These short city cycling trips were part of several cruise ship trips I made around the Mediterranean in April and May 2023. I took a small fold-up bicycle onboard the ship. It was not possible to cycle in every port, but the dates underlined below describe some easy bicycle trips. For some of the cycling routes I have included a link to the actual GPS map in the cycling navigator app Komoot.
I flew from Portland to Venice Italy to join two (back-to-back) cruise trips with the Oceania Riviera for 24 days. It was a great itinerary in the Adriatic, Greece, Italy, France, and Spain. I brought along my little fold-up Tern bicycle. Delta airlines did not even charge me for the bicycle which was considered just my single checked bag.
April 14 - I spent a day in Venice sightseeing in the cold rain and then took the two hour train ride from there to Trieste. My bike bag fit easily in the train compartment near me. I boarded the ship, settled into my cabin and unpacked the bike. I stored it in my room during the entire cruise.
April 15 - Split, Croatia. We arrived at 11 am to perfect cycling weather - a bit cool but sunny. At noon I wheeled the bike off the ship, hopped on, and rode my pre-planned route, mostly along the waterfront corniche. There were many pedestrian tourists so at times I had to dismout and walk my way through the crowds. Nevertheles, as a got to the edge of town I covered the route easily. I stopped at a waterfront cafe and saw all the locals drinking something orange, so I asked the waiter what it was and he told me it was an orange spritzer. It was the perfect cooling and relaxing drink to enjoy near the end of the cycling day.
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 | | Silver Gate |
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April 16 - We arrived at 8 am in Kotor, Montenegro. The town lies at the end of a fijord and being surrounded by mountains, is not a very bike-friendly place. So, I spent a liesurely day walking the narrow cobblestone streets of the old walled-city, which dates back to the 12th century. I enjoyed the Maritime Museum which for 6 Euros included an audio guide. Because of it's defensible geography Kotor has a long history as a center for Ottoman and Venetian trade and was sometimes a base for pirates.
April 17 - Igoumenitsa, Greece. Our ship arrived at 11 am and was greeted with a cold and rainy day. I decided to just stay onboard and relax. No bicycling today.
April 18 - Argostoli on the Island of Cephalonia, Greece. It was a gorgeous sunny day and perfect temperature for a bike ride. After breakfast onboard I left the ship and cycled northwest along the eastern shoreline trail and then onto a quiet road with no traffic. The road wound through peaceful pine forest and old olive groves - the only sound being the doves in the trees. I reached the northern point of the peninsula and the old lighthouse with its sourrounding Greek columns. Turning west I arrived at the northwest tip of the peninsula and then climbed uphill for some time before making a sharp left turn on the road heading downhill and northeast into the town again. I found a small bike shop, pumped up my tires, and bought a small air pump. I followed the corniche south to the km-long stone bridge and crossed over to the other side of the bay. I met the ship captain and his wife who were also on small fold-up bikes. On the way back I ran into a group of Brits who were part of a conservation group studying and tagging Loggerhead sea turtles, which they said were quite abundant here. After some shopping for a few supplies, I returned to the ship. It was a great 3-hour morning excursion.
Argostoli, Cephalonia, Greece
April 19 - We arrived at the Port of Naxos, Sicily with a beuatiful view of the snow-covered Mount Etna volacno. Since we were tendering ashore in the life boats and the area is very moutainous there was no opportunity to cycle. Instead, I got on the hop-on-hop off bus and was surprised when we began climbing steep roads with one switchback after another. We climed to the ancient town of Taormina and continued up to the village of Castelmola. There the remains of a 10th century castle gave a spectacular view of the towns below and the ocean.
April 20 - The Port of Amalfi was another tender port and not a good place for cycling, so I spent the afternoon walking through the old town.
April 21 - Civitavechia, Italy (the Port for Rome). We arrived at 10 am. Having been to Rome many times, I decided instead to explore Civitavechia by bicycle. Leaving the ship, I cycled almost a mile along the long breakwater and into the main part of town, then followed the corniche near the water and past the train station to the south side of town. Then the route looped back through the main town and headed north on a highway shoulder. I stopped to look at the very picturesque cemetary (if there is such a thing). Then the road passed the huge power plant and a light-industrail area. Finally, it took me onto some quiet farm roads with very few cars. I wound through some olive groves and pine forests to a lane that dead-ended near the beach. Then, the route back was on a similar road parallel to the outgoing route. The trip was about 20 miles. Taking my time, and including many photo-stops it took three hours.
Civitavecchia
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 | | Near St Augostino North of Civitavechia |
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April 22 - The ship arrived at Villefranch sur Mer near Nice. We used the tender boats to go ashore, so no cycling here. I walked through to old town with its narrow alleys and steep climbs.
April 23 - Marseille, France we arrived early to a gorgeous day - perfect for cycling. I cycled out of the cruise port along some streets with moderate traffic about 5 1/2 miles to the old Port (Vieux Port), which was fairly crowded as usual with tourists. From the head of the Port, I turned up the main street of La Canebiere for a couple of blocks and then turned right (SE) following the route which made some gentle climbs through the business area lined with closed shops (it was Sunday). Then I followed the route SW to the sea and the corniche joining a nice cycle path heading south. After a few miles, I ran into a huge Sunday flee marked along the beach area. I stopped and slowly walked through the numerous tables filled with clothes, antiques and all sorts of good. I bought a pair of old pliers for my cycle kit for 3 euros. I turned around and headed back north along the beautiful corniche. Then, to my surprise I encountered a stretch of 3 to 4 miles where the three lane road was blocked off to auto traffic and was open only to walkers and cyclists. It is appearently a regular Sunday event. I finished the loop back to the old Port and stopped at a sidewalk cafe for coffee and a late continental breakfast and watched the tourists passing by. I then retraced about 6 miles north to the cruise ship terminal. The total distance for the 3 hour ride was 24 miles. It was a fantastic day.
Marseille - Les Goudes – Corniche Kennedy
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 | | Notre Dame de la Guard from Old Port |
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 | | Road closed to cars on Sundays |
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April - 24 - Barcelona, Spain. This was a turnaround day between the first and second cruise. I did a walking tour to refresh my mind on all the great aspects of this city.
April 25 - Alicante, Spain. I disembarked with my bike about 10:30 am and followed my planned route NE along the Corniche with the hilltop ancient fortress to my left and the sea to my right. The route followed the highway and began to climb, so a ignored my gps and thought I could continue on a smaller road along the beach. After about 2 miles on this road I was forced up and down several stiarways and finally into a dead end with tall apartments to my left and a rocky shoreline to my right. I had to turn around and go back to the highway route - a total of about 4 miles lost. I climbed the hill in the hot sun and perspired heavily. Finally I reached the top and headed toward my destination - the headland at Torre del Cabo de Huertas. Arriving there I had a great view of the beaches stretching out below to the north. I began my return heading west and then northwest, stopped at a lovely shop area for an ice cold ginger ale and then headed southwest through the Barrio Oberero neighborhood with the hills to my left, and completed the rountrip loop back to the ship. Much of the return trip was on a designated paved bike path. The total distance (not counting my 4 mile detour) was about 14 miles.
Alicante, Spain
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 | | Torre del Cabo de Huertas |
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April 26 - Cartegena, Spain. No cycling today. Just walked around the old town and up to the Roman Ampitheater and the large archeological site on the edge of town.
April 27 - Ibiza, Spain. I began to exit the ship with my bike when I was informed by security that for some reason the Port Authority would not allow bicyles from the cruise ship into town. No explanations were presented. So, I stored my bike and caught the shuttle bus from the Port to Town, passing several cyclists and cycling signs marked on the roadway. As soon as I arrived on the edge of town I googled bicycle rentals and located a shop a few blocks away. It was called La Cicloteca and they were fantastic. I got a 21 speed bike, with lock, and a phone holder for 10 euros for the day. I headed out of town on my pre-planned route. It took me first on a well-marked dedicated cycle lane, then across some highyways with busy roundabouts, and finally out of town on a road with a desent shoulder. I cycled SSE on route PM802 past the airport and reached the salt ponds and a huge mountain of sea salt. I retraced my route back a way and at the Sant Frances de s'Estany angled to the right on a route taking me onto a dirt track with salt ponds to my right. I saw ducks, a rabbit, small birds and a lizard. After several miles I re-entered town, cycled through some busy streets, and onto the marked bike-only lane which took me back to the cycle shop. The total distance was about 15 miles.
Ibiza, Spain
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 | | Salt Ponds |
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 | | Dirt Track on Return |
 | | Mountain of Sea Salt |
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April 28 - Palma de Mallorca, Spain. I was off the ship and onto my bike by 8AM. The marked bicycle path took me along the waterfront with a couple of huge yacht harbors on my right. I stopped at the old walled-fortress on my left for a couple of photos and then continued along a separated bike lane past sandy beaches with several swimming spots. I reached a tall pyramid structure with a large seabird on top and stopped at a sidewalk cafe for a cuppacino before heading back. I retraced my path for some way and then diverted to the right up a hill and then left into narrow alleyways until I found my way to the entrance of the famous La Seu cathedral. It was a very impressive structure and was first built as a mosque during the Moorish occupation and then converted to a Gothic-Style cathedral. All this between 1229 and 1601 AD. I cycled back down to the waterfront area and back to the ship - a roundtrip of about 14 miles.
Palma, Spain
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 | | Palma Cathedral |
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 | | Venetian Fortress |
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May 3 - Livorno, Italy. This port is the gateway to Pisa and Florence, which I have visited many times, so I decided to explore Livorno itself. The ship arrived at 7:30 and I was ready to exit, but was told by security that they would have to await clearnce from the Port. It is a large commercial port with busy truck traffic. I waited about 45 minutes and finally was told I could exit, but would have an escort car to guide me out of the port. So, I followed the small white car with blinking lights for perhaps a mile until we exited the port. The truck traffic continued and it was a tight ride all the way until reaching town after about 2 miles. At that point things improved greatly, I was pleased to turn onto a well-marked paved bikeway which followed the coastline for miles. I passed the Aquarium and the Naval Academy. At my furthest point I stopped for a cappachino and pastry overlooking the yacht habor. I cycled back along the corniche, through some city streets and back to the port. There I was told to wait about 10 minutes and was escorted by another port car back to the ship. The total ride was about 15 miles.
Livorno, Italy
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 | 16th century monument to Ferinando de Medici
who cleared the sea of North Afican Pirates |
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May 22 - Bodrum, Turkey. The ship arrived at 9 am and I disembarked immediately with my bike. I headed northwest along the beachfront walkway past the many yachts tied up in the harbor. I continued past a second yacht harbor and then northwest and inland for several kilometers climbing some moderate hills just as the weather was warming up. My route then took me east mostly along a busy highway (Bodrum-Turgutreis Yolu) with some traffic. I passed a roman ampithetere and then turned south toward the harbor area. I followed streets southeast with some hills and then downhill to my starting point at the cruise shiop terminal. I noticed that they had bicycles for rent just outside the cruise terminal. The total loop was 11.2 km.
Bodrum Castle & Yacht Harbor Loop
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 | | Roman Ampitheater |
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 | Bodrum Castle
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