Spartakiada

In 490 BC, Phidippides ran from Athens to Sparta to seek reinforcements against the invading Persian army. He was a professional runner, yet 250 kilometers on foot is still an astonishing distance for any athlete. The superstitious Spartans hesitated against sending their soldiers during a full moon. The Athenians won anyway without them, routing the Persians in the epic Battle of Marathon.  

In 1988, a small band of Athenian cyclists wondered if they could replicate Phidippides' route by bike in one day. And so was born the Spartakiada. Each year thereafter an average 150 cyclists, almost exclusively Greeks, gather at the 1896 Olympic Stadium in Athens (a/k/a Kalimarmara) at about 6:00 am on the first Saturday of October and bike this daunting route. The Spartakiada is a ride NOT a race. CycleGreece now offers foreign cyclists the opportunity to participate in this heroic event.

Read a participant's narrative of the Spartkiada on CycleGreece's blog.

All tours are priced in euros, the currency of Greece.
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TOUR MAP

Start/End Points
Tour starts and ends in Athens. For those opting for the four day Antiquities Add-On package, tour starts in Athens and ends in Nemea with a transfer to Athens Airport.

Itinerary

Day 1: Athens
Thursday, September 30. Arrival to Athens in the morning and by afternoon you walking the nooks and crannies of this old, old city. CycleGreece takes you on a 2-3 hour walking tour of central Athens to venues rarely visited by other tour operators. Sites including Socrates Cave where the philosopher was allegedly held awaiting trial and the Pynx where democracy was born. Enjoy the welcome dinner in the Plaka.

Day 2: Athens
Friday, October 1. A three hour walking tour of Acropolis with a professional guide. Tour starts at Constitution Square (Syntagma) to watch the changing of the guard and ends atop the Acropolis. (Tour's actual walking is only 45 minutes). Suggested afternoon activity, either the National Archaeology Museum with the country's greatest treasures or the newly opened Acropolis Museum, albeit still awaiting the purloined Elgin Marbles. A sensible carb dish for tonight's dining fare.

Day 3: Sparta
Saturday, October 2 Show time! Bike over to the 1896 Olympic Stadium, just minutes from your hotel, to be there by 6:00 am. After 50 miles you cross the Corinth Canal and now you have entered the Peloponnese. By evening, you will be glowing at the awards ceremony.

Day 4: Athens
Sunday, October 3. Spartakiada is a ride, not a race. Today, however, is a genuine race! It starts at Mystras, the abandoned Byzantine town, 30 kilometers. Riders who do not want to race can explore Mystras, a fascinating World Heritage Site. After lunch with all the event's riders, return to Athens.

Day 5: Departure
Monday, October 4. Transfer to Athens Airport.

Antiquities Add-On
Costs and Inclusions

Day 5: Nafplio
Monday, October 4. After the Mystras race, we transfer to elegant Nafplio, the first capital of modern Greece. The town will charm you with its neo-Classical buildings, towering Palamidi fortress from the 17th century Venetian occupation and seaside harbor walkway for evening strolls. Afternoon we visit ancient Mycenae, home of the ruler who launched the Trojan War, King Agamemnon. He is buried in a beehive tomb that never fails to startle visitors with its architecture of geometric precision. 

Day 6: Nafplio
Tuesday, October 5 A morning tour of Ancient Epidavros, the 3rd century BC theatre that seats 15,000 and whose acoustics are impeccable. From the last tier way at the top, one can hear someone from the stage whispering. Every summer Greeks patronize the Theatre to watch ancient Greek dramas. Back in Nafplio, a dusk visit to Bourtzi island where the executioners lived and decided the fates of those imprisoned in Palamidi.

Day 7: Nemea
Wednesday, October 6. Paul the Apostle preached at Ancient Corinth, the site of today's excursion. Nearby is the magnificent Akrokorinths Fortress with strategic 360 degree panoramic views of two bodies of water. We end at a winery sampling some of the finest wines the Peloponnese has to offer.

Day 8: Departure
Thursday, October 7 Vehicle transfer to Athens Airport.