Cycling without seasons, seven destinations to get excited about cycling in winter
Greece. Up and down the Greek and Aegean mountains and beaches
A much-desired destination in the summer season, Greece is also a valuable winter destination for cycling enthusiasts, being crossed by three major EuroVelo routes, the Mediterranean Route, the East Europe Route and the Iron Curtain Trail. And then there are the islands, easily accessible from Italy and major European cities even out of season. Rental services and organised travel packages make them perfect for cycling enthusiasts to explore, revealing a face made up of ancient villages, olive groves and scenic coastal roads with little traffic. The Ionian Islands, for example, offer a unique experience combining cycling and sailing: Corfu becomes the starting point for discovering Lefkada, Kefalonia, Ithaca (the mythical home of Odysseus), Paxi (famous for its centuries-old olive groves) and tiny Meganisi by bike. Crete, Greece's largest island, is perfect for trained cyclists: the routes between Chania and Heraklion traverse important mountain landscapes, sites of the Minoan civilisation and extensive agricultural valleys with gradients. Less demanding, on the other hand, is Lesvos, ideal for cycling through olive groves and villages on routes such as the one from Molyvos to Petra. Kos, known as 'the island of bicycles', offers for its part a widespread network of coastal cycle paths while Rhodes boasts routes marked by spectacular scenery that reflect a long cycling tradition, sanctioned by the Historica festival dedicated to vintage bicycles. Among the various islands, a special mention goes to Samos, pearl of the eastern Aegean and the birthplace of Pythagoras. Its mountainous and wild conformation makes it unique for those who love challenges on two wheels, and the Mega Route is the emblem of this nature: a circular route of about 113 kilometres and 1,400 metres of altitude difference, which allows you to explore the entire island between the sea, vineyards and inland villages.
https://en.eurovelo.com/greece
https://kos.gr/activities/cycling-routes
