THE ROAD TO GREECE
Written by MOTORBIKE EUROPE Road Writers -
After a good long ride, through several countries in south Eastern Europe, you come to the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, where the unparalleled experiences of Greece await you. Greece borders Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania, and eastwards it borders onto Turkey. To the east, is also the Aegean Sea, to the west the Ionian Sea, and in the south the Libyan Sea. When you have come this far, you might as well continue down through Macedonia, visiting the River Styx on the way, and find a good hotel in Athens, and enjoy life there, for a day or two.
There's plenty to see, and you can easily lose yourself in history. From there, you can plan your endless trip around the Greek archipelago, and spend the rest of your life exploring it, island by island.
Greece is the cradle of Western civilization, and has a long and rich history. This is evident wherever you go, and you’ll find yourself parking the motorcycle more and more often to take photographs, as you make your way from one island to the next. The landscape is rugged and mountainous, and the Mediterranean climate is perfect for motorcycle exploration, with long, dry and hot summers, and mild winters. Each island and region has its own particular culinary offering, and courses vary from one area to another. The Greek coastline spans more than 16,000km, giving you lots of scope for exploration.
If you want to get into total vacation mode down there, you should sail around a bit between the Greek islands, and you can take your motorbike on most ferries. You'll find plenty of remote beaches, and quiet sandy coves. Sail to Mykonos if you want to relax, and sailing the Ionian Islands, Corfu and Crete, is a must. Round off your Grecian motorbike experience by exploring the Island of Crete, with its many spectacular roads, such as the ride though the Samaria Gorge to the southern coast, where the next stop across the water is Libiya. After you’ve explored Crete completely, you should sail back up to Santorini, and take in some beautiful sunsets, from the terrace of your hotel on the edge of the Caldera.
After a motorcycle trip around Greece, you can safely say that you have been on holiday, and started a love affair, which never ends. We’ve been there six times already, and we’re just getting warmed up.
