Finikounda: Cycling Capital of Greece
Finibikes: The Very Best of Greek Bike Shops

Barry and Margaret Williamson
December 2019

What is it about Finikounda that makes it the Cycling Capital of Greece? So many things! Where do we start? It's a small fishing port at the foot of the Messinian Peninsula at the southwest corner of the Greek Peloponnese. There are five campsites (three open all year) and four good beaches (all open to the public) to the south of the broad level 5-km (3-mile) main road. A total of eight sealed roads leave the village to climb hills varying in length and steepness. A network of quiet lanes among hundreds of small family-owned olive groves links numerous small villages, each with its own cafe ('kafenion') and olive mill. Access to the orchards ensures that countless tracks are available for the keen off-road cyclist: fences and gates are few and only German occupiers put up notices saying 'private property'.

At the heart of this cycling paradise lies Finibikes in Finikounda. Nikos and Julie are the entrepreneurial enthusiasts who set up the business to sell, rent, service and repair every kind of bike. They live bikes, as well as operating as a tourist office and, if required, as guides. Nikos is a highly skilled and knowledgeable mechanic, equipped to handle every level of problem from a puncture to servicing our hydraulic disk brakes, computer-controlled electric motors and electronically-shifted hub gears.

Click: Sixty-One Pictures of Finibikes, Finikounda and the Surrounding Roads, Towns and Scenery