GREECE – FROM SEA TO SKY

Karta över GREKLAND – FROM SEA TO SKY

8 DAYS IN september/October

Our Greece tour “From sea to sky” offers challenging riding and breathtaking landscapes where we literally ride from the sea up into the sky. During this tour we pass small coastal villages, as well as riding over high mountains on exciting airy gravel roads. We will start and finish the week at sea level. For the rest of the trip we will stay in the mountains at 700-1700 meters of altitude, which gives us a comfortable riding temperature.

We recommend that you have some gravel riding experience. You do not have to be a fast rider, but you do need to be a stable and safe rider with good control of the motorcycle. Especially good brake, throttle and clutch control is absolutely necessary along the curvy and sometimes rocky gravel roads high up on the mountain sides. If you are not sure about your skills, it is our strongest recommendation that you complete at least one rider training OFFROAD BASIC before this tour. If you have been on our tours in Portugal or Iceland and felt comfortable, Greece is the perfect next step and an exciting challenge!

Some days we will spend a long time on the motorcycle, as we travel to new areas and hotels every day. We always have minimum 2 tour guides motorcycles. This make it possible to split the group into one BASIC and one ADVANCED if needed. Some of the days we will also have the opportunity to adjust the length and difficulty of the routes. As always on our tours we help each other out wen we face challenges and ger through as a team!

Our route follows part of (about 50%) Adventure Country Tracks (ACT) – Greece, but big parts of the tour is adapted to what our participants usually prefer. This adventure start and ends in Loutraki about an hour’s drive from Athens.

Photo on this page: Ann Cathrin Erga, David Johansson

Grekland / Greece - from sea to sky | Touratech Experience

The riding

The roads in Greece varies from curvy asphalt roads along the coast to really exciting gravel roads high up in the mountains. In dry road conditions, most of the route is relatively easy to ride, but loose rocks and sometimes washed out road sections make the whole thing a little more challenging. Some rain will make it even more exciting!

Several of the days we will be riding up and down along wonderful airy and steep mountain sides, with spectacular views! You do not have to be a fast rider, but you do need to be a stable and safe rider with good control of your motorcycle. Especially good brake, throttle and clutch control are absolutely necessary. We usually split into two groups, one basic and one advanced. Some days the basic group will have the opportunity to chose shorter/easier routes or a bit more (curvy) asphalt instead of gravel.

Food & Hotel

The first and the last night we will stay in a hotel in Loutraki, just an hour’s drive from Athens and only a few kilometers from the Corinth Canal.
The rest of the tour we move to new comfortable hotels each day, always with toilet and shower in the room. Twin room are included in the price and single rooms can be booked for a supplement (see cost for this in the booking). Breakfast, lunch and coffee/snacks are included all riding days. At, or next to the hotels there will always be at least one good restaurant for dinner. Some evenings there are several restaurants to choose from.

Grekland / Greece - from sea to sky | Touratech Experience
Grekland / Greece - from sea to sky | Touratech Experience
Grekland / Greece - from sea to sky | Touratech Experience

Itinerary

Select a day for more information

Our hotel is located about 100 km from Athens airport and during the arrival day we arrange transfers several times, but there may be some waiting at the airport. If you arrive early, we recommend that you explore the area around the hotel. We live just by the sea along the Gulf of Corinth. At this that time of year it will be a pleasant climate for walks along the beach or maybe a swim in the sea. In the evening, when everyone has arrived, its time for dinner and you will get all the information you need about the upcoming week.

We meet in the morning after a good breakfast and begin with a presentation of ourselves and the motorcycles. After packing and setting up the bikes we have approximately 350 km ahead of us, where the first 250 km goes on asfalt along the coast and in lower mountains. We pass Delphi, which was considered by the ancient Greeks to be the Center of the world. The last 100 km of the day will be on a mixture of gravel and asphalt roads, and takes us over the first mountain passages north of the Gulf of Corinth to Ano Chora where we stay in a nice family-owned hotel.

The roads are now starting to get really exciting! Today’s trip is about 130 km, which does not sound much, but the roads are challenging and follows the impressive landscape. We ride up to about 1,700 meters of altitude before we roll down to Karpenisi where we stay for the night. A really nice day with wonderful views!

Another short day if you count the distance, about 160 km, but the challenges increases! We start with some really nice asphalt roads but turn on to gravel before we start  climbing up into the Agrafa Mountains. We follow the river Agrafiotis along really fun gravel roads and again ride up to an altitude of about 1,700 meters with fantastic views. We then ride down to Lake Plastira and arrive at our destination for the day, Kalývia Pezoúlas, where we spend the night.

Today’s route, which is about 250 km, begins with a shorter, but exciting, gravel tour that take us up to 1,700 meters altitude. It’s then time to head south on a mix of airy, almost overgrown gravel and asphalt roads, towards the beautiful green-blue artificial lake Kremasta. From there we will have the opportunity to choose between more gravel challenges or curvy asphalt roads towards our hotel. A hotel that has one of the best views on this tour!

 

After riding down to the sea, and crossing the beautiful Charilaos Trikoupis bridge, we will again head for higher altitudes. This time towards the peaks of the Peloponnese. With wonderful views of the coastal town of Patras, we climb along the mountain sides towards the clouds on nice gravel roads of varying quality. Another very varied day with a view in all directions that ends in the cozy mountain village Kalavryta. The day is about 160 km and we ride mostly on gravel.

 

The adventure is not over yet! About 220 km remains and one of the highlights of the day is the green mountains north of Kalavryta where we ride in almost roadless landscape. We then ride curvy asphalt roads down to the Gulf of Corinth again, cross the Corinth Canal and arrive at the hotel where we started the tour, in time for the evening’s delicious dinner and maybe a well-deserved beer (or non-alcoholic alternative).

Time goes fast when you have fun and the adventure is over for this time. For some it will be an early transfer to the airport, others have the opportunity to enjoy the resort’s facilities and some sun and swimming before it’s time to take the flight home. Fortunately, there are several more adventures to come, so hopefully it will not be very long until we meet again!

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Full support

Our support vehicle is equipped with tools, spare parts, wheels, tires, water, coffee, snacks and lunch, which is set up at a nice spot on one of the breaks. In case of emergency, our support vehicle and the tour guides motorcycles are equipped with first-aid kits. All our tour guides are trained in first aid.

Motorcyklar BMW R1250GS HP
Grekland / Greece - from sea to sky | Touratech Experience
Grekland / Greece - from sea to sky | Touratech Experience

Included in the price

 

  • 6 days adventure riding
  • Minimum 2 tour guides on motorcycle
  • 6 days rental of BMW GS of latest model
  • Full insurance for motorcycle
  • Fuel for motorcycle
  • Back-up motorcycle if needed
  • Transfer from/to Athens airport
  • 7 nights accommodation in twin room
  • Breakfast, lunch and coffee all riding days
  • Support vehicle incl. driver
  • Waterproof pack roll that will be transported by our support vehicle

Not included

Flight to/from Athens, dinners and personal riding gear

 

To think about

  • Remember that you must have a travel insurance in case you get sick or injured during the trip, most people have this through their home insurance. Check this with your insurance company.
  • We strongly recommend that you bring a backpack for extra hydration (for example Camelback) because it will be quite sweaty during daytime. You must always wear complete riding gear while riding!
  • An approved integral or motocross helmet (flip-up helmets must be closed during all riding), approved back protection, shoulder protection, elbow protection, knee protection, gloves and rugged motocross or adventure boots.
Grekland / Greece - from sea to sky | Touratech Experience

Prices

Incl. BMW R1250 GS57 500 SEK