E-MTB across the Peloponnese

Pickup is at Athens Airport or Kalamata Airport, ideally from a morning flight. From there the support vehicle drives to Vytina in Arcadia. The first stop is the Corinth Canal, a straight cut through rock with the water far below. Then the road leaves the coast and climbs into the fir country of Mainalo.

There is no riding today. The welcome dinner is a long table in a village taverna, with a glass of moschofilero, the white grape grown on the Mantineia plateau. Any flight landing before 17:00 works, so tell us your landing time when you book.

Ostrakina plateau, at 1,700 m, is where the riding starts. Over 32 km the route climbs 780 m and drops 1,379 m. It runs through fir forest on technical singletrack and on the mule tracks woodcutters once used, then through Alonistaina and down to Vytina. The guides lay out lunch in a forest clearing: graviera cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives and honey. Dinner is a hosted long table back in Vytina. Pack a windproof, because the plateau is noticeably cooler than the village.

Westward across Mainalo, the route links Vytina with Stemnitsa and Dimitsana over 33 km, climbing 651 m and dropping 717 m. The riding mixes technical trail and gravel roads, with water refills at the mountain springs along the way. Stemnitsa has a long tradition of silversmithing. Dimitsana sits on the edge above the Lousios Gorge, tomorrow’s ride. Lunch is a picnic, and the night is back in Vytina with dinner at a long table. Wear stiff-soled shoes for the stony sections.

Riding the rim of the Lousios Gorge is the main event: 26.7 km from Dimitsana towards Karytaina, with 608 m of climbing and 1,058 m of descent. Prodromos and Philosophou are built into the cliff face, and the trail passes both. Lower down, the route drops to the river for a swim in the Lousios before the picnic lunch. In the late afternoon the vehicle transfers everyone to Kalamata for dinner. Keep your swim kit in your day bag rather than your luggage.

Fotis Gkonis leads the hardest day of the trip, 42.2 km with 634 m of climbing and 1,941 m of descent. The ride starts at 1,800 m in the alpine meadows of Taygetos. The Messinian Gulf is below you, and it stays in view as the trail drops into pine forest. The descent runs all the way to the coast, and the day ends with a swim in the sea. Dinner is a hosted long table in Kalamata. Full-finger gloves make a descent this long easier on your hands.

Low sun on Voidokilia ends the last riding day, which starts in the cold stepped pools of Polylimnio. From the waterfalls, 32.7 km of riding runs through old olive groves to the coast. There are 310 m of climbing and 635 m of descent, the gentlest profile of the week. The picnic lunch is out among the trees. The swim at the bay is timed for sunset, and dinner is back in Kalamata. Bring a dry layer for after the swim.

Kalamata’s seafront is the last morning, after breakfast at the hotel. Choose between a slow walk along the front and a last short ride with the guide, and use the free time before the transfer to Kalamata Airport or Athens Airport. Kalamata Airport is close to the hotel. Athens Airport is the longer drive, so allow for that when you choose your flight. If your legs have had enough after Taygetos and Voidokilia, take the walk instead of the ride.