Photos from this story
.jpeg?auto=webp)
CYCLING THE PELOPONNESE PENINSULA
Awesome playground for avid cyclists
.jpeg?auto=webp)
Group Title (Optional)
Tom and Nassos just picked me up from Athens International Airport and we are now driving across mainland Greece towards its largest peninsula, Peloponnesus. The peninsulas mountainous interior and fertile valleys make it an awesome playground for avid cyclists. Consequently, it is the ideal location for Pedal Greece, founded by Tom and Agi, to take their guest out for three days of riding. Only an hour outside the hustle and bustle of congested Athens we find ourselves surrounded by rolling, open hillsides, with mountains looming in the distance. The views are stunning. Staring out the window, I can already imagine the warm Mediterranean wind on my face as I descend into one of those spectacular valleys.
Nassos Triantafyllou is the best cycling photographer in Greece. But that doesn’t mean he can quit his day job. He and his brother own a parking garage next to the Acropolis citadel. They bought it in 2002. It was a dump. After installing new elevators and renovating the floors and walls they opened up shop in 2004. Business was good. They are the closest parking lot to ancient Athens’ main sight. But then came the crisis and no-one in Greece was sure of an income. Not even the owners of Athens’ most popular parking lot.
The crisis of 2010 hit Greece hard. Evidence of the dramatic drop in expendable income is visible along the roadside. Unfinished buildings and rubbish line the highway, and there is a total lack of amenities — like service stations. Every 40 kilometres or so there is a toll station to pay off this brand new stretch of motorway. In fact, almost every Greek motorway now in use has been completed only in the last 4 or 5 years. Before that, people drove their cars over the rough roads we see winding through the hills. It used to take 5 hours to get from Athens to Kalamata. Now it’s 2,5. Saving time is a big deal in a struggling economy. I slowly realize what a brave move my Greek hosts have made with this new cycling venture. The mood in the car is positive. These guys are on a mission. There is more to their country than beach resorts, olives, ouzo and a heap of terribly old stones and buildings.
.jpg?auto=webp)
Group Title (Optional)
“There is more to their country than beach resorts, olives, ouzo and a heap of terribly old stones and buildings.”
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
Group Title (Optional)
Here, there is no cycling culture to speak. Only a few elite teams — like the SEG Academy, a Dutch organization working with under 23’s — use the Greek roads as their winter training grounds. Greece has a national team in all cycling disciplines, but due to lack of financial means they are not really active on international events. Even Christos Volikakis, a very successful track racer of worldwide renown, receives no funding from the state and instead relies on private money to train and compete. When I ask about Greek cycling races I am told about the (International) Tour of Hellas. First held in 1968 and thereafter organized every year until 2012 until, unfortunately, funding was cancelled that year. Ironically, this was the same year when the Tour of Hellas was given an UCI 2.2 status. It might have played a part in why the cycling world stopped seeing Greece as a destination for riding. And in our three days on the road, we don’t encounter any cyclist other than our own crew. So I am greatly surprised at the friendliness and consideration of other road users. We are greeted, even cheered on.
Cars slow down and give our small peloton plenty of space. Maybe it’s because we’re a novelty here, or maybe the Greek road users are just lovely, patient people. Probably both.
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
Group Title (Optional)
As we make our way into Sparta (or Sparti), located south of the Peloponnese peninsula, I notice to my amazement how hilly the area is. It might be famous for its islands and seaside resorts, but Greece is in fact the third most mountainous country in Europe, following Norway and Albania. No less than 80% of its total landmass is elevated area. Sparta evokes strong associations with a doctrine of dedication, soberness and restraint. The Spartan upbringing was a community matter. Weakly and handicapped children were killed and only those that made the cut were trained to become the supremely fit and strong Spartan warriors we know from ancient legends. As we drive into town, we see crowds of super toned men and women walk the streets. Turns out the Spartan Trifecta World Championship are on this weekend. Athletes from all over the world have gathered to find glory in the ancient homeland of the Spartans. It seems fitting. We drive on, up into the hills and settle into a bed & breakfast for the night.
.jpg?auto=webp)
Group Title (Optional)
Not too early the next morning we head out into the beaming sun for a loop around the Parnonas mountain range north of Sparta. We can’t believe our luck, it’s early November and we’re in summer kits. The roads are dead quiet and the wide views are unrelentingly beautiful.
Every turn offers something new: a deep valley, a wide stretch of soft curving hills in the distance, a lone gathering of farm buildings with orange tiled roofs.
We pass through forgotten villages perched up against the hills, and dash over their cobbled roads. The ordinary world seems far away. In reality, we are a mere three hours drive away from metropolitan Athens. On the morning of day two, we walk through the late Byzantine city of Mystras. Here, I start to get a deeper sense of life in historical times. Now a ghost town, I feel free to roam the buildings and temples. I can almost conjure up the buzz of everyday life in the 13th century. Mystras is perched on top of a spur of the Taigetos. This vast mountain ridge, peaking at 2400m, lies between the Peloponnese departments of Lakonía and Messinia. High up in the Taigetos is where unfit Spartan babies were left to die. There is only one road to take you up and over the Taigetos. It’s a fantastic 16k climb, starting in the lush farmlands west of Sparta and leading into a treacherous looking gorge with steep drops.
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
Group Title (Optional)
After a solid 1,5 hour of climbing, I notice that the air is getting thinner and the vegetation more sparse. I’m glad to have made it to the top. I’m cycling with four of the fastest guys in Greece, fit as a fiddle, and deaf to my pleas to drop me. So I give it all I have and take the QOM on the Spartan Climb. Mind you, only two other women have cycled up here, or so Strava tells me. I can’t believe how unprepared I was for the feast of mountainous terrain Greece has to offer. The grandeur of the Taigetos ridge is far beyond my expectations. Up on Mt. Taigetos, we indulge in pastries dripping with honey and handfuls of freshly roasted nuts before dropping into the descent. The road leading down from the mountain pass is smooth open tarmac with wide switchbacks taking you all the way to Kalamata. The city is famous for its olives, but also for its natural coastline and the impossibly clear seawater.
.jpg?auto=webp)
Group Title (Optional)
“I can’t believe how unprepared I was for the feast of mountainous terrain Greece has to offer. The grandeur of the Taigetos ridge is far beyond my expectations.”
.jpg?auto=webp)
Group Title (Optional)
From here we head south along the coast, out of the city and on to the Mani peninsula. Until recently many villages here could be reached only by sea. Today, a winding road extends along the rocky bays of the west coast from Kalamata to Areopoli. I’m excited for each new vista awaiting me over the next hill. We pass families carrying large nets around their olive orchards, placing them carefully to catch all the falling olives. The more gnarly and rugged the trunk looks, the older the tree. First cultivated about 7000 years ago, some trees in Greece are said to be 2000 years old, which to me is almost inconceivable. As each kilometer rolls past the road becomes quieter, and just before dusk we reach Limeni, our final destination for the day. We steal a quick dip into the clear water to wash the sweat off our sticky skin. I am spent, and it feels great. My head is saturated with the impressions of today, and my legs are weary from the many metres of vertical ascent. Time to check in and grab a Hellas beer.
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
Group Title (Optional)
Limeni is a tiny and very picturesque port town, said to be the prettiest of the whole Mani peninsula. The region has a long and complicated history full of hardship and bloodletting, which has cultivated a strong independent population, the Maniots. Their wild and rugged region is incredibly unspoilt, and real estate projects are carried out with respect towards the character of the area. The resort where we rest our legs is built up of 16 stone towers housing 2 studios each. It has a swimming pool overlooking the bright blue bay and a large restaurant and lounge area. Still, it blends in with the surroundings perfectly. At this time of year, we are the restaurant’s only guests. For our mains we walk over to the glass display counter where we choose from the catch of the day. The fish are scaled and washed on the restaurant’s stairs, which lead right into the sea. Of course, they come grilled to perfection.
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
Group Title (Optional)
I am filled with warmth for these people and their country, and it’s not just because of the bottles of ouzo that are passed around. Agi and Tom initiated Pedal Greece to offer all-inclusive cycling holidays catering to the experienced rider who is looking for a new adventure. They want to be the next Mallorca — or perhaps the better alternative — and if you ask me, they have a shot. The diversity of the Greek terrain and its unparalleled heritage add a deep sense of culture to your cycling experience. The Peloponnese, where you can steal a bright orange mandarin from a branch hovering over your breakfast table, is so much more than a collection of roads to ride. Life itself feels rich here, rich with history, rich with culture, and rich with the smells of tasty cuisine. There is plenty of Greek wine to drink and a vast landscape to be explored, most likely as the sole king and queen of the road. Go and enjoy the Peloponnese, before the rest of the cycling world finds out.
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
.jpg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)