I tried a The Slow Cyclist holiday and this is what I thought - review

However, speed is not the name of the game here. It doesn’t matter if you’re at the front, the back or somewhere in between and one advantage of my slower pace is that I’m able to absorb the beauty of my incredible surroundings. With its lush green peaks, alpine lakes and small stone villages, Zagori is a little-known haven of wild beauty. Its remote location is a great place to escape the summer crowds, and its Pindos Mountains are a paradise for hikers and cyclists.

“The Greeks haven’t discovered hiking and overseas tourists don’t know about it,” our minibus driver, Costas, tells us on the way from the airport on the first day as we wind our way through the region that was recently added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Oli Broom, founder of The Slow Cyclist - a UK tour operator that specialises in cycling and walking holidays - introduced Zagori to his list of destinations in 2019 and since then has been bringing UK residents with a sense of adventure to the region.

My journey starts on a Monday morning with a 3am wake-up call at Manchester Airport’s Radisson Blu hotel, handily situated just a few minutes’ walk from the check-in desks. From there, it’s a four-hour flight to Corfu - where I meet my companions for the week - a boat to the mainland and a minibus into the mountains. Zagori is home to 46 slate-roofed stone villages, collectively known as Zagorohoria, that are linked by arched stone bridges, quiet roads and mule tracks that wind their way through some of Greece's most stunning landscapes, including the impressive Vikos gorge. Our first night is a guest house in Dilofo, a village with only seven full-time residents.

Back in the 18th and 19th century, during the Ottoman Empire, the village houses around Zagorohoria were primarily owned by merchants who had businesses all over the Greek world. Josh, our guide an Englishman fluent in ancient and modern Greek, is joined by Greek guide, Vagelis, and a South African host, intriguingly known as Dragon, to complete our crack team of leaders. I languish at the back of the group on the first day and let the faster riders go ahead as I get used to the buttons and gears of the e-bike. I’m not a natural cyclist so getting to grips with the bike’s power and gears while navigating the mountain terrain takes a little practice. At lunchtime, Dragon surprises us with a beautiful picnic, provided by a local bakery, at the top of a hill with an incredible view. Afterwards we continue our cycle to Fragades - a village that was destroyed during the Second World War and later rebuilt - where we stay in a charming family-run guest house with uninterrupted views over the surrounding lush landscape. The next morning we cycle to the impressive St George’s church at Negades. “This was once a very significant village,” says Josh. “In its heyday there were 1,000 people living here. Now there are two.” This seems to be a theme running through a lot of Zagoria’s remote villages. We continue cycling to Kapesovo, high above the surrounding hills. In the evening we are surprised with a Greek wine tasting session at our guest house where we learn that 300 types of grapes grow in Greece. The following day we leave our bikes with Dragon, who will drive them to our lunch stop, and set off on a hike to the incredible Vikos Gorge, considered to be the deepest gorge in the world. We hike our way up a stone shepherds’ track built in the 17th century to connect the village of Vradeto with the outside world. After lunch in Vradeto we take an exhilarating ride down the mountain to Kato Pedina, set amid the plains of the Pindus Mountains. On the way, we stop at Kokkori Bridge, one of Zagori’s many beautiful stone bridges.That evening, Josh, who turns out to be a skilled acoustic-guitar player, and a group of other talented local musicians, treat us to a night of Greek music and dancing.

The next morning - our final cycling day - we ride to the village of Elafotopos, where we meet Lena who demonstrates the art of weaving and felt making. Later, we enjoy a stunning ride with increasingly epic views as we, once again, near the Vikos Gorge. We stop for a freezing cold dip in the turquoise Voidomatis River before our final ascent to the charming village of Papigo where we spend our final night. During our last meal together at a restaurant with incredible views over the gorge, everyone starts planning their next Slow Cyclist adventure. Margaret, who has now completed two trips with the company, is one of the most enthusiastic. “I’d definitely do a third,” she says. “I just think it’s so lovely that you can exercise, relax, and learn something new and the trips are so well organised.” I have to agree. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a speedy cyclist like some of our group or a slower cyclist like me, whether you’re part of a couple, with a friend or on your own, you’re guaranteed an incredible time.

The Slow Cyclist’s Zagori journey from £2,860 pp for four to five nights, for up to 12 guests. Includes group airport transfers, support vehicle, host and two English-speaking guides, accommodation, meals, snacks and drinks, all activities, e-bicycle and helmet hire. A one per cent donation to local causes aligned with The Slow Cyclist’s values is also included. International flights, personal costs and travel insurance are not included. www.theslowcyclist.com