Cyclades Cruise
- Visit seven sunny Cyclades islands
- Tour Delos, sacred in ancient days
- Swim in Europe's cleanest waters
Behold the mighty Temple of Poseidon
- Cycle to Valley of the Butterflies
Who has not dreamed of a sailng vacation in the Greek isles? For cyclists that fantasy is enlarged by adding a bike to the picture. Island hopping made easy on a 90 foot wooden schooner. You don't have to drag your luggage from hotel to hotel. You don't need tofigure out ferry schedules and connections. You don't lack for transport on land. This is the beauty of our Sail & Cycle tours.
The Cyclades Cruise stops in the main harbors of seven islands: Tinos, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Syros and Kea, plus Delos but no biking allowed at that sacred space. These islands lie on the high seas where the winds can get strong, making for choppy waters. The yacht is big, but if you have a tendency for sea sickness, you might want to consider a region with calmer waters, such as the Argo Saronic Gulf. We offer a family tour there, Junior Argonauts Cruise, but the cycling is rated Easy.
Group required. Contact us if you are looking to join one or more parties to fulfill minimum group requirements or if your party has less than eight participants.
Pricing. Costs listed per person are indicative, meaning the tour cost may vary depending on level of services sought or budget demands.
| Duration | Rating | Average km/day |
Total Distance |
Cost in euros per person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
8 Days |
Easy, Moderate or Challenging |
Moderate |
|
8-9 persons - 3840
10-12 persons - 3090 13-14 persons - 2400 15-16 persons - 2090 |
Cost does not include tour leader nor vehicle support.
All tours are priced in euros, the currency of Greece.
Click here for daily exchange rates
Inclusions |
A tour needs 10 fully paid riders to run, with a maximum of 16 riders.
All tours are based on double occupancy.
An additional charge applies if you wish your own room
(known as a single supplement).
Start/End Points
The tour starts in Athens, 9:30 am, to test the bikes. Then we cycle to Lavrio at the southern tip of Attika peninsula to board the yacht. Trip ends in Lavrio where transfers to Athens Airport or central Athens each take about one hour.
Itinerary
Day 1: Lavrio
After fitting the bikes at the Acropolis pedestrian walkway, you head out cycling down the Attika coast to Sounion where the magnificent Tempe of Poseidon provides a 360 degree panorama view from its promotory. The ride ends at Lavrio port where your sailing yacht awaits you. Overnight in Lavrio's lively port.
Day 2: Tinos
Your first day at sea. Within a couple of hours you reach Tinos, perhaps the most traditional island in the Cyclades. Once occupied by the Venetians, they left their mark with all the dovecotes still dotting Tinos and most still have birds nesting in them. While cycling you will also encounter more chapels and churches in one day than you may have seen in a month at home. You may well be the only foreign tourists, and definitely the only foreigners on bikes.
Day 3: Mykonos
Less than an hour's sailing separates Mykonos from Tinos but the contrast between the two islands feels as if they lie leagues apart. Mykonos is the sophisticated island with cosmopolitan visitors and high end boutique shops. After you've indulged in glamour, retreat to spartan Delos island, once the most sacred sanctuary in ancient Greece. In fact, Cyclades means "circle" in Greek, so named because the surrounding islands circled Delos.
Day 4: Naxos
You will never forget the moment sailing into Naxos harbor because you are greeted by the island's signature monument, the Portara, a majestic marble portal built to honor Apollo. Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades with an ample network of asphalt. If you are willing to climb, the best cycling destination is Halki village where a family distillery bottles kitron, a unique liqueur from lemon leaves. The village also has healthy nourishing Greek salads and home made dishes.
Day 5: Paros
Cycling around Paros is fun because you are almost always hugging the sea. Go inland to visit Lefkes, the highest and cutest village. During summer the Valley of the Butterlies is an adorable place to spot thousands of green jersey moths in a refreshingly woody area. Better save a ride to Naoussa last because once you get there, you will not want to leave from any one of the ouzerias dotting the port.
Day 6: Syros
Syros is the capital of the Cyclades and a strong Catholic island surrounded by Greek Orthodox adherents. There is even a Capuchin monastery here. Syros' port town Ermoupolis, is gorgeous, situated amphitheatrically on a hillside with neo Classic mansions in pastels and whites cascading down to the harbor.
Day 7: Kea
Kea has a fabulous beach called Pisses but you have to climb on bike to get there and then coast down the other side of the mountain where you are rewarded with a divine dip in waters assuredly blessed by the Greek gods.
Day 8: return to Lavrio home port
Within two hours after setting sail from Kea you are back in Lavrio port.
Mileage
You are given maps and/or cue sheets. Since this tour does not have a bike guide, everyone is free to make their own itinerary. Some islands have several routes with cue sheets to choose from.
Mileage listed below is for moderate riders but there are also routes for more ambitious cyclists, as well as easy routes for leisure riders.
Total Mileage 182 miles, 291 km Average Daily 26 miles, 41 km
Day 1 33 miles, 54 km, almost all flat, highest climb is 230 ft.
Day 2 25 miles, 40 km, steep for 1/2 hour, highest climb is 1397 ft
Day 3 17 miles, 26 km, soft hills, 2-3 very short steep stretches
Day 4 37 miles, 60 km, climb up 1391, cycle back down
Day 5 28 miles, 45 km, 1/3 flat, 1/3 climb 700 ft, 1/3 downhill
Day 6 22 miles, 35 km climb up to about 1300 ft
Day 7 25 miles, 40 km, loop onf the island, highest climb about 1200 ft