Greece · Imathia and Pieria · Premium route guide
Vermio and Rizomata loop
The full day out of Thessaloniki. Veria, the climb to Agia Varvara, the empty mountain road through Rizomata and Vria at 1,600 m, then down into Pieria and back along the gulf. Around 290 km with 3,470 m of climbing.
- Distance
- 289.3 km
- Peak elevation
- 1,599 m
- Elevation gain
- 3,469 m
- Best months
- May-Oct
The route
Out of Thessaloniki across the plain to Veria, up to Agia Varvara and over the shoulder of Vermio through Rizomata and Vria, down to Vorinos and Katerini, then north along the coast to close the loop. Pins are motorcycle-friendly stays other riders have vetted.
1 verified stay within 30 km of the route. Click a stay pin to see details. Know one that should be here?
Works with Garmin, TomTom, BMW Navigator, Calimoto, Kurviger, komoot, MyRouteApp. Import as a track to ride the exact line. Road data from OpenStreetMap (ODbL); elevation from SRTM.
Track vs. route, how to load this into your GPS
What you are downloading is a GPX track, a dense, road-snapped breadcrumb of the exact line, with elevation on every point. It is not a GPX route (a short list of turn waypoints your device re-plans between). Tracks preserve our road choice; routes let the device pick its own way and can send you down a boring motorway shortcut.
How to use it on your navigator:
- BMW Navigator / Garmin Zumo / zumo XT: import as a track, then Convert to Route (or Trip Planner, new trip from track) if you want turn by turn prompts. Keep Recalculation off so it stays on our line.
- TomTom Rider: import the GPX in MyDrive, it loads as a track / itinerary. Enable Follow the exact route so it does not re-plan.
- Calimoto: open the GPX and choose Import as tour, Calimoto follows the track line.
- Kurviger / komoot / MyRouteApp: open the GPX and pick Import as track to keep the road choice. Only choose Import as route if you want the app to re-plan for your bike profile.
- Google Maps / Apple Maps: these do not read GPX. Use the map on this page for turn cues, or import the file into a GPX capable app first.
Rule of thumb: if your device asks "track or route?", pick track to ride our exact line, pick route only if you want the device to re-plan.
Elevation profile
From ~-5 m at the base to 1,599 m at the top, 3,469 m of total climbing across the route.
This is the local classic. The first hour is transit, the middle three hours are the reason you came, and the last hour is a warm coastal cruise home. Ride it clockwise as described so the mountain section lands in the good light of late morning.
Veria to Agia Varvara
Veria sits on the edge of the plain with the mountain right behind it. The climb to Agia Varvara is short, shaded and busy on Sundays with locals heading to the tavernas at the waterfalls. Surface is good. Watch for gravel washed onto the apexes after storms.
Rizomata and Vria, the good bit
Past Agia Varvara the traffic disappears. The road to Rizomata and on towards Vria is narrow, mostly clean asphalt through beech and fir, with long open sections at altitude and views back over the plain to the gulf. There are stretches with no barrier and no phone signal, so leave your ego at home and ride the pace of what you can see.
Highest point is around 1,600 m. In May there can still be meltwater across the road in the shaded corners. From late October, expect ice in the mornings and fog on the ridge.
Down into Pieria and home
The drop towards Vorinos and Katerini is faster and more open, forest giving way to farmland. From Katerini pick the coast road via Methoni and Nea Agathoupoli rather than the motorway. It adds twenty minutes and gives you the sea on your right the whole way to Thessaloniki.
Fuel in Veria, Katerini and on the coast. Nothing between Agia Varvara and Vorinos, so fill up in Veria.
What to see along the way
- Veria old town - Ottoman quarter and the Jewish quarter below the walls. Worth an hour if you start early.
- Agia Varvara waterfalls - Tavernas and running water at the base of Vermio. Standard first stop.
- Rizomata - Small mountain village and the gateway to the quiet section. Last reliable coffee before the ridge.
- Vria - High meadows and forest around 1,600 m. The photo stop of the loop.
- Pieria coast road - Methoni to Nea Agathoupoli, flat and open along the gulf with Olympus behind you.
Rent a bike
Rent a motorcycle or scooter for Vermio and Rizomata loop
Flying in? Pick up a bike near the start of the route. We've pre-filled the pick-up city with Veria - change it if you're basing elsewhere.
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Verified stays within 30 km
Automatically selected by proximity to the traced route, no editorial cherry-picking. Sorted by how close they are to the road.
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