Discovery the Sunset Point in Cappadocia

Cappadocia by motorcycle

Your Travel

Every motorcycling story begins with two indispensable elements: a full tank of fuel, and an open navigator. This, however, is not the story of a mere holiday, but of a true adventure: one which saw us spending two nights on a Greek island... But I’ll get to that later.

I believe that the true meaning of the word voyage is a thorough exploration of some part of the world: whether it's 200 or 3,000 km from home doesn’t matter!

We set out on a Monday morning with our Outback Givi cases loaded up and ready to go… We ourselves were in slightly worse condition, with the rain falling non-stop on our helmets. Once we got to Ancona there was a ferry full of motorcyclists waiting for us, and at 7 a.m. on the dot on our second day our tyres hit Croatian soil: our voyage had officially begun.

The sunset point

Our itinerary brought us first to Trilj, far from the traffic along the coast on that off-beat August bank holiday. Passing vineyards, completely empty roads and the first border crossing with Bosnia, we marvelled at the wonderful lake of Buško Jezero: a stunning sight that we were able to admire for several kilometres in spite of the heavy rain beginning to fall.
Upon reaching the Blidinje Nature Park, we found ourselves immersed in a breath-taking scenery of waterfalls and centuries-old fir trees. We had our lunch in the beautiful city of Mostar: with its historic bridge, it’s been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our first stop of the evening was in charming Podgorica, on the banks of the Morača river.
The only eventful thing about the next day was the Albanian traffic, which relented only at the border with Greece, where we were rewarded with the spectacular sight of the Prespa National Park at sunset.
Our next stop was Thessaloniki, before we set off for Alexandroupolis through the National Park of East Macedonia. The next morning, our eyes shining bright with excitement, we crossed the border into Turkey via the Dardanelles Strait, before heading towards the miniature castles of Burj al Babas along road D160.
We spent the night of the fifth day of our voyage at Gerede, where we were soothed by the call of the Muezzin in the evening. Next up were Ankara, Tuz Gölü and Göreme: our halfway point and the destination of our voyage. Finally our dream had come true: travelling down the D260 surrounded by wheat and sunflowers, immersed in this gorgeous, golden landscape.
After just four hours of sleep we climbed back into the saddles of our motorcycles and made our way to Sunset Point where, heads tilted all the way back, we lost ourselves in the sight of hundreds of hot-air balloons taking to the sky.
After seeing such a spectacle, we didn’t think anything else could impress us so much. But we were wrong: on the seventh day, we reached Pamukkale, which translates to “cotton castle” in Turkish. This natural site, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its mud bath and for the possibility of visiting the historic site of Hierapolis.

Our greatest misadventure

The eighth day of our voyage was probably our greatest misadventure: once we’d clambered onto our motorcycles with the luggage, we decided to leave Turkey and travel from Çeşme to Chios in Greece. However, we weren’t able to find a ferry that would take us to Athens, so we reluctantly settled for Kavala. One thing we would definitely recommend is losing yourself on the breath-taking roads of Chios, especially along road 75: an incredible stretch of twists and turns perched right above the Aegean Sea!
After a journey of hope, we made our way to Kavala before venturing out along the trails of the Rodopi Mountain Range National Park. Next, we headed for the world-famous Mount Olympus, which formed our backdrop along the Serpentine Road, turn after turn.

The next morning, we crossed the marvellous Peloponnese peninsula from east to west, making a unique and utterly unforgettable stop at the Meteora complex. With its name meaning “suspended in the air”, you simply must experience these roads on two wheels at least once in your life… Just make sure to pack a Givi flask with your luggage, because the heat is truly intense!
Sadly, our voyage came to an end upon our arrival in Igoumenitsa, where we embarked on the most crowded ferry in human history. Needless to say, we were also treated to a spectacular storm out on the open sea.

What more can be said, after travelling 6,000 km in two weeks?
Thanks to Givi for being by our sides on what has been the best voyage of our lives so far… But then again, we say the same thing every year, and next year with you is sure to be even better!