Spetses.   Poros.   Epidavros.   Nafplio. 

The Argo-Saronic region is popular with Athenian families escaping on weekends for the fresh smell of the air and salt water, wild rosemary and oregano. We predict your family will have a memorable and exciting vacation in this gentle region.

All the destinations are small-scale, walkable, charming and distinctly Greek.  The bike routes are mostly fat or slight hills, on rural roads with little or no traffic.   The accommodations are located within walking distance to the sea or have a swimming pool. The towns are all child-friendly and easy to negotiate for older youngsters getting out and about on their own.

Kids studying the Greek myths in school feel elated to bike to actual sites where heroic figures lived and breathed, such as Mycenae, home of King Agamemnon who launched the Trojan War.   Another legendary site is Epidavros Theatre where one child stands on the last tier to hear whispers from the stage below.   The professional guides we work with make these sites come alive.

We can customize this itinerary to suit your travel needs.

Bike Mileage Summary

Day 1 Spetses take boat to Spetses
Day 2 Spetses 25 km, 15 miles, hilly
Day 3 Poros  20km, 12 miles, mostly flat
Day 4 Poros casual ride to local beaches, mostly flat
Day 5 Epidavros  18 km/11 miles, flat and downhill
Day 6 Nafplio   43 km/27 miles, gradual ascent 1150 feet, then downhill
Day 7 Nafplio  21km/13 miles, all flat except one 3km climb

Day 1: Spetses
Spetses is a small, classy island with beautiful mansions built by 19th century shipping magnates and wealthy merchants. The island has only one town which is car free. Children ride bicycles and honeymooners take horse drawn carriages along its romantic harbor. You will savor the seaside dining where the waves lap at your feet.

Day 2: Spetses
Spetses is so small you can circumnavigate it by bike in a couple of hours. At a half-way point stop to swim at an appealing beach which has the added attraction of an underwater sea cave easily accessible from the water or by steps into an opening on land. If figs are in season, it is a divine pleasure to eat them right off the trees.

Day 3: Poros
Take a ferry to the Peloponnese mainland, bikes and all, then cycle along the coastline with Hydra island on your right. A ten minute ferry ride puts you back on another island, Poros, whose harbor town is surrounded by olive trees,
lemon trees and pine trees.

Day 4: Poros
Within easy peddling distance, bike to nearby Neorio and Askeli beaches for a schmorgasbord of sea sports, including water ski, jet ski, windsurfing, sea kayaking and sailing – and simple swimming, too. For dinner, Katerina teaches you to cook a terrific Greek meal.

Day 5: Epidavros
The best part of the cycling route today is along a stretch of road that looks down on the sea and has no towns or villages until arrival to coastal Epidavros. Your accommodations today are only a 3-5 minute walk to the sea.

Day 6: Nafplio
A slow ascent — 8 miles from sea level to 1150 feet — to reach Ancient Epidavros, a World Heritage Site.   Here amongst shady trees is the 3rd century BC outdoor theatre seating 13,000 spectators still with impeccable acoustics.  Then bike downhill to all the way to Nafplio, the prettiest city in the Peloponnese.

Day 7: Nafplio
Today offers quiet cycling on flat rural roads full of orange groves and 1950s-style windmills. You come to Mycenae where King Agamemnon is buried in an unusual beehive tomb. He is the leader who launched the famous Trojan War.  Back in Nafplio, go swimming at Karathonas Beach which is easy to bike to on a dirt path.

Day 8: Departure
Vehicle transfer to Athens or Athens Airport, roughly two hours drive.

TOUR DURATION   8 days

START & END POINTS
Start:  Arrive in Athens at least one day in advance to test the bikes.  Vehicle transfer to Piraeus port for 2 hour ferry boat to Spetses.
End:  The tour ends in Nafplio with vehicle transfer to Athens or Athens Airport (less than 2 hours away)

BICYCLES   Choice of road bikes (drop or flat handlebars) or hybrid bikes.   All bikes come with front handlebar bag, water bottles, helmet.

BOOKING AGREEMENT  Participants are required to sign our company Booking Agreement as a condition of the tour.

WAIVER  Participants are required to sign our company Waiver as a condition of the tour.

COST PER PERSON

Children 12 and under receive 20% discount

For currency exchange rates, click here.

INCLUSIONS

Accommodations  7 nights accommodations in 3-4 star hotels, primarily family owned and operated, with daily breakfast (see Accommodations tab)

Bikes:   Specialized road bike or hybrid bike.  Your choice. Triple chain ring, 27 gears. Road bike has carbon fiber fork. Hybrids have front suspension.

Bike gear: odometer, 2 water bottles, handlebar pouch, helmet

Support vehicle:  (“sag wagon”) with bilingual driver who is also a bike mechanic.  Vehicle carries spare parts, spare fully pumped wheels, floor pump, ice cooler, water, nutritious snacks, bike tools, first aid kit, day packs, luggage and gives you a lift if you get tired.

Airport transfer   Our company driver picks you up at the Athens Airport and transfers to you to Athens.

Ferry  High speed boat, business class (if available) Piraeus to Spetses

Licensed Guides  Private one hour  tour with professional licensed guide at Epidavros and Mycenae

Entry fees to archaeology sites and museums at Epidavros and Mycenae

Map of the region

Bike jersey  short sleeved, blue and white, pockets in back, CycleGreece logo

Trip packet with useful and interesting information, such as what to see and do, recommended places to eat, packing tips, etc.

Mobile phone with programmed numbers

Gratuities, tips and VAT taxes

EXCLUSIONS

Airfare to/from Greece

Athens hotel

All meals, except Poros cooking

Travel  insurance — mandatory for families  see Extras tab

Travel Insurance  For U.S. citizens, we are official agents of Travel Guard travel insurance and can book your trip insurance or provide you a policy quote.

Athens hotel   We can book your pre- and post-tour accommodations in Athens with a choice of fine hotels we patronize in the Plaka or Psirri neighborhood.

One-day bike tours in Athens and the Attica Region

Historic Central Athens Bike Tour, 3 hours, 90% traffic free, 25 points of interest including Socrates’ Prison and the Pnyx where democracy was born.

Temple of Poseidon Excursion, 8 hours, cycle along the coast to the tip of Attica peninsula, roam the magnificent Temple of Poseidon, lunch at a seaside fish taverna, swimming

Battle of Marathon By Bike, 9 hours, bike to the site of where the Greeks defeated the Persians in 490 BC, the tomb where the Greek soliders were buried, the archaeology museum and the Marathon runners museum, Schinias wetlands, lunch at the sea.

An indicative hotel for the Saronic Family Cycling tour is Yialasi Hotel hotel in Epidavros, a family run establishment.   The rooms are apartments suitable for families with several beds and kitchen amenities.

We select family accommodations based on quality, comfort, cleanliness, hospitality, location and charm. Most of the hotels on this tour are family owned and operated.

A single room entails an additional cost, for example, if a grandparent joins the tour.

All hotels are dependent on availability. In the event of no occupancy, we patronize comparable accommodations in the same location.

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