ancient Greeks considered the centre of the world). For those of us who primarily want to ride motorcycles, Delfi also offers some world-class asphalt curves. During the late afternoon, it almost feels like we travelled back in time – at least when it comes to road maintenance. Here we also must watch out for cattle, gravel and stones on the road. After today’s approx. 350 km, we arrive in Ano Chora, where we stay at a nice family-owned hotel.

A day manly spent in the forest, along narrow, curvy and sometimes very exciting roads where you must watch what you’re doing! Even though we ride mostly in the forest, the roads climb along steep mountain walls with no room for error. Remember to always ride at your own pace and plan far ahead. If you want to look at the view or get tired, slow down or take a short stop. Watch out for rockslides, sharp rocks, and slippery areas where there is risk of skidding. Always be ready with two fingers on the clutch and at least one on the brake.

As these mountain roads are rarely used even by locals, we must be prepared to change our plans as roads may have been washed out, trees may have fallen over the road – even though our team rode the route as late as a week before.

Today’s 130 km doesn’t sound much, but the roads through this mountainous landscape always offer surprises. We get up to about 1 700 meters above sea level before it’s time to head down towards Karpenisi where the hotel for the night is located.

Time to get out of the forest and up into the mountains. We start with some nice stretches of asphalt that turn into gravel and climb up into the Agrafa Mountains. We follow the river Agrafiotis along exiting gravel roads and climb again up to a height of approx. 1 700 meters. Today, if possible, it is even more important to have control of your motorcycle as it is even steeper on the side of the road. The day offers magnificent views and ends at a SPA hotel by Lake Plastiras.

Another short day if you count in distance, about 160 km – but the challenges replace each other.

From Lake Plastiras, via Lake Kremaston to Lake Trihonida. The day, which offers approx. 250 km riding, begins with a shorter, but exciting, stretch of gravel that once again climbs up to 1 700 meters above sea level. Now we are in the heart of Greece and there are no straight roads. We steer south on a mixture of airy, almost overgrown, dirt roads and asphalt roads towards the beautiful turquoise blue lake Kremasta.

The night’s hotel has one of the best views of the tour – over Lake Trihonida.

To the sky! But we start today’s approx. 200 km by rolling down to the sea and crossing the beautiful Charilaos Trikoupis bridge (also called Rio-Antirrio) to the Peloponnese peninsula. As soon as we get over the bridge we start climbing. The roads are rocky in places so remember to relax, keep your vision far ahead and plan the best route. The reward after the rocky mountain roads is a wonderful view of the coastal city of Patras. The day and week’s adventure finishes over the green hills north of Kalávryta before we cruise down to our hotel.

Time flies when you’re having fun and the adventure is over for this time. If you don’t have to leave early, you have the opportunity to enjoy the hotel’s SPA, or perhaps a walk in our nice mountain village before it’s time to head to the airport. Luckily, there are more tours to join, so hopefully it won’t be too long until we see each other again!