Leonidio is an amazing sport climbing destination! It’s as simple as that!
It may be that the Costa Blanca has had it’s day, and it may be that Kalymnos has been replaced as the best Greek sport climbing holiday destination… Leonidio is brilliant. Add to that the fact that barely any of the rock climbing potential of the place has yet been unlocked. The new 2018 guidebook (published locally with profits going to local sustainability projects by the Panjika co-operative) has 1600 described routes, and this can’t be more than 10% of what could be there. In years to come there will be a mind numbingly massive potential here – a “go to” destination!
We didn’t take many climbing pictures on this trip. Photos of limestone sport climbing – yet another bit of white rock, yet another bolt, yet another climber striking a pose – it all gets a bit dull, predictable, and repetitive. Who wants to see those pictures anyhow? We all know what sport climbing and clipping bolts on a limestone cliff looks like. But we did try to take a bunch of pictures that showcase the place…
We stayed at one of the lovely Agroktima guest houses. Well recommended! Plus one gets an extensive breakfast hamper delivered every morning. There was enough food for a great breakfast including freshly squeezed orange juice, a varied lunch of a different greek pastry every day, and a post-climbing slice of cake to go with a cup of tea on our return from the crags. Nice!
One of days was spent being a bit more adventurous than the typical single pitch sport climbing, we tackled one of the many fully equipped routes that climb the 200m high red cliffs that sit above Leonidio. (There are a few traditionally protected routes too, but we didn’t take a trad rack.) After the route one can either abseil or walk back to town. We opted to walk so we could visit the enormous Greek flag clearly visible from everywhere in the valley that flies at the top of the cliff. It’s a great view point.
We had a few spots of rain every day. But it only affected the climbing on one day. That day was a wash out, so we took a rest day and drove to Monemvasia to explore this interesting island town connected to the mainland by a 200m causeway.
Series - Leonidio
- Leonidio
- Athens
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