The Peloponnese

The appeal of the Peloponnese is hard to overstate. So says our Rough Guide to Greece and, after a long weekend of cycling on the peninsula, we heartily agree.

-  Matt Baird

Open roads, smooth tarmac, untapped gravel excursions and empty coast roads were all in evidence, combined with more history than you can poke a very large (preferably sesame seed coated) bread stick at.

Epidavros in the eastern Argolis region of the Peloponnese was our base, being close to the elegant town of Nafplion, the classical theatre of Epidavros, the canal and ruins of Corinth, and the best mainland beaches of the Saronic Gulf. And, with the bustling capital Athens (and its airport) just a 90-minute drive away, we also ticked off a childhood dream of visiting the Pantheon.

Pro stars Wout van Aert and Mark Cavendish have both used the region as a training ground. It offers a mix of coastal roads and tough - but not too tough-climbs, the reward at the summits being widescreen views of Argolis, distant Greek islands and the rugged mountains that dominate the Peloponnese's interior.