Ionian Odyssey by Boat & Bike

Day 1: Corfu – Corfu Town (0 km)
You will arrive independently on Corfu and transfer to the harbour, where the Panagiota welcomes you on board from 2 pm. After settling into your cabin you will meet your guide and the rest of the group over dinner on board, and your first night will be spent moored in Corfu Town.

Day 2: Corfu – Sivota – Parga – Nidri (28 km)
The ship will cast off in the morning and cross to Sivota on the Greek mainland, where your first ride begins. You will pedal to Parga, a town spread out below a Venetian fortress that still watches over the old quarter. The boat meets you there for a long cruise to Lefkas, passing the swing bridge that links the island to the mainland, and you will spend the night in the lively harbour of Nidri.

Day 3: Nidri – Sivota – Fiskardo (35 km)
After breakfast you will ride a short stretch to a waterfall near Nidri, where with a little luck there will be enough water for a refreshing swim. Quiet roads then carry you over the hills via Siyros to the picturesque harbour town of Sivota. You board the ship there and cruise to Fiskardo on Cephalonia, a village of colourful houses and busy cafés strung along the waterfront promenade.

Day 4: Fiskardo – Sami – Vathy (39 km)
This is the longest ride of the week. You will leave Fiskardo by bike and climb an impressive mountain road on the west coast of Cephalonia, rewarded by wide views over the Assos peninsula and Myrtos beach. After the climb the route turns inland and crosses the island. Shortly before the end you will glide into the Melissani stalactite cave in a small rowing boat, where sun and water turn everything an improbable blue. In Sami the ship takes you on to Vathy on Ithaca.

Day 5: Ithaca – Frikes (20 km)
The island said to be the home of Odysseus is hilly, green and beautifully unhurried, and today you will ride it away from the usual tourist track: gnarled olive trees, crystal-clear water and islanders happy to see you. You choose between a genuine hill climb and a more leisurely panoramic route at half the height, 20 or 28 kilometres depending on your appetite. The Panagiota waits in Frikes before setting off for Meganisi.

Day 6: Meganisi – Paxos (17 km)
Meganisi is tiny and full of charm, and you will explore it by bike in the morning. The panoramic loop runs along lonely island roads and through the three villages, which give you an honest picture of traditional Greek island life. At Spartochori beach there is time for a coffee and a swim. In the afternoon the ship sails to Paxos, whose natural harbour at Gaios has an atmosphere all of its own, and the evening belongs to the tavernas.

Day 7: Paxos – Corfu (23 km)
Paxos, the smallest of the seven Ionian Islands, is essentially one great olive grove, and it is those trees that give the island its silver-green colour. Today you will circle it by bike and take your last swim in the Mediterranean from one of its many beaches. After lunch the Panagiota carries you back to Corfu, where the journey ends with dinner and a last evening together on board.

Day 8: Corfu Town – Corfu (0 km)
After breakfast you will check out and travel home independently, or stay on in Greece a little longer.