Leg 6
Bari to Thessaloniki
Coastline, trulli villages, greek culture, sparsely populated countryside, big hills, exceptionally quiet roads, dogs, bears and the party city of Thessaloniki.
Ridden by the Pioneers — no longer available to book
This is the route and itinerary as it was planned for the ride, kept as a record of the journey so far. For legs you can still join, see the Book Now page.
- Dates
- 25th to 28th May 2017
- Start
- Bari Seafront – 8.00am Thursday 25th May 2017
- Finish
- Thessaloniki Seafront – 18.00 Sunday 28th May 2017
- Days’ Cycling
- 4
- Distance
- 575 km (plus an optional loop of 29 km)
- Total climbing
- 8,534 m climbing
- Max capacity
- 125 people
Itinerary
Pre-Start – Bari – 7.30pm 24th May 2016
Informal Drinks reception at the Grande Albergo Delle Nazione on the night before the ride. It will be a great opportunity to see everyone again before the cycling begins the next morning.
Day 1 – Bari to Brindisi 148 km & 1,402 m total ascent
View the route on StravaOur Grand Depart will be from the (Grande Albergo Delle Nazione) on the seafront in Bari and follow the coastline for the first 8 km before heading up a gentle hill to enjoy some of the key sites of Puglia. It’s a perfect first day warm-up with no serious climbs. The roads are exceptionally quiet for the whole day from the outskirts of Bari to the outskirts of Brindisi. We stop quickly in Turi before visiting the iconic trulli houses in Alberobello. Lunch is at an agriturismo before enjoying hill top towns, olive groves and far reaching sea views. The last few km are along the coast with plenty of opportunities to stop for a swim in the Adriatic sea.
We have dinner on the waterfront in Brindisi before a short 3.2 km cycle to the port to board the ferry to Greece.
Day 2 – Igoumenitsa to Metsovo – 142 km, 3,414 m total ascent
View the route on StravaDay 2 is the day to remember! The ferry arrives at 5.30 am and we disembark before having a cooked breakfast in a restaurant on the seafront. Within a few km of the port we are on largely traffic free roads for the day. The area is very sparely populated – you will see far more animals than people or vehicles. Lunch is at a local restaurant on the edge of a lake close to the only town that we go through on the day called Ioannina.
We then continue climbing to the quirky mountain town / winter sports resort of Metsovo. You will notice that we have moved further east with undrinkable coffee, undecipherable road signs, wild dogs and bears – all part of the cultural adventure that is Ride25.
Day 3 – Metsovo to Kozani – 92 / 119 km, 2,042 m total ascent
View the route on StravaWe leave Metsovo and have the option of cycling around a beautiful mountain lake – very similar scenery to a Scottish Loch or you can go direct and save 29 km. We are treated to another day with very limited traffic and people as we head across northern Greece.
We stop for lunch in a local taverna in the centre of a town called Grevena – renowned for growing mushrooms. Home for the night is the lively regional town of Kozani. We finish in the main town square with a great selection of bars.
Day 4 – Kozani to Thessaloniki – 167 km, 1,494 m total ascent
View the route on StravaWe continue to enjoy the fruits of our climbing on day 2 with some long sweeping downhills. After leaving Kozani we cycle around Lake Polifitou on a traffic free road with views of Mount Olympus in the distance before the last climb of the trip. The morning is again unpopulated and a struggle to find anywhere for provisions or a decent coffee.
Lunch is late in the day once all the climbing has been done at a gorgeous vineyard with far reaching views.
The run in to Thessaloniki is flat with the final couple of km right along the sea to the hotel. Thessaloniki is a party city that runs along the seafront. We finish at a hotel on the seafront and can enjoy drinks at a bar on the terrace. We than have a party in a converted warehouse on the seafront.