Motorcycle road trip in Greece: what to see, what to do?
You've decided: your next motorcycle road trip will be to Greece.
Why Greece?
There's no shortage of good reasons to make this choice! In this article, we present twelve of them that we believe are essential.
But perhaps you have your own reasons. Whether they come from your memories of school, a youthful trip, a family vacation or your Hellenistic culture, you're one of those people who have been touched by Greece, and you can't forget it.
Or you may have been told of the simple, endearing beauty of this country, both near and far from our own, which lends itself so well to motorcycle travel, with its breathtaking landscapes, unique culture, nature everywhere, and some of the most beautiful roads in Europe.
So it's decided: your next motorcycle trip will be to Greece (or vice versa). But Greece is a big place, and you won't be able to tour it in a few days. So here are a few tips to help you choose your tour according to the time you have available.
You only have one day to devote to motorcycling?
You're going to Greece for other reasons, but you'd still like to enjoy yourself on a motorcycle? There are several possibilities, depending on where you are and how much time you have.
Cape Sounion
From Athens, take the excursion to Cape Sounion to admire the Temple of Poseidon overlooking the Aegean Sea. At sunset, the view is incredible. Set in the middle of a gigantic pine forest, the site has given its name to the national park that shelters it.
Mount Athos
From Thessaloniki, explore Chalkidia, the distinctive peninsula that is home to Mount Athos.
A major site of Orthodox Christianity, it is home to an imposing monastic community comprising no less than twenty monasteries! Established here at the end of the first millennium, the community has kept to the Abaton rule, which forbids women and children from entering.
Preveli Monastery
In Crete, from Heraklion or Chania, for a great day out, choose to visit the monastery and beach of Preveli, on the south coast.
Perched on a hill overlooking the Libyan Sea, this is a truly exceptional site. The road to get there is spectacular, passing through Gianniou.
Do you have two or three days to ride your motorcycle?
The same tours can be planned over two or three days, so you can extend your itinerary while keeping the three above-mentioned destinations. Of course, you can also call on a professional like Hellenic Rides to organize it for you.
Another option is to leave Athens and visit two major World Heritage sites located between the Parnassus massif and the Gulf of Corinth.
Byzantine monastery of Osios Loukas
Founded in 945, the monastery of Osios Loukas is one of the most beautiful of the Byzantine era, preserving both its simplicity and the splendor of the polychrome frescoes and gilded mosaics adorning its vaults and domes.
Sanctuary of Delphi
Nestled on a mountainside in the Parnassus massif, the sanctuary of Delphi, dedicated to the god Apollo, was one of the most sacred places in the ancient world. Boasting an exceptional panoramic location, the site is home to important period remains and one of the most interesting museums of Greek antiquity.
A 4 or 5-day motorcycle road trip in Greece?
With a little more time on your hands, you could consider a Tour of the Gulf of Corinth, like the one we offer on our site. In addition to northern Attica, with the two sites mentioned above, you'll cross the Isthmus of Corinth and the northern Peloponnese.
The Corinth Canal
An astonishing trench opened up in the Isthmus of Corinth to link the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea and the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. After a first attempt by the Roman Emperor Nero, the canal was not completed until the end of the 19th century.
Sanctuary of Asclepios at Epidaurus
The site is best known for its famous theater, one of the best-preserved monuments in the ancient world.
Built in the 4th century BC, the theater could seat up to 12,000 spectators. Set in unspoilt countryside, the site is an invitation to step back in time.
Olympia
Founded at the beginning of the first millennium B.C. Olympia was a vast religious complex where all Greek cities and peoples competed every 4 years in sporting events attended by up to 40,000 people. The sanctuary remained active for 1,000 years.
With its special atmosphere, it is home to important period remains, including the very first Olympic stadium, as well as a rich museum of Greek antiquities.
A week in Greece on a motorcycle?
In 7 or 8 days, you can envisage complete circuits such as those we propose on our site, like the Stroll in the Peloponnese, or the Discovery of Crete, or an Escape in Northern Greece.
Depending on what you're looking for and what you want, these tours offer a variety of pleasures, with many historic or natural sites worth a visit.
For a trip that combines the pleasure of driving along magnificent roads and visiting major historical sites, choose the Peloponnese.
Mani
A peninsula at the southernmost tip of the Peloponnese, and thus of the European continent, Magne is a timeless place. Situated between the gulfs of Laconia and Messinia, Magne is one of our favorites in Greece, so special is its atmosphere. Riding a motorcycle on the deserted winding roads along the Mediterranean is a pure delight.
For a motorcycle- and nature-oriented trip with fewer cultural visits, Northern Greece or Crete would be an excellent option.
Crete
The southernmost and largest of the Greek islands (260 km long and 60 km at its widest) is much more than an island, and not just Greek.
Bordered to the north by the Cretan Sea and to the south by the Libyan Sea, Crete is home to three mountain ranges at over 2,000 meters altitude. Sea and mountains are present everywhere, creating exceptional landscapes to discover by motorcycle.
Northern Greece
This part of Greece is first and foremost an extraordinary landscape of high and medium mountains, with numerous sites and natural parks of major interest: the three national parks of Tsoumerka, Pinde and Vikos, home to the deepest gorges in Europe, the Zagoria region, the Meteora, etc. But the sea is never far away in Greece, and the shores of the Corinthian and Ionian gulfs provide the marine note that is a must for any trip to Greece. But the sea is never far away in Greece, and the shores of the Gulf of Corinth and the Ionian Sea provide the marine touch that is a must for any trip to Greece.
The Acropolis in Athens
With two extra days, you can devote a little more time to discovering Athens. The capital is well worth a visit, whether for the Acropolis, the museums or simply the special atmosphere of the Plaka, Psyri, Syntagma or Thyseio districts.
Another option is to double up on certain stages over a ten-day period, to allow more time for sightseeing or enjoying the sea. A 10-day motorcycle road trip allows you to see the essentials without rushing. That's the spirit of our Essential Greece tour.
Two weeks on a motorcycle in Greece?
If you've got two weeks, take a tour combining the Peloponnese and Northern Greece, which we call the Integral Greece Tour, which will take you to 10 of Greece's 19 World Heritage sites, and take you along the most beautiful roads between the Aegean and the Ionian coast.
The Greek islands
And if you're not in the mood for a 100% motorcycle trip, choose a week-long road trip and complement it with a seaside holiday on an island.
You'll be spoilt for choice: there are 227 inhabited islands in Greece, and almost 6,000 in all! Don't worry, we'll help you choose.
More time for motorcycling in Greece?
And if you're planning a longer trip, other parts of Greece are well worth a visit, such as the island of Evia and the Pelion peninsula on the shores of the Aegean Sea, or Macedonia and Thrace.
And if you feel like crossing the border from Greece, Istanbul in the Turkish part of Thrace, Sofia in Bulgaria, Dubrovnik and Split in Croatia, the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro and Sarajevo in Bosnia could well lure you right to them for even more.
In conclusion
Whatever time you have available for your motorcycle road trip in Greece, there's no shortage of good ideas. Just ask us, and we'll put together the unique, personalized trip of your dreams.
