MOTORCYCLE to the Greek Paradise... with chillout on Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Lefkada

The tour begins at a designated place in Central Poland (usually near Czestochowa), we start on the road at approx. 8:30 a.m. The destination for today is an intermediate accommodation in the transit route near the Hungary-Serbie border crossing. To cover a distance of about 800 km on highways.

We set off early in the morning, leaving from our accommodation scheduled at 8:00 a.m. A distance of about 640 km to cover may not be too long, but on the way several attractions...

Just after Belgrade, we'll head north toward the Romanian border on Route 34 - the abundance of tunnels and galleries means that driving this stretch of road will provide many unforgettable thrills, and the unique views of both banks of the Danube will delight even the most discriminating panorama connoisseurs.

The confluence of Route 34 and the Danube is a place inextricably linked to Polish history - a giant fortress Golubac (Gołąbiec), located on the very banks of the river, was the place where the knight Zawisza Czarny died. Not only the fortress, but also Đerdap National Park, on the edge of which we move towards the next attraction will be the highlight of today.

The dam on the Danube River connecting the two banks of the Danube that form the state borders of Romania and Serbia at a place called the Iron Gate (Iron Gate) is an architectural marvel blended with natural wonders. From here it's straight to our place of today's accommodation near the village of Negotin.

Macedonia will not be solely transit. After crossing the border with Serbia, we will head west, passing Skopje towards Tetovo and then south towards Mavrovo National Park. The entire park is Macedonia's largest year-round resort besieged by tourists. We will stop for a while in the village of Mavrovo, located on the shore of a picturesque lake, at an altitude of 1220 meters above sea level. , the attraction of which is... a church protruding from the water (an artificial reservoir created by flooding the area).

From here, just over 120 kilometers separate us from the city of Ohrid, located on the shore of the lake, where we will spend a lovely evening and night. Lake Ohrid, split between Albania and Macedonia, is the oldest lake in Europe and the deepest in the entire Balkans. Many medieval monuments, such as the Monastery of St. Naum, have been preserved on its shores. Lake Ohrid, along with the city of Ohrid, which lies on it, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today we will have our first collision with Greek culture... We have about 600 kilometers to cover on highways, moving in a southerly direction to Patras and then Kyllini, lodging as close as possible to the site of tomorrow's ferry crossing to the island of Zakynthos.

Several stops on the way, for refueling, coffee and mini sessions.

We get up early, around 7:45 our ferry from Kyllini to Zakynthos departs (the crossing will take about 2 hours).

We will spend this afternoon and tomorrow on a small island of the Ionian Archipelago - with magnificent views, beautiful beaches and picturesque villages, which is very popular among tourists from Poland -Zakynthos.

The three must-visit places on the island are Laganas Bay, Wreck Bay and the Blue Cave, and in between - picturesque landscapes, beautiful beaches and atmospheric taverns. Laganas Bay, with its beaches that are also favored by Caretta Carreta sea turtles... and a place that we will probably also visit - the National Marine Park of Zakynthos. We will make the approach to the Bay of Wreck (at Navagio Beach) - one of the most popular places on the island - from two sides: from the land and from above, and from the sea (if conditions allow). It was here that a ship carrying a cargo of tobacco ran aground in the 1960s, still providing quite an attraction and a unique landscape today (one story says so...). In the north of the island we will stop in Agios Nikolaos, from where we will sail to visit the most beautiful of the mysterious caves dotted here - the Blue Cave, which can only be reached by boat.

Today we continue penetrating Zakynthos at the pace and rhythm of the Greek....

Two ferry options (depending on weather conditions): 1. the ferry to Kefalonia departs at 9:45 a.m. from the quay in Agios Nikolaos, or 2. the ferry to Kylinia and on to Kefalonia departs at 5:25 a.m. from Zakythos.

We will have breakfast on the ferry, or replace it with an around-afternoon lunch. Regardless of the choice of connection, we "land" on Kefalonia before noon, around 11:00, which is enough to visit the most important sites of the largest island in the Ionian Archipelago.

We will try to feel the climate of Kefalonia in 2 days, not missing the capital of the island - Argostoli and the harbor, where you can see turtles caretta caretta caretta swimming up to the very shore in anticipation of refreshments. At the shore also a promenade with numerous pubs and a bridge with the obelisk of Agrostoli.

If time and weather conditions allow - we will ascend the highest mountain of Kefalonia - Enos (Ainos). The mountain is located in a National Park covered with coniferous trees, and Ainos itself is a great vantage point over the entire island and the Ionian Sea basin. From here you can go to the Drogarati Cave, where Maria Callas and Luciano Pavarotti, among others, gave a concert... or quite close, located next door - the Melissani Cave, called the Nymph Cave and considered a natural wonder. We will choose one.

Also not to be missed is the beach that appears in almost all, Greek tourist brochures - Myrtos. It was here that the scenes of the film "Captain Corelli" with Penelope Cruz and Nicolas Cage were shot. Stunning view from the top, which can not be compared with any other - a full palette of shades of blue, turquoise, navy blue and azure. The attraction is a small grotto, located on its left side, which you can enter, and the water inside the rock seems to phosphoresce.

At the end of this, or the next day, Fiskardo - a town haunted by celebrities in large numbers. You can meet Madonna and Sarah Jessica Parker here. Fiskardo is the only town that did not suffer from the 1953 earthquake and has retained its old atmosphere. Narrow streets, palm trees, ice cream parlors, white houses, taverns with checkered tablecloths and cascades of flowers create a fairy-tale sight.

In the Fiskardo area we will probably overnight, so there will be an opportunity to spend time in the narrow streets and port pubs.

Our second day on Kefalonia, we continue and score on the island what we failed to do yesterday.

The afternoon is free time for free use, so the day's schedule does not include a communal/organized meal. 

We sail from Fiskardo to Nidri on Lefkada at 9:15 a.m.. Cruise time about 1 hour, so a little after 10:30 a.m. again on wheels we will start penetrating the last of the islands in the Ionian Sea, which is on our planned route.

Lefkada (or Leukada) is the fourth largest island in the Ionian Islands archipelago. Its name comes from the color of the sharp cliffs located on the west coast (lefkos i.e. white).

The 80% is covered with mountains. It is connected to the mainland by a 50-meter-long, unusual rotating bridge. Lefkada is famous for its beautiful and uncrowded beaches, atmospheric tavernas and excellent original local cuisine.

Here we will spend a great afternoon, a long and fun evening and the whole day tomorrow, also allowing our machines to rest.... Yes, yes - it's time without a motorcycle.

Today is a day without a motorcycle - we rest, relax, enjoy local attractions and infrastructure.

Due to last night's "party" we are not planning any organized activities today, especially motorcycle riding. With no rush, at full leisure, we will probably visit one of the beaches, or maybe go for a cruise on local boats, maybe trekking on a hiking trail, in a word - whatever you like. The afternoon is free time for free use, so the day's itinerary does not include a shared/organized meal. 

The second day on the island and our last day of chillout. Tomorrow we start the return transit, It is still worth resting, taking advantage of , we will offer rides along the coast.

GREECE: Lefkada -> Great Meteor -> MACEDONIA: Skopje area

We end the "Greek vacation"... We are heading back north, towards home, but before... - on the way Greek Meteora.

The tallest of the towering rocks are more than 500 meters high. From the very beginning, the rocks appealed to monks, who from the 11th century began to come here in search of silence and opportunities for meditation. Before monasteries were built, monks climbed into the high caves. Once inside, they were able to stay at the top for up to several days praying and meditating in total silence.

The first monastery appeared here only in the 14th century. It was the Great Meteor, which was built between 1356 and 1372. It is here that we will stop by on our way.

We set off early in the morning, leaving from our accommodation scheduled at 8:00 a.m. A distance of about 740 km to drive. We will end the day with an overnight stay near Budapest. This will be our last night together and our last dinner together.

The last section of the joint ride. Today the participants will disconnect one by one. The last point on our joint route is in the place from which we started - the vicinity of Piotrków Trybunalski.