Explore non-Touristy Greek Islands by Boat and Bike and enjoy an authentic experience!
With popular travel destinations so crowded these days, why not consider an active boat and bike holiday exploring beautiful Greek islands less visited by tourists! You’ll enjoy a much more authentic experience away from the crowds and see Greece the way you’ve always imagined it.
I took a BoatBikeTours.com week long boat and bike tour of the Cyclades and Saronic Greek Islands with my sister, Terry. In today’s episode, I share what we saw and did (and ATE!!!) so you can see if this tour is the right vacation for you.
Some of the benefits of a boat and bike tour is that you only unpack once, as each day, your magnificent small group ship sails from island to island. Also, it is not only affordable, but almost all inclusive, so you have a good idea of how much your holiday will cost.
Lodging (in a comfortable en suite cabin on your ship) is included, as are most meals plus your tour guides. So you really just pay for transportation to and from the starting point, any alcohol and incidentals, maybe a couple of meals plus guide tips.
This was my second BoatBikeTour.com tour (check out my Croatia trip HERE.) After my Croatia trip, I was so impressed, I reached out to BBT to get them on the ATA team.
SAVE!!! Now BBT is one of my ATA affiliates, so you can save 50 Euro per booking using my exclusive BoatBikeTours Promo Code ATA50! This discount code is good for any BoatBikeTour throughout Europe.
How a Boat and Bike Tour Works
Generally you start and end your tour at an easy departure point. For this tour, I flew into Athens, Greece and simply took a bus to the port to join my group and ship. For Croatia, I flew into Split and then departed from Dubrovnik, so check the itinerary to see if your boat and bike tour is one direction or circular, like my Cyclades and Saronic Greek Island week long tour.
We island hopped each day, with the Captain modifying the itinerary to take advantage of weather conditions. Since our first two days were going to be windy, he simply reversed our itinerary so that we would have a more pleasant experience. The Captain and your tour guides goal is to provide the most enjoyable experience possible and they have many Plan B, C and D’s so that they can adapt according to conditions.
Most days, we would sail to a port, and then take a leisurely ride around scenic landscapes, often cliimbing hills so that we could get a panoramic view of the harbor and coastline below. We would stop and explore charming villages, hardly ever seeing other tourists (and on some islands, rarely even seeing locals!).
When to Visit Greece
Like most places, spring and fall is the best time to visit. The weather is the most pleasant and crowds everywhere are down (important for when you take time to see Athens – see below). Summer, is obviously hotter, but also a popular time to visit Greece. Since Greece’s economy is so tourist dependant, avoid visiting during winter as many restaurants and businesses close for the season so you won’t get to enjoy the same vibe.
Who is this Boat and Bike Tour Good For
My Cyclades and Saronic Greek Island boat and bike tour had twelve guests, from all over the world. The average age was close to 60. All but one spoke English (in addition to his or her native language). The guides speak English and German.
We were all reasonably fit, but only a couple were heavy duty bikers. It was a lovely group of fun, outgoing folks who seek adventure as they explore the world.
How Hard is the Greek Island Hopping Boat and Bike Tour
That depends on whether you rent a manual bike or rent an eBike. You can also bring your own bike. Just note your preference at booking.
If you are using an eBike, which I recommend for this Greek tour, I would rank it a 2.5 out of 5 for difficulty. Since you control how much ‘oomph’ your bike assists you, you can make it an easy 2, or a much harder 4, if you rarely use assistance from the battery.
However, if you use a manual bike, I would rank it a 4 or 4.5, as these Greek islands are quite hilly and mountainous, and there are many long, high ascents. The rental bikes have multiple gears, so it is doable, but it is definitely challenging.
In our group, five chose to ride manual bikes, but only two never borrowed an eBike for partial respite. Unless you are a hard core mountain biker, rent the eBike so you have options.
If you tell BBT, you can borrow a (mandatory) helmet, or you can bring your own, as you choose. You can also bring your own bike.
Typical Boat and Bike Tour Day
We normally had a delicious, leisurely full breakfast around 8am. Then we would sail to our next (usually close by) island. At breakfast, our guides would brief us on our day’s itinerary.
When we arrived, the guides unloaded our bikes, we donned our helmets and set off, with a guide in the front and back, available for assistance and to make sure we never got lost. At intersections where we turned, a rider would be posted so everyone knew which way to go.
We road on rural roads rarely used by cars. Our guides took us around the islands to showcase each islands unique offerings. We would stop to enjoy a cappuchino, or to explore a charming village or temple ruin. Sometimes we would stop for lunch, but we generally ate most meals on board (NOTE: ALL food was ample and delicious!!!).
After biking several hours, we would work our way back to the port and the guides would load up our bikes. Sometimes we stayed in the port so people could wander the harbor shops and restaurants. Other times, we sailed on, often stopping in a protected cove so we could take a swim.
Leisure time was also spent sunning on the ample deck on comfortable lounges, reading in the sun or shade areas, or just chatting and getting to know your fellow travelers, most of whom were very well traveled with lots of fun stories to share.
Dinner was on our covered deck, and was always a work of art, and quite tasty. Alcoholic beverages are extra. There is a full bar on board, and prices were reasonable. After dinner, people often shared a nightcap or retired to read and relax, to rest up for the next day.
What Do You See on a Greek Island Boat and Bike Tour
You will be biking through rural areas, so you’ll see tons of olive trees, vineyards, bee hives, fig trees, wildflowers, wild herbs and even a old windmill or two! Often, you will see cool rock formations, beautiful seaside cliffs and shorelines.
You will also visit white washed ancient villages, with their typical blue painted trim. Homes are traditionally whitewashed each year, right before Easter. The lime wash is a disinfectant, and the blue trim is to ‘trick the insects’ and to keep them from entering the house. Never figured out how come:) Stoops and steps are gayly decorated with colorful flower pots, and bougainvilla climbs heroically up walls, that might also be dotted with an opportunistic caper.
Greece eats what it produces, so you basically ride by your next meal.
Most homes are whitewashed and trimmed out in cobalt blue. It was rare to see a variant, like this mustard-trimmed home.
Methano Island Rock Formations
Some of the most interesting rock formations we saw was on the island of Methano. People built homes directly under overhanging rocks and by ruble that looked like it was a breath away from collapsing.
Explore Athens Before or After your Boat and Bike Tour
Try to allow at least three days to explore beautiful Athens! To get the most out of your visit, I recommend taking a guided tour so you know what you are looking at. I used (my now) affiliate City Experiences and took their half day “Best of Athens” tour.
Plan your Greece and Athens visit HERE.
Not only did I get a fantastic guided tour of Athen’s highlights, but we skipped the line on attractions (entrance fees included with the booking). Plus, we got several other admissions with the 3 Day Pass they gave us! I love how our guide showed us illustrations of the ruins so we could understand what they once looked like and how they were used. He also regaled us with Greek myths to add fun and insight to our tour. A top shelf tour company!
City Experiences offers both cultural AND food tours in major cities around the world! I try to take at least one of each whenever I visit a new city.
Check out the new ATA City Destinations Travel Planners HERE!
Links Mentioned on this Podcast:
City Experiences – Athens (and other city tours)
Trailblazer Wellness – Custom online personal training (free phone consult). Mention ATA for 10% OFF!
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