Cycling the Greek islands: an island hopping itinerary + tips

To try and make this more digestible, the article is broken up into five parts:

• Part 1: Is cycling the Greek islands for you?: Things to help you consider whether the experience is for you.
• Part 2: Why cycle the Greek islands?: Setting the scene for what to expect from a holiday in Greece.
• Part 3: Day by day itinerary for cycling the Greek islands: The day-by-day itinerary for our trip.
• Part 4: Practicalities of Greek boat bike holidays: Delving into the practical side of what to expect.
• Part 5: Things to be aware of: Points to note for those considering booking.

Part 1: Is cycling the Greek islands for you?

I thought I’d cut to the chase and start with this summary to help you decide whether a bike and boat holiday in Greece is likely to be a good fit for you – and to save you time if it’s not!

If you are a “yes” read on as the rest of the article goes into my experience of our itinerary and tips for booking an Islandhopping boat bike trip in Greece.

Yes, cycling the Greek islands on a boat bike holiday is for you if…

You love to swim in warm, clear waters

Each day of our trip included one, if not two or three, swim stops which were just perfect. Sailing the Ionian Islands in Greece, the water was generally green-blue and in shallower areas you could see all the way to the bottom. The temperature was gorgeous – just slightly refreshing when you first plunged in but perfect for bringing your core temperature down after a bike ride.

You want to explore parts of Greece that cars can’t get to

One of the joys of being aboard a boat is that you can anchor in quiet bays and just jump off the boat to swim. When you dock, you dock in the harbour in the centre of the village. You are also not dependent on a hire car, you don’t have to spend days finding the perfect accommodation and on a bike you can explore quiet roads and villages the tourists forgot.

You like meeting people

On an Islandhopping bike tour, meals are convivial, group affairs and people tended to meet for pre-dinner drinks and some of the dinners off the ship. Two of the couples on the boat had met on a previous Islandhopping trip and this was their third trip together! One of the nice things about the trip is time to get to know people from across the world.

You don’t like packing and repacking every night

Aboard a boat, your hotel moves with you. This minimises packing time and the risk of leaving something behind.

You like someone else to take care of the itinerary and logistics

A boat bike trip in Greece is hugely relaxing because once you’ve booked, everything is done for you. Your bike appears for each ride and is removed at the end of it. If there’s a mechanical someone fixes it for you, someone else picks the best route and guides you on it. There’s no need to buy food and cook it; other than pick a few evening restaurants, the food is all prepared for you.

No, a boat bike holiday is best avoided if…

You know you get seasick (and medication doesn’t work)

We had two days of 6-7 hours of cruising – if you know tablets won’t touch your nausea, this won’t be too much fun.

You like a big bedroom

The Panagiota was comfortable and had generous living space, but you can’t expect spacious bedrooms aboard a boat.

You are a fussy eater

7 lunches and 2 dinners were on board and this is not à la carte service. I thought the food was fantastic, with lots of fresh fish, vegetables and Greek dishes, but if you are very specific about what you will and won’t eat then you might struggle.

Note: Islandhopping can happily cater to specific diets such as gluten-free, lactose free and vegan; you just need to book ahead.

You’re militant on mealtimes

Mealtimes are set by the crew so you might want to be aware of this if your kids are used to rigid mealtimes and you don’t want to flex; however, there is tons of fresh fruit and peanuts available at all times and you could always bring extra snacks if you’re concerned. The crew were also very kind and often provided bread and jam or extra fruit snacks for the children if they were hungry ahead of time.

You get stressed if your trip doesn’t follow the precise itinerary

Due to the Lefkada bridge to the mainland being closed to boats, there were quite a few changes to the itinerary. Also, we were told that in Greece, ports are public and you can’t reserve a berth in advance. Greece is busy in summer, and this means that plans have to adapt; you just have to go with the flow.

Part 2: Why cycle the Greek islands?

Despite having travelled to 50+ countries, this was my first time cycling through Greece, the country that gave birth to democracy and mathematics, medicine and lecture, theatre and astronomy, mythology and philosophy. Greece’s ancient contribution to the world combined with the passion and colours showcased by films like Shirley Valentine and Mamma Mia, the architecture and sense of it offering a slower pace of life as seen in The Durrells, meant that the idea of a cycling tour of Greece had been on my must-do list for years.

Greece’s islands

Greece is home to more than  2,000 islands and islets (source); most are within an hour’s sail of each other, and you can often see one or two of them from wherever you happen to be standing.

This makes exploring by boat a delight because each island has its own identity – and often its own specific food and culture – so you’re never too far away from a new place to explore. No wonder so many people dream of Greek island-hopping tours.

You can read more about Greece’s different island chains in this article.

Greece’s Ionian Islands

The main reason we chose the Ionian Islands was practical: this is where Islandhopping run their family-focused boat bike tours in Greece!

And we’re glad they do, since the Ionian Islands are beauties and very easy to fall in love with.

The archipelago sweeps down the west coast of Greece, with vast olive groves, forested mountain-scapes and hidden coves home to the blue-green waters of the Ionian Sea. The Ionian chain includes Corfu, Paxi, Lefkada, Ithaki, Kefallonia and Zakynthos and the influence of invading forces over the years is written into the architecture of the islands’ towns, its Byzantine churches and crumbling fortresses, as well as the food and culture.

For these reasons, Ionian Islands tours are often highlighted as some of the most scenic for those looking for Greek cycling holidays.

Sponsor Message

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Want to find out more about Islandhopping's Greece island tours?

You can find out more about the trip I went on, on this page of Islandhopping's website (Multi Adventure Ionian Islands).

If you're looking for the non-family version, check out this page of Islandhopping's website (Bike & Boat Ionian Islands).

Or fill in the enquiry form at the end of the article and we will send this to Islandhopping.

Part 3: Day by day itinerary for cycling the Greek islands

The itinerary below is based on Islandhopping’s multi-day day adventure cruise of the Ionian Islands. Find out more about this on their website, here.

Friday: Corfu

Friday morning

A 2 am wake-up is never something you particularly look forward to. But in this case, it meant a 10am arrival to the sun-drenched island of Corfu, the second largest of the Ionian Islands.

I must admit that my research on Corfu had been limited to the BBC adaptation of The Durrells, and so my first sight of Corfu Old Town provided an unexpected jaw-drop moment as we abruptly caught our first sight of the mansions dominating the seafront and the bright blue sea.

The taxi dropped us at the boat and despite our early arrival, we received a warm welcome from tour guides Isabell and Katrina. “Oh good, it looks just like the photos” was my first thought on seeing the boat (I had previously interviewed Islandhopping about the trip, here).

Having left our bags aboard the boat, we headed into Corfu Old Town under a searing midday sun. This is a town that instantly impresses with its two fortresses standing guard over architecture that blends Italian, French and British, a sophisticated food scene and chic cafes, as well as visibly well-cared for religious and musical heritage.

First stop was the first café we came to – for whipped humus and fava bean dip accompanied by plump olives and salty pita bread. A feast.

30 minutes wandering the narrow, winding streets of old town and the kids had already found at least 30 items they simply couldn’t do without; this is tourist central with tightly packed shops selling everything from hand turned olive wood salt and pepper shakers and traditional Greek slippers to purses uncannily similar to those I saw being sold in the souks of Istanbul last October.

For those looking beyond the shops, just look upwards and you find well-cared-for, stone-built Parisian-style arcades and Venetian-built alleyways that are a pleasure to drink in, with huge windows, bright shutters and antique lamps.

Afternoon

With an incentivisation strategy of ice-cream and fizzy drinks (no judgment please), I cajoled the kids to climb to the top of the Old Fortress. There’s something about high points; they just have to be climbed. The history of the Old Fortress dates back to the 6th Century, though the current version is mostly the work of the Venetians between around 1400 and 1800. Today, the city’s two fortresses, as well as the Old Town of Corfu, are UNESCO protected.

The views from the top of the Old Fortress in the late afternoon light were impressive. Just take care on the butter-smooth cobbles on the way back down. I wasn’t the only one to end up in an undignified sprawl.

Isabell’s recommendation to head to Papagiorgis for ice cream was on point. In her view, it’s the best in the Ionian Islands – and the pistachio was indeed delicious.

Saturday: Corfu to Paxos

Morning

We motored down the green tail of Corfu, past villas and villages with the mainland to the left. The seas became choppier as we left the protective confines of the mainland-Corfu channel, to head across to diminutive Paxi (commonly called Paxos but in fact Paxi due to the fact there are two islands, the larger island of Paxi (10km by 4km) and the smaller island of Antipaxi).

We cruised along the yellow limestone cliffs of Paxos, past inlets, coves and caves, to a swim spot overlooked by a grand villa built into the cliff on one side and a humble church on the other. The water was sparkling and clear, perfect for a dip.

Lunch aboard was a feast of vine leaves, whitebait and a fresh salad, followed by aromatic tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice, and juicy chunks of apricot.

Afternoon

Manoeuvring a boat into a busy harbour is no easy feat but Captain Vasilis had us gliding into our berth in Gaïos with aplomb, pulling alongside sleek yachts and super boats whose value was likely not far off the annual GDP of a small nation.

Greece’s Ionian Islands in August are no undiscovered getaway but there’s a reason the super-rich choose to spend their summers here.

Aboard our bikes, we wove through throngs of day-trippers milling in the trendy water-front bars and restaurants that line the lazy curve of the channel overlooking the wooded islet of Agios Nikolais.

Ride on Paxos

The ride south to Mongonisi was a mere 4.5km breeze, past well-kept homes and gardens, with snapshots down to the azure waters below. A short, steep ramp had some in the party hunting for breath, but just the other side was the beach.

The beach at Mongonisi is no white-sand beauty, but the setting is idyllic, backed by olive trees and cacti loaded with orange fruit. The water was gorgeous after the warm ride and the gentle shelve perfect for the children. Kids splashed in the water, people chatted and lounged on bright blue loungers, men played backgammon under the sprawl of ancient olive trees.

Returning the way we came, we passed a Roman church I’d barely spotted as we spun past on the way down. Testament to the ancient history that is incorporated into everyday life in Greece. As we reached Gaïos once more, there was a noticeable lack of people thanks to the departing day-trip boats.

Dinner

We returned for dinner at dusk, the streets starting to bubble with laughter and conversation as sun-kissed visitors meandered their way to restaurants housed in neoclassical villas on the waterfront and in the town’s labyrinth of winding backstreets. Upmarket window displays beckoned, offering everything from tasteful clothing to Paxos’ famous olive oil; elsewhere glasses chinked and the ouzo flowed.

Sunday: Paxos to Kefallonia

Morning

A 6am cast off for a long day of cruising. The bridge between the mainland and Lefkada was closed which meant we had to travel the long way around, down the west coast of Lefkada.

The cliffs of Lefkada are noticeably different to Paxi – higher and the soft crumbly limestone looks ready to drop villages perched above at any moment.

We stopped for a lovely swim break just south of famous Egrekmni beach, in spectacular aquamarine water backed by the towering, and dazzlingly-white cliffs. We had plenty of time for kayaking and paddle boarding for those that wanted it.

Lunch was onboard while we motored past the Cape Lefkatas lighthouse, and on, with the islands of Kefallonia to our right and Ithaki to our left. The hills here are shrouded in green trees and humming with cicadas; the cliffs are nothing more cliff-lets. Quite the change from Lefkada and Paxi.

Afternoon

Rounding the corner we moored at Sami, Kefallonia’s main port (the enormous Levante ferry was moored in the harbour overnight). Kefallonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands and was devastated by a huge earthquake in 1953. Many of the towns were rebuilt after this, making it one of the most beautiful Ionian island destinations today.

Our base for the evening, Sami, was built in the 1960s. Its long high street borders the harbour and is full of cafes and restaurants, with a parallel street home to more functional shops. There’s little to hold the attention of tourists used to the delights of historic Greek villages.

Isabell and Katrina set up a picnic by the beach at dusk, with wines to taste and sharing stories of Kefalonia. We enjoyed fresh white Robola wine, candied almonds, cheese from Kefalotyri and salami from Lefkada as the sun sunk down into the horizon.

Monday: Kefallonia to Meganisi

Morning: ride on Kefallonia

We headed out on the bikes, hugging the coast, and then turned inland to Melissani Cave and Drogarti Cave.

Melissani Cave is reached via a path down to boats which take you out on to the vivid blue waters of the lake.

Drogarti Cave was more spectacular to my mind; 95m deep and around 150 million years old, be ready for lots of steps down to the cool cavern where stalactites drape the ceilings and stalagmites grow upwards (extremely slowly at 1cm in 100 years!).

The route was relatively flat (just under 100m of climbing total on the ride) and largely on back roads that weaved through olive trees, though there was quite a bit of traffic on the main road sections as the two caves are popular attractions.

Afternoon

In a quiet bay not far from Sami, we had a wonderful swim from the boat, before lunching on a meal of barbecued sea bream.

We cruised our way north up the east coast of Ithaki, before passing between Arkoudi and Atokos and entering the channel between Lefkada and Meganisi.

We were meant to dock in Vathy on Meganisi, but due to a lack of berths, we ended up docking in a quiet bay just before it. Meganisi is one of Lefkada’s satellite islets and boasts green forests, cool turquoise waters and small pebble beaches. The bay we found ourselves in was home to an excellent beach bar. We spent an idyllic afternoon messing around on canoes and paddle boards and swimming in the warm waters.

Dinner was onboard.

Tuesday: Meganisi to Lefkada

Morning: ride on Meganisi

Out came the bikes and off we headed on a short (sub 10km) but undulating ride. The first couple of kilometres of spectacular views took us into the village of Vathy, a tiny harbour with an authentic feel, likely thanks to the fact that this is just a small boat tourism destination; there’s no airport on Meganisi.

We headed up out of Vathy and into the next small village of Katomeri, past whitewashed houses with blue shutters, brightly coloured churches (95% of Greeks declare themselves as Greek Orthodox), vast sprays of bougainvillea, fig and pomegranate trees.

A long climb took us to a viewpoint marked by a Greek leader from Meganasi who ousted the Turks from their rule of the island. We then sped down to a viewpoint in the hamlet of Spartochori, with a spectacular view over the sea and down to “our” harbour. Steep switchbacks and we were back to the boat.

Afternoon

We moored in the modern port of Vasiliki on the island of Lefkada. It’s a cheerful place, with a good breeze, a nice handful of restaurants along the waterfront and some tempting boutiques.

This was a “free afternoon” during which the crew onboarded more fresh food and offloaded some bikes. We headed to the stony beach; for some of us, this was our third swim of the day. Tough work!

Dinner

We ate at LAMDA restaurant, housed in a restored stone house on the harbour front. The food was some of the best I’ve ever had; we feasted on delicious salads, my favourite being the green salad with dried figs, almonds, smoked cheese and apple cider vinaigrette, and shared a stunning range of starters including sea bass ceviche with avocado, crunchy quinoa and citrus vinaigrette, tuna tataki, shrimp saganaki with sweet chilli and feta cheese covered in polenta.

Wednesday: Lefkada to Parga

Morning: ride on Lefkada

A lovely 12km bike ride with a mere 80m or so of climbing, past high Greek bamboo and through olive groves as well as all sorts of fruit trees; we spotted almond trees, fig trees, quince and pomegranate as well as juicy clumps of green and red grapes. Other than for the final kilometre back down to the harbour, the route was a blissful combination of backroads and bike paths. Around us towered the peaks of Lefkada island. Cycling here showed us why cycling Lefkada is becoming popular.

We ate lunch aboard and then relaxed in for a 6-hour cruise to Parga on the Greek mainland, broken up by a wonderful swim stop just north of Porto Katsiki on the west coast of Lefkada island. We were close to where we had swum on the way down on Saturday and it was a joy to be back in the turquoise water dwarfed by the towering limestone cliffs.

Afternoon

We docked in Parga at around 6pm and took the guides’ suggestion to walk up to the fortress above the town (wear trainers and be prepared for a workout). Dating from the 14th Century, it’s fair to say the fort is not in optimum condition (the sign on the entrance makes it clear that entry is at your own risk). However, the views back down to the town were sublime. They offer up a sea of terracotta roofs, brightly painted buildings and sparkling white yachts that give way to a little island that’s home to a simple, whitewashed church and beyond that a curving coastline glinting in the late afternoon sunshine.

Beyond the initial viewpoint, the signs warn you again of your impending peril in continuing, and to be fair, the site is visibly very crumbly. The network of corridors, staircases and tunnels beckoned nonetheless and more glittering views to the bays the other side of Parga ensued.

Dinner

We ate a fantastic dinner at Aegis Dine & Drink. The orange salad, sea bass ceviche and steak tartar were fresh and zinging with flavour. Tip: reserve a table or arrive early to eat. When we visited the port was thronging with people and despite the number of restaurants, tables were hard to come by.

Thursday: Parga to Corfu

Morning: ride near Parga

After a short cruise from Parga, we disembarked at Arillas Beach and rode a lovely loop on quiet roads through olive groves and past spectacular mountain vistas, to St Athanasios church and former monastery. Home to a tiny chapel adorned with small prints and paintings and home to a wishing tree.

I’d read that religion remained a strong part of most Greeks’ everyday life and while there we learnt that ahead of the religious bank holiday on 15 August, many villagers were coming for an evening service, sleeping outside overnight and then attending a further service at dawn. While there, several families came in and kissed the images and lit a candle. We’d also seen lots of people in churches in Corfu Town and Parga the previous night; it was really interesting to see religion appearing to be more broadly and informally embraced as part of everyday life than it is in the UK, where churches are everywhere but, to me, feel more austere and less accessible.

A final beach stop at Karavostasi Beach on a fine pebble beach and then back to the boat for a final boat swim stop in a hidden cove. Spectacular.

Afternoon

We feasted on barbecued prawns and calamari for lunch before cruising to Corfu. A chance to soak up some more of Corfu Old Town’s delights including the sight of the Venetian-styled Saint Spyridon church bell tower; we happened to walk past when they were ringing them. It was quite a sight as they were being rung by hand; I hope the man ringing them was kitted out with some military grade ear defenders!

Friday: departure day

A final breakfast and it was time to say goodbye.

“The best holiday I’ve ever been on” were my son’s concluding thoughts.

I suspect we will be back!

Sponsor Message

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Want to find out more about Islandhopping's Greece island tours?

You can find out more about the trip I went on, on this page of Islandhopping's website (Multi Adventure Ionian Islands).

If you're looking for the non-family version, check out this page of Islandhopping's website (Bike & Boat Ionian Islands).

Or fill in the enquiry form at the end of the article and we will send this to Islandhopping.

Part 4: Practicalities of Greek boat bike holidays

Here are some in-depth notes on the important practicalities of the Greece bike and boat tour we were on.

The boat

Built around 1984 and maintained annually, the Pangiota is no sleek super yacht. Wooden-built, its three storeys provide room for 11 cabins (each with an ensuite) and 20 guests (plus six crew members and two tour leaders) at max capacity.

The salon area is the largest indoor area and is home to two long trestle tables with seats for everyone, a bar and an assortments of cupboards and shelves.

Outside there are four distinct areas: the top roof with 12 comfortable sun mats, the roof in front of the captain’s bridge with 14 comfortable sun mats (protected by a sun sail), a bike storage area and an outside seating area adjacent to the salon, with two trestle tables and seating for around 14 (or more if you want to squish up).

Guests

On our trip: 15 adults and 5 kids (three 9-year-olds, one 11-year-old, one 12-year-old).

Meals

Breakfast: fresh fruits, yoghurt, cereal, bread and jams, and eggs.

Lunch: two or three-course meal including a simple dessert (fruit or a yoghurt-based pudding). Favourites included Greek salad, moussaka, minced beef wrapped in vine leaves, crumbled feta cheese salad, tzatziki, potatoes in various guises, bean stews, barbecued sea bream, burgers and chicken wings.

Dinner: two dinners included, the remainder were for us to source in a port town. This provides a nice opportunity to sample the local tavernas.

Vegans and lactose-free and gluten-free dietary requirements can all be catered for, though you need to book in advance.

Facilities

A range of board games and books.

Snorkel masks, 2 kayaks, 2 paddle boards, lots of pool noodles.

Bikes

Bikes were comfortable but nothing fancy; they’re unlikely to be the newest or fastest specimens you’ve ever ridden, but they’ll do the job! Islandhopping is able to provide kids bikes, tagalongs and bike seats. They had helmets on offer for those who didn’t bring their own.

Tour guides

Isabell and Katerina were our tour guides and bike mechanics for the trip.

German by birth, Isabell moved to Greece ten years ago, having fallen in love with the country and its language. She speaks German, English, and even some Icelandic.

Katerina is Greek and from the island of Crete. She is a tour guide in Crete when not guiding on Islandhopping trips – and is also fluent in English and German.

Isabell and Katerina were brilliant; organised, fun and helpful, gauging the group well and organising activities for the children such as a scavenger hunt and charades.

Crew

The crew of six were kind and happy people to be around.

The captain, Vassilis, who was cheerful, seemingly well-connected with port masters around the islands and happy to teach the kids about driving the boat. His right-hand man was Makis, who was the chief engineer and had worked with the ship for the last 25 years.

Giorgos and Usman were the boat crew, barmen and waiters. They were also great with the children.

We saw less of Nondas, the chef, and Nelly, the sous-chef and housekeeper, but they worked hard behind the scenes.

 

Cabin

We were in Dodecanes cabin, below deck, at the rear of the boat.

The cabin was compact and thoughtfully designed, complete with large cupboard, a large mirror, hooks, several sockets – and most importantly – air con!

The set up was a double bed on the bottom (with duvets) and a single bed above (with sheet, no duvet). This says a lot about the surprisingly relative temperatures.

We all slept well, lulled by the smooth rock of the waves. According to my son’s watch, he had roughly double his usual REM sleep each night.

Things to bring

The general advice is to bring as little as possible as there isn’t much space to store it in the room! But do remember to include:

• Sarongs to use as beach towels
• Goggles
• Ear plugs
• Cash. If you want drinks from the bar, there is an honesty bar and you pay your tab at the end of the trip. Cash is also useful for tips and the odd restaurant that might not accept cash.
• A book. Sitting out on the deck, book in hand as you cruise along is about as relaxing as it can get. If you want a novel set in Greece, try popular classics such as Captain Corelli’s Mandalon (based in Kephalonia), The Greek Islands (a travelogue by Lawrence Durrell), My Family and Other Animals (by Gerald Durrell about the Durrell family’s experience living on Corfu).

Looking for more packing essentials? Don’t miss this useful in-depth guide.

Sponsor Message

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Want to find out more about Islandhopping's Greece island tours?

You can find out more about the trip I went on, on this page of Islandhopping's website (Multi Adventure Ionian Islands).

If you're looking for the non-family version, check out this page of Islandhopping's website (Bike & Boat Ionian Islands).

Or fill in the enquiry form at the end of the article and we will send this to Islandhopping.

Part 5: Things to be aware of

Here are some points I’d tell my friends to be aware of when booking a Greece boat and bike holiday.

Motor v sails

Don’t expect to use the cruising to include the use of the boat’s sails; we were entirely under motor.

Noise and heat

The boat uses generators to provide electricity. It wasn’t an issue I noticed, but those who are particularly noise sensitive should be aware. You get the odd whiff of diesel and, without the air con, the heat in our room was oppressive. We also found the top bunk was significantly warmer than the bottom bunk (which is closer to the air con vents).

Space

Cabins are compact. In our three-berth below-decks cabin, the three of us could stand in the floor space, but there then wasn’t really room to move. We took one large 24kg hold-all and three small rucksacks. I wouldn’t want to have had any more luggage in the room than this.

Itinerary changes

Be aware that there may be changes to the itinerary. Our guides explained that Greek ports are public and so it’s not possible to reserve berths; they are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

By way of example, in our case, the closed bridge between the mainland and Lefkada and a lack of berths in Fiskardo meant that we cruised for around 7.5 hours on the Saturday. This meant we didn’t have time for a bike ride that day (this was substituted with a short hike and wine tasting). Also, we docked in Sami rather than Fiskardo.

Don’t pick a family-friendly trip if you want adult only

Don’t pick a family-friendly holiday if you don’t want to be around children.

Our group of 20 included 5 kids aged between 9 and 12. The previous week the guests included a 2 and 7 year old. On our trip, I thought it was interesting that of the 8 groups, there were 5 groups that came on the trip without kids. They were fully aware there would be kids aboard and seemed very relaxed about the associated noise, splashing and chaos that comes with kids, but it did make me think that it wouldn’t be for everyone.

Islandhopping offers non-family-specific trips where you’re less likely to come across young kids because the cycling distances are longer, and you could also pick a time during school term time to avoid this issue.

When to travel

Perceived wisdom is to avoid Greece in August if you can – and this is sensible if you’re not on a boat. Temperatures can top out around 40 degrees, port towns are heaving with visitors and the beaches throng with sun worshippers.

For those aboard a boat, however, the experience is very different; you’re living on the water and the coastal breeze is a game changer. Yes, you’ll get hot while cycling (though even then you create your own breeze), but as soon as you’re back, you can just plunge into the warm, clear waters. Also important: the cabins aboard the Pangiota have air conditioning.

If you don’t want to risk the temperatures and have flexibility over when to travel, Easter to mid-June and September to the end of October are generally said to be the best months for Greece cycling holidays (though of course these days, weather patterns are not what they used to be in terms of reliability!).

Wildfires

These are an increasing concern in southern Europe, and the truth is that wildfires are becoming more of an issue in many parts of the continent (source).

While on our trip there were wildfires on a couple of the islands around us, and some guests on our trip even had their work emergency alert sound when we were on Lefkada because of a severe fire on nearby Kefallonia. However, we didn’t see or smell any sign of fire on our trip.

Travel responsibly

One of the main rules on the boat is to never chuck anything in the boat toilets (including paper). I dread to think what a blockage would do!

Don’t throw rubbish into the sea or leave it at the beach, don’t do anything that might start a wildfire, don’t pick wildflowers, use water sparingly, and be particularly careful when walking on cliff tops or castle ramparts, as these may crumble unexpectedly.

Sponsor Message

Supported

Want to find out more about Islandhopping's Greece island tours?

You can find out more about the trip I went on, on this page of Islandhopping's website (Multi Adventure Ionian Islands).

If you're looking for the non-family version, check out this page of Islandhopping's website (Bike & Boat Ionian Islands).

Or fill in the enquiry form at the end of the article and we will send this to Islandhopping.

Final thoughts

Islandhopping’s Ionian Islands boat bike trip was a hugely memorable trip and showed us how special cycling the Greek islands can be.

From road cycling in Greece on Lefkada to peaceful paths on Meganisi, the variety was fantastic. Since returning, I’ve been telling my friends with school-aged children what a wonderful time we had. I loved the chance to explore so much of the Ionian Islands in a short time and the journey between islands. There was a sense of freedom to being on the open seas and the swim stops were wonderful for young and old alike.

For us, the cycling element was more limited than we’re used to, but then my children are unusual in how much cycling they do. The routes were great and I appreciated the fact the cycling routes showed us some of the villages, history, culture and landscapes away from the coast. The kids loved meeting other children and I loved meeting interesting people from across the world.

To summarise, I’d say that if you’re looking for a family-friendly cycling adventure, you should definitely check out Islandhopping Ionian Islands itinerary.

We travelled with Islandhopping on their Multi Adventure Cruise of the Ionian Islands, Greece in August 2025. 

Looking for other boat and bike holiday ideas? Don’t miss:

• Island hopping in Greece (boat and bike)
• Island hopping in Croatia (boat and bike)
• Island hopping in Turkey (boat and bike)
• Boat bike tours in France