Rock climbing in Peloponnese

The Peloponnese area is the most southerly region of mainland Greece, and includes the cities of Tripoli, Nafplio, and Kalamata. This is an up and coming rock climbing area that has been developed in recent years in a beautiful part of Greece. The main rock climbing areas are shown on the map opposite along with details below.

Rock climbing areas around Peloponnese, in southern Greece

NoCragType of ClimbingNo. of RoutesBest time to climbType of RockPopular Grades
1NafplioSport120WinterLimestoneF4b to F7b
2LeonidioSport2,000Autumn to WinterLimestoneF5a to F9a
3KyparissiSport360Spring and AutumnLimestoneF7a to F8a
4ZoboloSport150WinterLimestoneF5a to F7a
5LagadaSport80SummerLimestoneF6b to F8b
6NedousaSport100All YearLimestoneF5c to F8a+
7KardamyliSport31Spring and AutumnLimestoneF5c to F6b

Leonidio is the largest rock climbing area with 2,000 routes spread across over 80 separate crags.  Leonidio has a wide variety of climbing across a wide range of routes from F4 to F9a.  The vast majority of the routes are single pitch though there are a number of well bolted multi-pitch routes up to 250m long.  Leonidio is a great place to go climbing in the winter months, with the climbing season being from October through to April.

Nafplio is in the Argolis district of Greece where there are over 12 rock climbing areas. The best of these rock climbing areas are the seaside crags near Nafplio. Neraki is a red limestone wall next to the sea with 120 routes mostly in the F4b to F7b grade range.

Map of the rock climbing areas in the Peloponnese regions of Greece

Map of the rock climbing areas in the Peloponnese regions of Greece

Kyparissi is a beautiful village set in a stunning coastal location surrounded by limestone of outstanding quality. Across 9 different crags, it has over 360 well protected routes across a wide range of grades (F5a to F9a), though almost half of the established routes graded F7b and above. The crown jewel among them is Babala, a world class crag featuring hard tufa routes.

Zobolo is situated at the tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. The rock climbing here consists of 150 well bolted routes that are mainly single pitch. Most of these routes are in the F5a to F7a grade range, though there are a few harder lines.

The Greece Sport Climbing Guidebook covers the sport climbing in the Peloponnese region of GreeceLagada is situated at an altitude of around 1,000m near the town of Sparta. Here there are 4 sectors with the majority of the routes on vertical or slightly overhanging rock, plus there is a large cave with plenty of tufas. There are around 80 routes in total with grades from F5b to F8b.

Nedousa is a beautiful limestone valley that is situated close to the city of Kalamata. The steep limestone rock is red with many tufas. There are around 100 routes with grades from F5c to F8+, though the potential to establish new routes is huge here.

All of the climbing areas described here are detailed in the Greece Sport Climbing Guidebook. Buy this guidebook from our shop.

Walking and hiking in the Peloponnese

The highest mountain in the Peloponnese is the peak of Prophet Elias (Prophitis Ilias) that is a perfect limestone pyramid peak standing at 2,407m high, in the Taygetos Massif near the city of Sparta.  The Taygetos Massif area is a hiker’s paradise with 130 peaks higher than 1,000m.  Many of these are shown in the Taygetos Walking Map and Guidebook that is available to buy from our shop.

The 2nd highest mountain in the Peloponnese is Mount Ziria at 2,374m high.  Ziria is a famous hiking destination that offers stunning views, diverse and beautiful landscapes, and a rich history.  There are rocky peaks, lush forests, alpine meadows, Lakes, and dramatic gorges like the Flampouritsa Gorge.  Ziria offers a large network of well-marked trails catering to different levels of experience, from leisurely strolls to challenging hikes.  These are shown on the Mount Ziria Hiking Map that is available to buy from our shop.

The Greece Sport Climbing Guidebook covers the sport climbing at Leonidio, Nafplio, Zobolo, Lagada, Kleisoura, Kyparissi, and Nedousa in the Peloponnese region of Greece. 

Buy this guidebook from our shop.

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