Acropolis Rally Greece will feature a new base and a unique floating parc ferme for this year’s World Rally Championship edition of the brutal gravel event.
Organisers have today unveiled the itinerary for round eight of the 2026 campaign (25-28 June) which will see the rally service park shift 240 kilometres south from the town of Lamia to Loutraki, 80km east of capital city Athens.
As a result of the move, the rally will comprise 17 stages spanning the Attica, Peloponnese and Central Greece regions and will take in a mix of old, returning and new stages totaling more than 320km.
The event will also include an unusual feature. After Thursday night’s opening super special stage in Athens, crews will board a ferry from Port of Corinth to Itea in order to begin Friday’s leg.
The ship will become the official parc ferme with crews having the option to remain onboard overnight. It is hoped this method of transporting the cars will save time and ease logistics for teams.
Friday’s leg will feature the fan favourite Bauxites stage before heading to the Parnassos Mt, which will be the longest of the rally. The first 19.28 kilometres follow part of the Drosohori stage last used in 2009, but the remaining 10.77km section is entirely new.
Greece flag
Photo by: Toyota Racing
The Ghymno stage will also make its first appearance since 2013, while a new-look Loutraki test, twice the length of the previous iteration, will feature twice on Sunday, and will host the rally ending Power Stage.
“The Acropolis Rally is an event with a strong international presence, highlighting Greece as a destination for major sporting occasions,” said Giannis Vroutsis, Alternate Minister of Sports.
“This year’s design, featuring new special stages and the innovative sea transfer of the crews, utilises our country’s unique characteristics and strengthens the bond between different regions through an event of global visibility. We continue to actively support an event that brings together sport, technology, tourism and the Greek identity.”
The new look Acropolis Rally Greece route is among a number of recent changes announced for several rallies this year. Earlier this month, Rally Finland announced significant changes to its itinerary, the most notable being the decision to drop the iconic Ouninpohja stage which was regarded as one of most revered in the WRC.
This week Rally Japan (28-31 May) announced it has new asphalt tests that will join its 2026 itinerary. This follows an announcement from Rally Italy Sardinia (1-4 October) confirming that its base will return to the town of Alghero for what will be the last WRC iteration of the event, as Rome plans to host Italy’s WRC round from 2027.
Meanwhile, April’s visit to the Canary Islands will see the rally include a super special stage held at Circuito Islas Canarias, the venue that hosted the legendary Race of Champions from 1992 to 2003.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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