Words Matt Baird Photography Joseph Branston
DESTINATION
The appeal of the Peloponnese is hard to overstate. So says our Rough Guide to Greece and, after a long weekend of cycling on the peninsula, we heartily agree. Open roads, smooth tarmac, untapped gravel excursions and empty coast roads were all in evidence, combined with more history than you can poke a very large (preferably sesame seed-coated) bread stick at.
Epidavros in the eastern Argolis region of the Peloponnese was our base, being close to the elegant town of Nafplion, the classical theatre of Epidavros, the canal and ruins of Corinth, and the best mainland beaches of the Saronic Gulf. And, with the bustling capital Athens (and its airport) just a 90-minute drive away, we also ticked off a childhood dream of visiting the Pantheon.
Pro stars Wout van Aert and Mark Cavendish have both used the region as a training ground. It offers a mix of coastal roads and tough – but not too tough – climbs, the reward at the summits being widescreen views of Argolis, distant Greek islands and the rugged mountains that dominate the Peloponnese’s interior.
Further rewards came in the bakeries and tabernas of each town, reliably dishing out fresh pastries stuffed with cheese, plenty of local honey, olives and figs, and masses of pork-based succulence, and at prices that made our wallet happy. Springtime, early and late summer, and autumn are the most popular periods for cycling to allow you to avoid the most intense summer heat. Look out for our Big Ride in the Argolis in issue 411 (out 29 Sept).
Big dates
The sell-out L’Etape Greece made its debut in early April of this year with both 75 and 150km events, and a return to Olympia on the western coast of the Peloponnese is set to be confirmed soon. Bike events are few around Epidavros, but there’s a triathlon weekend in the town from 9-10 September 2023, with relay, sprint and standard-distance races available, plus open-water swimming events to try your hand at.
Don’t miss
Being the cradle of Greek civilisation, the Argolis region greedily hogs some of Greece’s biggest historical sites. There’s the ancient theatre of Epidavros; the Temple of Apollo; Acrocorinth – Corinth’s Acropolis; the sunken city at Epidavros; and many more relics that litter the countryside. Historic Nafplion, with its abundance of restaurants, is also a great base to explore the region.
Travel
We flew to Athens International Airport, which is a 90-minute drive from Epidavros. We rented a car v
