One of our favourite places to ride in Greece is the beautiful, mountainous island of Lefkada. The island is blessed with spectacular scenery, forested mountains, some of the best beaches in Greece and a sea of the most beautiful turquoise blue that you could easily imagine yourself in the Caribbean.
The terrain lends itself perfectly to mountain biking and there’s some decent road cycling too. There really is something for all riders, from leisurely trips through olive groves and past waterfalls to traditional villages. Then there’s the challenging ascents and descents with plenty of single track and switchbacks galore to keep the experts happy. Most of these rides start from the village of Vassiliki, a true sports playground; well known for its windsurfing as well as the riding. If you’re looking for a place to stay the Neilson Cosmos Beach Club makes a great base for mountain bike adventures.
Start: Vassiliki village Finish: Vassiliki village Distance: 26 kilometres Height gain: 731 metres Duration: 3 hours Difficulty: Intermediate Fitness level: Moderate
Starting from sea level in the village of Vassiliki you'll be able to see your final goal, twin radio masts that seem to be within relatively easy reach. Winding your way up towards the twin masts along a track we call ‘the elevator’ you'll soon realise where the origins of thename as you look back at how far you’ve come.
From here you reach the next village of Agios Petros where you are rewarded with a welcoming café, the last safe house on your journey. You then continue up on the road through a pine forest before turning off into the unknown. Powering on for a short while rewards you with astounding views of the olive groves that lie far below and Vassiliki with its picturesque bay until you finally reach the towers where you will begin the start of the journey back to the village below. Dropping over the far side of the mountain you look out to the deep blue as you take on a technical and rocky descent passing ancient Greek ruins. After a short time back on the road you circumnavigate the headland and begin the final descent down ‘the scar’ back into the basin returning well exercised and ready for some lunch at a waterside taverna.
Start: Vassiliki village Finish: Vassiliki village Distance: 15 kilometres Height gain: 326 metres Duration: 2 hours Difficulty: Expert Fitness level: Moderate
This ride is aptly named after theZ-shaped scar on the side of the mountain. Leaving Vassiliki town you climb up to the next village of Kontarina on a tarmac road. From here you leave the comfort of the road for a steep and technical ascent, taking in spectacular views across the water to the Greek mainland and theisland of Kefalonia. Once you have reached the 300m+ summit it’s time to descend the iconic switch backs carved on to the mountain with breath-taking scenery all around and views to Vassiliki and its turquoise shores. It’s worth bringing your camera for this unforgettable ride.
Start: Vassiliki Finish: Vassiliki Distance: 57 kilometres Height gain: 1478 metres Duration: 6 hours Difficulty: Expert Fitness level: High
Considered to be the Everest of mountain biking on the island of Lefkada, this ride takes you to the highest point at a staggering 1158m. Once you've warmed up your legs through the scenic low-lying orange groves and vineyards, the ride becomes a real test of endurance. Winding up through the hillside towns of Sivros and then Agios Ilias the landscape becomes more and more barren and the challenge of the ride more apparent. Once you've reached the highest point, you'll be able to see the White Churchin the near distance, which is the final point of this monumental climb.Throughout this traverse you pass the scenic mountain town of Eglouvi and a limestone quarry before meandering up the last part of your pilgrimage to the White Church, a modest piece of architecture with well-preserved artwork held within.
After an extended rest taking in the stunning surrounds whilst munching on a chocolate croissant or three, it’s time to start the descent down towards the west coast passing through the village of Chortata before completing the ride plummeting down ‘Spider Alley’. After this monster of a ride you’ll want to grab a spot on the beach and relax for a while.
Start: Agios Petros Finish: Vassiliki Distance: 12 kilometres Height gain: 254 metres Duration: 1 hour Difficulty: Expert Fitness level: Low
This is a ride that gives you great bang for your buck, from the village of Agios Petros you find yourself taking on some of Lefkada’s most technical single track. After completing a well-designed skill section, you wind your way through twist and turn taking on loose berms and ever larger and steeper drops. Towards the bottom, the track continues to increase in difficulty and is not for the faint hearted as you blast over roots and rocks before a final ladder drop on to the fire access road below. A short ride through the groves at the back of Vassilki takes you back to the beach, and although it’s not one of the longest rides you’ll feel a certain sense of achievement.
Whether you’re an occasional Sunday rider, lycra-clad racer or love the challenge of an off-road adventure there’s a biking holiday for you.
Improve your cycle fitness and you’ll enjoy riding more, it’s as simple as that! You’ll be able to cover greater distancesand you’ll no longer be at the back of the pack.
If you love mountain biking, you will love riding on the beautiful Greek island of Lesvos. Lesvos is a big island (the 3rd largest in Greece) yet it is one of the least discovered and retains an authentic feel.
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