Leonidio: Adventure Cycling at its Best
When people think of Leonidio, Greece - the first thing that comes to mind is its 2,000+ sport climbing routes. Also at top of mind are the town's vibrant Greek Orthodox Easter celebration; the natural mix of the Parnon mountains, red cliffs, and scenic beaches; and the eclectic expat community.
There's another very under-rated draw: adventure cycling. Leave your carbon-fibre road racing wheels at home - the frequent chunky gravel road linkups and seldom-maintained (but quiet) pavement lend towards wider tires and suggest a gravel-bike set up for max comfort. And come with climbing legs — most rides here serve up thousands of feet of vertical, often straight out of town.
What you're in for...
Getting here & getting around
From Athens to Leonidio
Most people fly into Athens. If you're serious about cycling and want to skip the car, I'd highly recommend skipping the ride out of Athens as I've yet to find egress from the city that does not involve an insane 6-lane highway. You can take the train (hourly) to Corinth and start your ride there. Alternatively, head on over to the KTEL station (there are several, this is the correct one) and catch the morning (leaves at 8:30 AM) or afternoon (leaves at 4:30 PM) bus.
The buses will take a bike or two without issue. They go in the luggage hold under the bus. With two bikes (wheels on), there's always been ample room with other travelers' luggage. If you show up as a group, consider alternatives (like van rental or the train to Corinth). The bus ride takes between 4 and 5 hours (long but scenic) and costs about 22 Euro.
Leonidio
Once in Leonidio, there's enough riding from the center of town to keep intense cyclists on novel terrain for a week or two. Additional new terrain can be easily unlocked by either:
- Staying in a nearby town (like Kyparissi) overnight, or
- Taking the bus towards Athens or Tripoli from Leonidio for a few stops. I'll provide more specific information about this in ride-specific articles.
The town has all the non-cycling amenities you can expect from a small town. There are loads of affordable AirBnbs for all group sizes. If you're more than just a couple, check out the Rocabella. It's owned by my friends Mic and Patsy, who have fantastic hospitality and love to show off Leonidio to visitors.
Leonidio does not have a bike shop. You can pick up some bare-minimum basics at a small store adjacent to this gas station. I suggest you come with everything you need. If you do need something, head over to Vicious Cycles Athens online or while still in Athens to get your bike worked on. Jimmy there knows his stuff and they'll ship stuff to Leonidio.
Signature Rides
Tsitalia & Poulithra Loop 🚌
A short, punchy half-day with a sea finish
Recovery
Two or three sentences of character. The sea at the finish is the payoff — black pebbles, empty tavernas in April. Bring a second bottle; the climb to Tsitalia is longer than it looks on paper.
Palaiochori and Kosmas
Limestone walls and the road the monks built
Moderate
The gorge road feels like it was carved for a single goat and one bike at a time. Keep right on the switchbacks; locals know every blind corner, and you don't.
Parnon Traverse (North) 🚌
Fir forest, cold springs, one brutal ramp
Hard
No gallery on this one — the photos from the day didn't survive a lens fogged up at 1,400m. The last ramp out of the fir grove is the one you'll remember.
Mt. Mainalo Summit Push
Six hours, two weather systems
Very Hard
No hero shot — the summit was a whiteout. The gallery tells the story on the way up; by the descent there was no visibility left to photograph.