There are some corners of Greece where the locals used to say, “When God was distributing the gifts to the world, some spots like ours must have been cursed because instead of fertile earth he delivered to us only rocks”. Today in the era of sport climbing, they’ve changed their mind and instead of a curse they see the rocks as a blessing! Crags became lively, and climbers come and enjoy! Greece is one of the rockiest countries on earth, but what is unique about the climbing crags, are the settings. You can experience rock climbing right on the coast on the islands, or high in the mountains in the mainland. In the small country of Greece, mountains and sea are never really separated.
Our trip starts from Athens, heading south-west, and by passing the bridge of the Corinth canal, we enter the peninsula of Peloponnese. Peloponnese is indisputably the queen of sport climbing in the country. It combines everything, superb rocks, endless beaches, high mountains and plenty of cultural events. On this journey we will taste all of it!
First stop is Nafplio, once the capital city of Greece, which intrigues travelers with its beauty and friendliness at the first glance. From the town of Nafplio in the heart of Argolis Gulf, it takes only a short drive to reach the limestone cliffs and to enjoy the climbing.
The region of Sparta is our next stop. Someone may think that Sparta, is just a fictional place from the film “300”, but this city, and the sacrifice of Leonidas and his 300 companions is actually real. Mt. Taygetos with 2407m. altitude, overlooking the Spartan valley is our target, and in its heart, we will discover the next climbing crag of Lagada, the ghost town of Mystras, and mountain paths which criss-cross the mountain. Next, driving eastwards, we will reach the ever-growing rock-climbing star venue of Leonidio. With around 1000 routes, Leonidio has plenty to offer to every climbing enthusiast.