The wind in your hair. The sun at your back. The road winding ahead all that stitches land and sea together. Yes, there’s something very special about coastal routes. Discover our fantastic long-distance coastal rides and free-wheeling descents – charming fishing villages and blissful beaches come as standard…
Cycling the Dalmatian Coast
Dubrovnik, Croatia
This narrow belt of Croatia offers a jagged coastline, an archipelago of islands and historic towns. It makes for a heady mix: especially when you know your journey finds time to enjoy the clearest waters in the Mediterranean, as you continue your tour towards dramatic Dubrovnik. With its island-scattered bays and pine-clad hillsides, the Dalmatian Coast offers mile after mile of quiet coastal routes, captivating villages and temptingly clear waters to cool down in. Exodus customer Chris- Sy-Yan shares a snapshot of his journey with us: “We enjoyed a boat trip to Mljet National Park, where cars are banished and a 12th Century Benedictine monastery seems to float on a saltwater lake. And we conquered Korčula’s ancient city walls, which protected the port from pirates for centuries. We saw so much more of the country than if we’d been restricted to coach and car – packing in cycling and boat trips, vineyards and olive groves.” We love: Stylish Hvar town, its winding marble streets leading to a 13th Century harbour. Cycling the Dalmatian Coast
Cycling in Greece
It really doesn’t get better than this. Cycle the coastline of the Peloponnese and you’re, literally, taking a journey that snakes its way back to the 12th Century BC – to the time of Troy, of Jason and the Argonauts, and Hercules’ bout with that ill-fated lion. A land where myth and history collide head on. But there’s nothing mythological about the region’s azure bays, the archaeological treasures of Mycenae and the vineyards that are giving the Greek wine making industry its verve. And cycling around Athens – that’s something you won’t forget in a hurry! We love: The amazing views over the island of Poros,from the lofty temple of Poseidon. Cycling in Greece
Cycle Cilento & the Amalfi Coast
It’s hard not to fall for Amalfi. The coastal corniche is a switch-back route along the coast, south of Naples, past some of Italy’s finest coastal scenery, and most enchanting villages. The Cilento National Park is southern Italy at its most untouched and alluring – all Greco-Roman remains and densely-forested headlands. Below, pocket sized beaches washed by the Tyrrhenian Sea lie in wait for a post-lunch dip. Then it’s back on the saddle for another afternoon’s cycle past olive groves and lemon-scented clifftop villages. It’s a tough life. We love: The ride through the coastal villages of Maiori and Minori –one of the world’s most scenic. Cycle Cilento & the Amalfi Coast
Cycling the Cape & Winelands
Mountain, sea, rugged headlands and fertile valleys. Some regions on earth really do seem to be more blessed than most. And, in South Africa’s verdant Cape Peninsula they know how to take full advantage of their natural bounty. Surely Cape Town is one of the world’s most beautifully situated cities, sparkling beneath the iconic silhouette of Table Mountain. But, as this enchanting tour proves, the city is only the start of the story. We’ll cycle from here to Helshoogte (Hell’s Heights) and freewheel the rest of the way to Franschhoek stopping at the famous Boschendal vineyards along the way for a well earned drink, as we begin our odyssey into the rich cultural history, and fantastic wine-making estates that punctuate the landscape, here at the southernmost tip of the African landmass. Elsewhere, the trip offers a procession of coastal treats: from the inquisitive penguins of Boulders Beach, and the wild and remote section of the annual Cape Argus race, one of the most scenic routes that South Africa has to offer. We love: Sampling the stunning wines at Stellenbosch Cycling the Cape & Winelands
