the stage breakdown

Aerial view of a hillside estate with stone buildings, winding roads, olive trees, and a swimming pool, surrounded by green hills and mountains under partly cloudy sky. 
Stage 0: Welcome to Greece

We collect you from Athens International Airport and head south to Lakonia, arriving at the Hotel Melies in Kokkinórrakhi, just slightly outside the heart of Sparti — your home base for the days ahead. Our team gets you settled and preps the bikes for tomorrow's ride.

Unwind with a Freddo Espresso before we sit down together for a true Greek dinner, welcoming you into the days to come.

A winding rural Greek road through a scenic landscape with olive trees and a mountain in the background, under a partly cloudy blue sky. 
Stage 1: Gorani - 44 miles - 3,350 ft

Bikes ready, breakfast done, we head out through the edges of Sparti (Σπάρτη) to shake off the travel and find our legs. The route winds through olive groves and small villages, down quiet lanes, to a gentle 5 mile climb up to Gorani (Γοράνοι) — enough to test the legs without breaking them in too hard.

The descent brings us back by historic watermills and close to one of the oldest bridges still in use in Europe, standing since 100 B.C.

A scenic landscape of mountains in the distance under a blue sky with scattered white clouds, green hills and lush vegetation in the foreground, and a winding road. 
Stage 2: Hrisafa - 45 miles - 5,600 feet

Legs tested, we climb again — 8 miles up to the small village of Hrisafa (Χρύσαφα). Climbing another 10 miles, we top out at 4,300ft. before descending thru Tzitzina (Τζίτζινα), Veria (Βέροια) and Vasaras (Βασαράς) along one of the most beautiful gorges in Greece. One short climb and we’re descending more hairpins back toward ancient Sparti on the way home to Hotel Melies.

A narrow, winding road borders old stone and stucco houses, with lush green trees and bushes on both sides, and a clear blue sky overhead.
A person riding a bicycle on a dirt path surrounded by trees with mountains and a clear blue sky in the background. 
Stage 3: SELLASIA - 42 miles - 4,600 feet

By now you've had a taste of what this region's climbs are about and now you want more. Today delivers: the climb to Sellasia (Σελλασία) via Kalivia Theologou (Καλύβια Θεολόγου) challenges the legs and rewards with views that make it worth every meter. A fast descent past Koniditsa (Κονιδίτσα) sets up one more climb, this time to the village of Kastoreio (Καστόρειο).

From there, a rolling route carries us home, capped by one fantastic 6 mile descent into Sparti (Σπάρτη).

A scenic view from a hillside overlooking a valley with cultivated land, a winding road on a mountain slope, mountains in the background, and a partly cloudy sky. 
Stage 4: ANAVRYTI - 30 Miles - 3,400 feet

Today's route includes a 5 mile section that packs in 1,700ft of climbing — the kind you remember. The payoff is views over Sparti and the valley below; from the top, you can trace the villages you've ridden through on the days before, spread out beneath you.

The route passes through Anavryti (Αναβρυτή) on the way to a secluded monastery. And as with everything in this region, what goes up must come down — the descent is breathtaking.

A small town square with a large tree in the center, surrounded by buildings, shops, and cafes. There are chairs and tables arranged around the tree, and a street with parked cars and signs. The sky is partly cloudy with patches of blue visible. 
Stage 5: "Rest Day" - 32 Miles - 1,450 feet

You've made it to the rest day — though we'll still put in some miles to keep the legs spinning ahead of tomorrow's assault on Langada Pass and the Taygetos mountains. We spin through Sparti and down quiet roads through even quieter villages, stopping for coffee in Mystras (Μυστράς) before heading back to the hotel.

Dinner comes early tonight, by Greek standards, so you're ready for what's next.

A cyclist riding along a narrow mountain road with large rock formations and lush green trees in a forested area on a sunny day. 
Stage 6: Langada - 64 Miles - 8,800 feet

Today's the day. Thru Langada-Taygetos Pass (Πέρασμα Λαγκάδας Ταϋγέτου). We climb through rock tunnels and up narrow, single-lane roads over Langada-Taygetos Pass, el. 4,300ft - toward Kalamata (Καλαμάτα) and down thru historic villages before turning and climbing back up thru Nedousa (Νέδουσα) and Maxalas (Μαχαλάς). A double-sided ascent of Langada-Taygetos Pass, 8,350ft of elevation across the first 45 miles. You’ve got this, and your reward is a 16 mile descent!

Siga, siga. Slowly, slowly.

View of mountains and a blue sky through a rounded stone or brick window frame with a tiled roof in the foreground. 
Stage 7: DEPARTURE

It's time to say goodbye to Lakonia as we transfer back to Athens for your flight home. We take our time over breakfast, pack up, and steal one last look at the Taygetos Mountains before we go.

It's been a challenging journey. You conquered tough climbs and mastered descending countless hairpins, discovering the hidden Greece along the way and leaving with memories that last a lifetime.

Hotel Melies pool at sunset, looking at the Taygetos mountains that surround Sparti, Greece
A person wearing a purple cycling jersey and a white helmet with black markings, riding a bicycle on a rural road surrounded by greenery and mountains under a clear blue sky.