Discover the Cyclade Islands by bike and boat on the PANAGIOTA

Your floating accommodation, a 33m/102ft long Greek motor sailing ship, will take you from Lavrio to the island of Kythnos.

This is your starting point for hopping around the heart of the Greek archipelagos. The Cyclades, which comprise more than 30 islands, the cradle of the first European civilised society 5,000 years ago. It is also here that Greece shows its most unadulterated side in all its variety: Gleaming white cubic houses with blue shutters and labyrinth lanes give the typical architectonic flavour to the island towns. The mostly ragged coastlines show impressive geological formations, turquoise-blue sea and fantastic sand beaches. Experience the fascinating mixture between antiquity and modern times on the PANAGIOTA or the bike and imbibe the beauty of the central archipelago of the Greek Aegean.

Schedule
General Map - 8 days/7 nights, approx. 150 km/94 miles by bicycle

Day 1: Boarding in Athens (Piraeus)
Individual journey to Athens airport and collective transfer to Marina Zeas, the yacht harbour of Piraeus close to Athens only 25 km (15 mi.) from Athens airport. Check-in from 2 p.m. on the Panagiota. Dinner on board.Overnight stay in Piraeus.

Day 2: Kythnos Island (Cycle route approx. 25 km/15 mi.)
Kythnos Island was famous for its cheese and honey since ancient times. The first cycling tour, which will start in the harbour of Merichas and will first lead you to the capital Chora, offers lots of scenic views to the coastline. Chora is an appealing village, situated on a high plateau. Its angular alleys are decorated with painted flowers and geometric patterns. Finally you will reach the bathing resort Loutra. Its thermal springs are said to have curing energy. In the afternoon the PANAGIOTA will take you to Seriphos. Overnight stay in Livadi.

Day 3: Seriphos Island (Cycle route approx. 35 km/22 miles)
Seriphos is a small island far from the tourist track, with deep valleys, countless bays and coves and lots of beautiful sandy beaches.  From the harbour town of Livadi we will cycle along a serpentine road to the main town of Seriphos, whose cube form houses nestle along a mountain ridge high above the sea. We will continue on through untouched landscape to the Byzantine monastery of the Archangel Michael. We will return to Livadi along a panoramic road on the East coast. In the afternoon the ship will bring us to Siphnos, where we can relax at the beautiful beach. Overnight stay in Kamares.

Day 4 Siphnos (approx. 20 km/12 mi. by bicycle)
The island of Siphnos, which is famous for its ceramic artwork, is only inhabited away from the coast, as its coast drops mainly steeply into the sea. The cycling tour begins in the harbour of Kamares. The route leads through a green, hilly terraced landscape to the central highlands with the island’s capital Kastro, which is a defensive settlement built on a steep cliff face and has been a listed and protected town since 1975. In the afternoon the ship will bring us to Syros, where we can round off the day in one of the numerous cafes on the spacious harbour promenade.

Day 5 Syros and Mykonos (approx. 30 km/19 mi. by bicycle)
Syros is the capital town of the Cyclades. The town of Ermoupolis offers visitors an unforgettable view upon arrival: The town which is built on two hills is different from the other Cycladic towns. Pastel coloured houses, many of which have classical facades dominant the townscape. We will cycle along the coast of Syros which is full of bays and coves along the entire southern half of the island to the beautiful beach of Galissas and then past the convent of Saint Barbara back to Ermoupolis. In the afternoon we will continue by boat to Mykonos, where the picturesque main town with its famous windmills and its white cube form houses invites visitors to stroll through it. With a bit of luck we may even see the mascot of Mykonos in the maze of laneways, the pelican Petros.

Day 6 Delos and Tinos (approx. 25 km/12 mi. by bicycle)
In the morning we have the chance to visit the important ancient sites on the island of Delos, where according to Greek mythology the god Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were born. After lunch we will crossover to Tinos. There we will first visit the famous Evangelistria church in Tinos town. Today’s bike tour takes us along a high road to the mountain village of Tarambados, a village full of walled dove towers with their filigree architecture, which represent remnants from Venetian times. Overnight stay in Tinos town.

Day 7 Kea Island (Cycle route approx. 12 km/7 mi.)
In the morning the ship will bring us to Kea. The starting point for the tour of Kea, the most westerly inhabited Cyclade island, is the wonderful natural harbour of Korissia. From here we will begin our cycle tour to the white beach of Otzias, where the Mediterranean will tempt you to a refreshing swim. The next stop is the picturesque main town of Ioulis which is situated in the mountains and has the main attraction on the island: The smiling lion of Kea which was chiselled from stone in the 6th century B.C. Last sail to Piraeus and overnight stay in Piraeus

Day 8 Disembarkation
Guests disembark after breakfast on board followed by individual departure or guests may extend their stay in Athens by a week.

Alterations: The Cyclades are relatively susceptible to wind. Normally this results in only a minor modification of the tour route. However by strong wind conditions the travel route may markedly differ from the planned route. Our substitute tour leads you into the Argosaronic Gulf, one of the most historic regions of Greece: You will cross between the Greek mainland and the Peloponnes and discover the islands of Ägina, Poros, Hydra, Spetses and the Methana peninsula. A highlight of this journey is a visit to the ancient Epidauros with the best preserved theatre in Greece.

Accommodation

The ship PANAGIOTA
The PANAGIOTA, our latest finding in Greece, is an affectionately restored two masted motor yacht, which is 23 ft. wide and 102 ft. long. It was built in 1990 and modernized in 2001 in conformity with the requirements of cruises. 6 cabins below deck and 4 cabins above deck are at the guests’ disposal. All cabins are air-conditioned and equipped with a French bed (4,6 ft. wide) , one single bed and private shower and toilet. There is room for all guests in the spacious saloon to have the meals, to regenerate or to spend some time with new friends. When the weather conditions are fine the guests can have the meals outside on the shaded rear deck. The spacious sun deck, equipped with cosy mats, invites to have a sun bath and to relax.

 

The ship NICOLAS A
The Nicolas A is a traditional, Greek two masted motor yacht with much charm. With a length of approx. 30 m and width of approx. 8 m it belongs to to the largest island hopping ships and offers place for 28 guests in 14 double cabins. Service and friendliness are largely written on this ship: A crew of five provides for the well-being of our guests. The bright, generous salon offers sufficiently place for the meals and the cosy gathering. In beautiful weather the meals can be taken also on the large reardeck of the ship, on which also a beverage bar is. On the front deck beach chairs and much place are at the guests disposal for sun bathing and for relaxation. 4 of the 14 cabins are equipped with a French bed, the other 10 with two beds lying one above the other. To each cabin belon air conditioning system as well as its own bath with shower/WC.

Catering
The cook on board is a member of the crew and prepares the breakfast and one or two warm meals a day. The full board starts with the dinner on the arrival day and ends with the breakfast on the departure day. On one longer bike tour you will have lunch in a restaurant.

Requirements (level 2 to 3)
The bike routes have a length of 20 to 50 km (13 to 32 miles) and lead through hilly or mountainous areas. Some uphill stretches are included. The roads are mostly asphalted. You can always choose to skip a bike tour and spend the time sunbathing on the ship instead.

Bringing children
We believe that only children in a good physical condition and of a minimum age of 10 and previous bicycle tour experience are able to master the bike-tours on their own strength. Please note that the minimum height for a rental bike is 1.40 m (4.6 ft.)

Participants
Mininum: 16 participants
Maximum: 20 participants

Dates & Price for 2012

May, 19 - May, 26	1340 Euro per person
June, 02 - June, 09	1340 Euro pp on the Panagioata ship
June, 09 - Jun, 16	1340 Euro pp on the Panagioata
Jun, 16 - June, 23	1340 Euro
Sep, 08 - Sep, 15	1340 Euro pp on the Panagioata ship
Sep, 15 - Sep, 22	1340 Euro pp on the Panagioata ship
Sep, 22 - Sep, 29	1340 Euro pp on the Panagioata ship

Accommodation on boat	Double cabin below deck Supplement for above deck cabin: 50 Euro per person A ½ double cabin can be booked:plus 50% on basic price
Days/nights	8 days/7 nights
Included services	8-day-trip on a two-masted motor yacht with a crew of four 7 nights on a motor yacht in a double cabin below deck with shower/WC 5x half board on the ship 2x full board on the ship Bed linen and towels English-speaking tour guide 6 guided cycling tours on the different islands approx. 170 kms/107miles by bicycle rental 21-speed trekking bicycle with bicycle bag Overview-maps for the daily tours on board Entrances to museums and archaeological sites collective transfer between Athens airport and the ship (only on embarkation and disembarkation day)
Additional optional services	Supplement for above deck cabin: 50 Euro per person Prolongation week/days in good hotels in Athens from 65 Euro person/night in a double room with breakfast Taxi transfer from airport Athens to Lavrio and back (approx. 45 Euro/one way)
Discounts	5% discount on the basic price when reserving before end of January 2012 3rd person sharing a cabin -50% Children under 18 sharing cabin:-25% (discounts cannot be acummulated)
Additional costs	Flight to Athens, Drinks on board (tally sheet; to be paid to the captain) Meals ashore Tips for crew and tour-guides
Cancellation fees	60 days or more before the beginning of the trip: 10% of the trip price (25 € per person minimum) 59 – 31 days before the trip begins: 30% of the trip price 30 – 21 days before the trip begins: 50% of the trip price 20 – 11 days before the trip begins: 70% of the trip price 10 – 1 days before the trip begins: 90% of the trip price. We urge you to consider effecting a travel cancellation cost insurance.  Before the trip, please also find out about your medical and accident insurance and about luggage insurance or travel liability insurance, if necessary.
Transfers	We organize collective transfers from Athens airport to Marina Zeas, the yacht harbour of Piraeus. As long as those transfers take place on embarkation and disembarkation days they are free of charge for you. For the organization of all transfers a reservation is requested. Please indicate your exact flight numbers and arrival times. If there are belated changes of your flight times you are kindly requested to inform immediately our office. Alternatively to the airport transfer we also offer free transfers between a hotel in Athens and the boat in Marina Zeas at embarkation and disembarkation day. Also for these transfers a reservation is requested. Please indicate your exact hotel address and at what time you would like to be picked up from the hotel or transferred to the hotel.
Extend your vacation	Would you like to be in vicinity for a few days before your boat- and bike trip or would you like to spend a few days in Greece after your trip? We can recommend some accommodations in Athens or on Aegina Island to you. You can easily book them by yourself. Please contact us for more information