Motorcycle Tours

Extreme

Darien

Soon

Tour of Central Greece and Peloponnisos

This tour is scheduled only per request for groups of four riders or more.

Nemea, Mount Menalon, Olympia, Messologi, Mount Tzumerka, Metsovo, Meteora, Lake Plastira, Karpenisi, Delfi, Arachova, Plaka.

With well over a hundred inhabited islands and a territory that stretches from the south Aegean to the Balkan countries, Greece offers enough to fill months of travel. The historic sites span four millennia, encompassing both the legendary and the obscure, where a visit can still seem like a personal discovery. Beaches are parceled out along a convoluted coastline equal to France's in length, and islands range from backwaters where the boat calls twice a week to resorts as cosmopolitan as any in the Mediterranean.

Ancient Greece has been hailed as the cradle of Western civilization.  Modern medicine, architecture, mathematics and sciences but more importantly democracy itself, all have their roots in ancient Greece.  Today, Greece is a modern country but the blood of its ancient inhabitants still runs through the veins of the modern Greeks.  It has been said that Greece is a country of contradictions; a country whose mind is in the West but its heart is in the East.

Greeks as people are rather easy going especially outside the big cities.  Greeks as a whole are famous for their hospitality, outgoing and warm personalities.  Don't be surprised if people just come up to you and strike up a conversation.  And of course there's always the Greek cuisine.  Most people that come back from Greece are equally impressed by the country's cuisine as they are about its ancient ruins and beautiful landscapes.  Which brings us to Ouzo - Greece's national drink.  It is clear with a liquorish smell that clouds up with water.  It is usually served with "Μεζέδες" (pronounced mezethes), a plate with bite size servings of a variety of foods.  It is easy drinking, especially when diluted with water but be aware... it'll go straight to your head.

Visiting Greece is an experience of a lifetime.  Doing it on a motorcycle is the stuff of stories for the grandkids...  Riding in Greece is not any different than riding in any other country.  So long as one pays attention and rides at a reasonable pace one should have no problems.  The route we chose offers excellent riding combined with more archeological sites and monuments that most people visit in a lifetime.  The route goes over mountain passes and roads by the sea.  We have tried to include the twistiest roads and avoid main highways as much as possible. For the more adventurous riders a bit of off road is included in this tour as an option.  The off road sections are not very technical and they can be easily handled with a little bit of dirt experience.  The pace of the tour is moderate.  Moderate pace allows the rider and the passenger to take in all the gorgeous sites, sounds and smells.  However we do understand that not all riders have equal experience and some may find the pace slow - in which case the riders can brake away from the group and meet the rest of the group at the next meeting point.  All riders are provided with a detailed map for each days riding.  Our guides are experienced riders and have guided for many years.  They are also multilingual, so between English, Greek, Spanish and German we will find a mode of communication.  Our guides are there to make sure you have a good time and to make this an unforgettable experience. 

Ride through the Greek "rue du vin" - Nemea has been producing wine since ancient times and to this day produces some of the finest wines in Greece.  Some tasting of these ancient wines is in order...  twisty mountainous roads going through traditional villages (way out of the beaten path) will take us to our final destination for the day the village of Dimitsana, located in the heart of Peloponnisos.

Continuing with our journey through the winding back roads of this ancient land, we’ll cross a 4-pylon cable-stayed Bridge that has the longest suspended deck in the world (2,252m / 7,388ft).  The main attraction for today is Olympia.  Probably the most sacred place in ancient Greece, the place where the modern Olympics were born and run continuously, every 4 years for 1200 years.  We’ll make sure we spend enough time here to give this place the attention it deserves before we move on to our final destination of the day the charming city of Messologhi.

Blue, turquoise sea to the left and rugged imposing mountains to the left - the route today will take us through small fishing villages where we'll stop for a quick dip into the waves of the Ionian sea, have some traditional Greek coffee (that'll grow hair on your chest...) and maybe taste some of the local seafood delicacies... This part of the country - the region of Epirus is probably the most rugged and unspoiled in all of Greece.  Our final destination today is the sea side village of Monolithi.

Heading west on some of the twistest roads in Greece, we’ll climb the pass of Katara (meaning “the curse” in Greek).  It is an excellent motorcycle ride climbing its way over 1690m.  We’ll visit the town of Metsovo, still picturesque as it was hundreds of years ago.  Good spot to take a break a break for some coffee.  Our destination today - Meteora - meaning ‘suspended in air’ is a unique set of rock formations in the middle of a valley.  On top of the rocks monks have build monasteries dating back to the 14th century.    Most of them are open to the public and the old rope and net used to hoist the monks up the cliffs onto the monasteries have been replaced by steps carved on the rock it self.  It is a long way up the monasteries but they are definitely worth a visit. This is a site not to be missed.

 Today we'll be visiting one of the most beautiful lakes in the region.  We'll wind our way through rural unspoiled areas, with great scenery, villages forgotten by time and some of the most hospitable and welcoming people anywhere.  We'll have some tsipouro at the local tavern - and you thought Ouzo was strong...  This is a tranquil area, where time seems to pass a little slower from the rest of the world...  We'll overnight in Karpenissi - the little Switzerland of Greece.

Today's road lies right next to Mount Parnassos National Park at 1585m and it takes us to Delfi.  Delfi is a walk through ancient time. During the Mycenaean period, the female deity of Earth was worshipped in this small settlement. The development of the sanctuary and oracle though, began in the 8th century B.C. with the establishment of the cult of Apollo. The most significant ruins to be visited are the Temple of Apollo, the Teasury of the Athenians, the Altar of Chians, the Stoa of the Athenians, the Theater of the Sanctuary, the Stadium, the Castalia Spring, the Tholos, the Polygonal wall, and the Gymnasium. We'll arrive with enough time to visit as much of the ruins as you'd like.  A short ride away is Arachova, a gorgeous little village where we'll spend the night.

Riding mostly on mountain roads and a bit of highway we'll make our way to Athens for our last overnight before departure.  A farewell dinner will be waiting for us at the hotel when we get there.

** Prices in US$ based on Euro to Dollar exchange rates as of January, 2006

Join us on your own motorcycle - call us for pricing

tel: +30 26610 27253 / mobile: +30 6945 595934.

What's included in the Tour price

Motorcycle Rental

Hotel accommodations for 8 nights

All ferry crossings and tolls

Native bi-lingual (English/Greek) guide on his own motorcycle

Chase vehicle

All breakfasts and at least three dinners

What's not included in our tour

Gas

Meals (except the ones mentioned above)

Entrance fees to attractions

Extended stays

Souvenirs

Panama Tele-Fax: 507-393-7558 / Mobile: 507-6694-8226