Cycling in Greece with Johan Vansummeren

GREECE, DO WE HEAR YOU THINK?

ADVENTUROUS TRAINING ROADS

Expect beautiful training trips on beautifully asphalted, car-free roads. Roads that are far from being flattened by hordes of cyclists. On the contrary! You will cycle through Arcadian mountain landscapes, past numerous picturesque bays or the fabulous lagoon of Heraion and enjoy the beautiful views along the famous Corinth Canal, which connects the Ionian Sea to the Aegean Sea. This perpendicular waterway - a canyon 70 meters deep over a length of 6.3 km - is one of the attractions in this bicycle-friendly region.

A drive to the west of the Peloponnese peninsula (towards Olympia) will bring you close to the mountain peak of Kylini, which offers breathtaking panoramas at an altitude of 2,374 meters. With a loop south of Loutraki (towards Sparta) you can even climb up to 2,500 meters and this in just 125 kilometers.

Would you prefer to conquer fewer altimeters? Then choose routes along the coast. In short, Loutraki is the ideal base for a variety of tours, ranging from heavy climbing to flat rides.

SECURITY

Also read last winter that professional riders had to fly home again after snowfall and persistent rain in and around the Spanish Calpé made training impossible?

None of this in Loutraki and surroundings! Due to the microclimate it is pleasant to cycle practically all year round. After all, Greece borders almost completely on the sea and the constant breeze from the water surface provides ideal conditions for athletes in the spring and autumn.

MORE CULTURE

The most important thing about a cycling holiday is of course the cycling experience itself. With the presence of a range of bike tours (from little to a lot of climbing), professional bike guidance and the best possible rental bikes you can imagine, you don't have to worry in that area.

But what if you are not in the saddle and want to enjoy the beauty that Greece has in store for a change outside the hotel walls? Well, even then Loutraki is a good place to be!

In the immediate vicinity of the seaside resort there are many sights from Antiquity so that you can enjoy yourself without a bicycle. Anyone who wants to link culture and nature during a cycling trip or who wants to enjoy a purposeful day of rest can always marvel at the following locations ...

• Heraion Temple on the Heraion lagoon (17 km from Loutraki)

• Zeus Temple in Nemea The Apollo Temple of Ancient Corinth (20 km)

• Roman villa in Loutraki

• Krommyon Agioi Theodoroi amphitheater

• The Lion Gate of the once mighty Mycenae (52 km)

• Epidaurus Amphitheater (69 km) *, with 14,000 seats, the best preserved theater from ancient Greece

• And of course: Athens with its Acropolis (80 km) *. *: one way from Loutraki