Kalymnos - the land of oversize gyros, ice cold mythos and a lifetime of sends.

Never been? Prepare to book a holiday…

If you’ve been already, you know its draw and you might be thinking/screaming “SHHHHHH don’t tell everyone, it’s already busy enough!” and in our opinion you’d be right. Which is the very reason we’re writing this, to expand on the knowledge base of the island for climbers looking to visit, in order to spread out the volume of us who are psyched to keep going.

For this blog we’ve teamed up with Kalymnos veteran and all round legend Jen Wood.

Jen Wood

CREDENTIALS:
One of the most prolific British female outdoor climbers
Ex Team GB climber
15+ years of climbing
20+ trips to Kalymnos
British Speed Champion in 2018
Sport climbed 8c in Kalymnos
Boulder World Cup semi-finalist in 2022
Absolute bad*ss

First of all, let's address the elephant in the room, GEKCO focuses on trying to make chalk greener and better. There is a HUGE emphasis that we as a brand place on trying to be more environmentally-friendly in the climbing world. Flying is not good for the environment.

It does however opens up areas of the world not feasibly reachable by land, it’s not going away any time soon and with the majority of the world's problems arising from corporations with more wealth than major countries (who seemingly have no accountability), it’s hard to argue that every climber should completely give up their opportunity to experience the world. We believe in moderation, balance and the obvious right choices. It’s easy to buy better chalk, it’s easy to recycle, for most it’s easy to walk/cycle to the shops rather than drive. It’s not easy to get to Kalymnos without flying.

This blog’s intention is to give you expert level information from someone who’s visited more than 20 times in order to enable visitors to stay longer. We, like many of you can argue there is enough climbing in the UK and local Europe for a lifetime, but it’s not going to stop people craving new experiences and Kalymnos is just that. It’s incomparable in its awe. We as climbers can still reduce our footprint by travelling less but making those trips matter more. For us, that looks like more local trips for the majority of the year with maybe one longer, further afield bumper trip. If you’re able, this blog gives you the insight to book a 3-8 week monster trip vs a 1 week first visit where you spend half the time learning the lay of the land.

Kalymnos has so much more to offer than the obvious location of Masouri and the alluring crags above. Idyllic fishing villages, isolated bargain villas, a bustling micro-city, DWS by kayak, and some of the most rewarding rest day activities out there.

When to visit:

The most popular seasons for great climbing are spring and autumn - typically there's enough sun to provide ambient warmth throughout the day and pints of vitamin D on rest days, whilst also being consistently breezy to aid cooler temps in shaded areas of the crags. Any rain that does come is often dried off in less than 24 hours and there are even many rainproof crags.

Summer can be an oven, the island is filled with more general tourists, shade is harder to find and shorter lived. It’s a common joke on the island that Brits enjoy the fringe seasons, late starts and long days of climbing, whilst Europeans brave the summer intense heat requiring 4/5am starts but are rewarded with early finishes on the beach.

Winter is a dark horse, for those who can commit to long stays making more of their trip it can be a rewarding time, it’s cheapest and conditions can be optimum but patience is needed and certainly there are extended periods of rain. The winds really pick up which you can often experience if you’re on the fringe of a season. Much of the western and northern part of the island shuts down over winter with its purpose being to support tourist activity, it can feel like a ghost town with shops and resources closing down. This should be taken into account when planning where to stay.

Places to stay

Masouri - the classic at the foot of many crags. The climbing ‘strip’ of Kalymnos, lined with gear shops, bars and restaurants. Any cheap and cheerful accommodation goes very fast and well in advance. The remainder of accommodation is a mix of (usually) expensive small villas/studio apartments/hotels and the odd good deal. There are a few dedicated climbing hostels that even cater for more solo travel. This is nothing but a climbing town during peak seasons, it feels like you’re on the set of a joint advert for every outdoor brand known to mankind. Whether you stay here or not, it’s a great place to convene with friends after a long day cragging to sample some local food and drink.

Mirties - Not too far from Masouri this area is often overlooked by people who may have heard of Kalymnos but not yet visited. It’s more residential and doesn’t give you the feel of the strip but is often more affordable than Masouri. If booking late however it acts as a bit of an overflow and at that point can be more expensive. Good deals to be had and again, much cheaper direct and for longer periods.

Pothia - If arriving on ferry this is the beautiful civilization that appears on the horizon and is the main port of the island. Authentic, full of charm, busy and good for low cost longer trips where you don’t mind a bit of travel to the crags in exchange for very cheap accommodation. You’re less likely to get good views from your accommodation and places feel more like homes than holidays lets.

Arginonta, Skalia, Emporios etc. (the smaller villages of the island) - These are often home to bigger villas and more luxury offerings. Whilst showcasing some incredible views and also being near the odd crag, most have no more than 1 restaurant nearby and at best a more gift orientated shop. You’ll be doing a round trip commute of over an hour to pick up a big shop and will often find yourself heading to/via Masouri for their selection of restaurants instead. They do have their benefits - being closer to the less popular crags which make the Northern Peninsula of the island more attractive to some and possessing more of a sense of tranquility and peace, until like everywhere on the island the first climbers motor past on scooters sounding like an army of hornets at dawn.

Although almost all are available on booking.com and airbnb it’s often worth booking directly through the website of the accommodation for cheaper rates. If you can work out where it is, they’re often listed on google maps too.

Eat & Drink

Food - eating out:

If you know where to go, it's not expensive and absolutely worth doing. It supports the local community, most of whom rely on tourism in some way and many who love climbing. Below are some noteworthy mentions but in the season you’re spoilt for choice - Masouri strip, Mirties, the small nearby villages and even Panormas and Pothia if you fancy further afield. All have good food at good value, you’ll never try them all, so go and try!

ALL TIME FAVOURITE

Avra Aigaiou - incredible food, best balance of top quality to real feel Greek home cooking there is and undeservedly overshadowed by the Aegean next door. I think they do the best little freebie dessert too! Also if you’re there in spring the terrace overlooks the infamous sunset behind Telendos. (Obviously this happens in winter too but too early for dinner ;)

GO TO FOR WHEN YOU’RE EXTRA HUNGRY AND TIRED

**The Panos**

Impossible to miss because of its brightly coloured decor and often bustling atmosphere. This is the place to go if you want a lot of food! Portions are ginormous and you get a load of honey balls on the house after your meal (save a bit of space, they’re good)! This is our go to when we’re tired. It’s relaxed enough you don’t have to put your best trousers on (i.e. the ones not covered in chalk), the food is great and you can watch the world go by.

FAVE WHEN YOU WANT A SWITCH UP FROM GREEK CUISINE

La Kambusa - Best pizzas on the island? Probably because this place is super popular with the climbers and the locals. Best book in advance in busy periods. If you’re staying in Masouri, this is a nice one if you like a short stroll after a big meal :)

And the ones you can’t not mention:

- Kokkinidis - Rita is an iconic figure on the island (if you’ve been you’ll know). This place is set on a charming balcony, has some of the best quality food there is and is perfect if you’re feeling a little fancy or you’ve just sent your project.

**On the road**

The wrap place! Absolute essential stop when in Kalymnos. The place to go to for Gyros, and it’s insanely good value for money.

Food - eating in:

Pretty much all accommodation comes with some sort of mini kitchen - standard stuff is a couple of plug in hobs, kettle, pots and pans so it’s absolutely possible to eat in. There are mini-marts throughout the island, especially through Masouri. Most do charge a slight premium which is fine for small shops but if you are looking to really scrimp and need supplies for cooking many meals the huge AB supermarket will be your friend.

Honestly though, in my 20 odd visits to Kalymnos I can tell you I have only eaten in twice!
Groceries are not as cheap as you’d want, so eating out feels very good value for money. When you’re tired, that maths is easy. But certainly for longer trips I can imagine a balance is better for both enjoyment and the wallet.

Breakfast and crag lunches will most likely be your focus when gathering supplies, Fani’s Mini Market below must not be missed for this purpose.

Water

You can’t drink the tap water. Not something you might expect to read. It’s not ‘dirty’ but is salty and isn’t good for you. It becomes a daily ritual to fill up bottles at the Temak stations around - there’s one in Masouri and one in Mirties so worth keeping in mind. Most accommodation comes with bottled water in the fridge for this reason, it is worth keeping the empties to refill and if possible bringing a large water bladder from home to keep a good stock in the accommodation.

Crags off the beaten track

On top of the world feel: Prophitis Andreas

This is an old crag so has done it’s rounds of being in and out of vogue but it definitely seems to be overshadowed by other crags in the area at the moment.
Absolutely worth a visit just for the walk in. You approach from behind so when you pop out over the col to the crag, literally on top of the island, the view that appears is just nuts! You can see the crag high above Noufaro but because of the approach round the back the walk in is quite a gentle 20 mins. So this is an absolute winner for view to hike ratio.

The routes range from 5-8b ish and vary quite a lot, but the real gems here are around the 6b-7a range 30-40m vert, old school climbing.

Jen climbing Prophitis Andreas with views for miles.

Best walk in: ST PHOTIS

To be honest this is a walk you should do anyway it’s so nice. Starting from Kantouni beach it’s a 30 ish minute coastal trail. The last 5-10 mins up to the crag is a bit of a slog but you’ll soon forget about it (though not sure my mum has).

This is the crag to go to if you’re done with the crowds but still want absolute quality rock. It’s so quiet it’s almost spooky. The crag is best for 7c-8b+ but it has some exciting routes in the 6s too.

The quiet slabs:

Arginonta Skyline

It’s often the 5s and 6s that are by far the busiest routes on Kalymnos. Arginonta Valley in October has an ‘indoor wall at rush hour’ feel. If you’re looking for some peaceful slabbing in the sun Arginonta skyline is the place to go. The crag is a huge stretch on top of the island so the further you walk the quieter it gets, the walk in ranges from an easy 5 mins to an hour or so. But these slabs are delightful and well bolted (the ones I did anyway).

The popular ones that are too good to miss:

These are the crags that are busy for a reason and big enough to accommodate plenty of people so it never feels too bad.

Odyssey - insane expanse of rock. The classic view. Always something cool to watch. And an enormous spread through the grades. Even on a busy day you will find plenty to climb.
Gammos - this is a really new crag but it is already bustling.. But for a reason. Pretty much all day shade and a 5 min walk in. The main attraction to this crag for me is the totally different feel, it’s set amongst an olive grove with a fantastic view of Arginonta bay. A fantastic crag for 5s and 6s.
Grande Grotta - can’t not mention it. Go, get a photo, up to you if you go back ;) I haven’t but it felt so worth it to at least go once.
Telendos - while not exactly ‘close’ to where most choose to stay, the crags of Telendos South face are increasingly popular. A great day out as you get a boat ride, 3-4 crags within a 15 minute walk of Irox (if you get the boat to drop you there). And you can follow the shade or sun to get a full day of climbing. A really nice change from the usual crags above Masouri and a huge spread across all grades!

Rest day activities

Hike/trail run: The St Photis walk

Like I mentioned earlier this walk is well worth doing if you’re going to the crag or not. Beautiful coastal trail starting at Kantouni beach, all the way to a little monastery. These monasteries are hidden everywhere. Kalymnos is not the most accessible island to go off piste, everything is spiky, but stumbling across these if you do feels like discovering treasure.

Hike To the top of the Island

There’s a really well trodden trail all the way to the highest point on Kalymnos and of course another monastery! The Greeks worked hard! The view is just stunning! Absolutely unreal panoramic view. When we did the walk a couple of years ago I just couldn’t believe it had taken us so many trips to discover it. The hike is around 6-7km in total so one to do for an active rest day.

The view from the highest point of the island

Melitsachas Beach

Who knows if I spelt that right but this beach is about 10 mins beyond Masouri and is a place to really escape the crowds. Somehow Telendos looks even more spectacular from here.

Emporios Bay

Or as we call it ‘the beach at the end of the world’. I can’t quite describe how nice this place is so you’ll have to go. We normally go for lunch if we’ve been climbing at the crags on that side of the island (Noufaro, Cave, Skalia), but it also works real nice as a spring evening meal or a relaxing rest day. If you’re feeling a bit active you can hike the coastal path beyond the village.

DWS by kayak

Ok… so maybe not a full rest day activity but a hella fun one. You can rent kayaks from Vathy, paddle round the headland and bam, an experience in itself. Always worth bringing a pair of goggles and having a friend (who you may or may not push it) check out landing locations underwater for rocks. Bring suncream and fresh water!

A visit to Telendos

Our new go to rest day so I’m forced to actually rest! A gentle 15 minute boat ride from Myrties jetty gets you to the main port (is it a port when it’s tiny?!) of neighbouring island Telendos. No cars here so it’s the perfect place for some peace, a stroll and admiring all the crags from afar. We usually go and get breakfast at one of the little restaurants you get to immediately off the boat, take a stroll, left, right or up, any way is good! But the walk to the 3 caves is very cool if you really need your exercise fix. Then head back to the jetty for a late lunch while we wait for the next boat. Dreamy.

Captain Jen on the left

Leisurely stroll on Telendos on the right

Travel method

From EU, ROW and UK

During the main season the easiest way is a direct flight to Kos, a taxi from the airport to Mastachari port and then the ferry to Kalymnos. This is a lot easier than it sounds. The holiday starts when you arrive in Kos, promise.

The taxi from Kos airport -> Mastachari is about 15 mins. There’s then regular boats to Kalymnos, most you can’t book in advance. There’s usually a boat that waits for the last flight too, so no stress if you land late. It could be up to 3 hours or so before your boat so go chill in one of the cafes/restaurants on the beach :) In the past we’ve made a boat within 20 mins of landing, as usually the airport is a dream to get through. The timetables for these boats are not easy to find but the Kalymnos Climbing facebook page usually publishes them every couple of weeks. If you really do your homework and arrange hires etc. in advance, often the locals running these companies will be happy to help if in the worst case you still can’t find the up to date schedule as many use the service themselves.

If you’re a bit out of season (early April say or November) you’ll likely have to fly back via Athens or another European airport. In this case it’s worth checking the flight Kalymnos -> Athens to see if you can remove the boat leg of your journey to Kos. This doesn’t always work as there are only 3 fights a week and being high up on the island the airport is very prone to cancellations due to wind. If it lines up it’s perfect and Kalymnos airport is a novelty in itself as it feels a bit like a bus stop.

Most likely your safe bet is the boat to Kos, fly Kos to Athens, Athens to the UK. Usually fairly painless though Athens airport feels like chaos after the chill pace on Kalymnos.

In this period the ferries can be as fickle as the flights, if winds and rough seas are forecast they will not run leaving you stranded and unable to make your flight. Keeping track of the weather can keep you ahead of the game and the harbour master will take phone calls to advise 4 hours ahead whether they will run. It may be too late to alter your flights but at least you can begin planning your next move. Often despite the cost the best course of action should you expect ferry problems is to leave the island early, the night before for instance, whether that means getting a last minute room on Kos or another plan. If you’re on Kos that's the riskiest part completed.

Additionally at the very beginning of spring and end of autumn the schedules are reduced, this can lead to tight situations so plan well in advance if you’re not in peak season. Ensure you are looking at the schedule for the period you intend to travel as they often don’t publish them very far in advance. In this case safer flight times are your friend.

The final backup travel option is overnight ferries between Kalymnos and Athens, they’re not particularly cheap but in a pinch they’ll get you home.

Guidebook and Bolt Fund

The original and most officially approved guidebook is published by Vertical Life and authored by Aris Theodoropoulos and Katie Roussos. It is available from your regular jaunts but it also widely available on the island and measuring in at 600 pages of pure psych it might save a kg of baggage on the way out. Of course having one to plan in advance is useful, a friend/climbing acquaintance will almost certainly have one, why not borrow that while planning then grab a copy on the island.

Kalymnos is renowned for being well bolted, super accessible outdoor climbing. This means there’s a lot of bolts and they get a lot of wear and tear. The rebolting is all carried out by volunteers of the Kalymnos rebolt fund so if you can spare a bit of cash to donate, please do using the link below! We like to see it as a small tax we pay every trip to ensure routes are kept safe and development can continue. Cheers :)

Support the bolt fund here

Best places for …

Bread and pastries to go - Fani Mini Market, the Spanakopita will melt your brain

COLD drink and a good crowd after a long day craggin (Masouri) - Fatolitis or The Kalymnos Experience if you want a protein, feel good for you, whopper smoothie

COLD drink and great food if you can get in (Arginonta) - (Theo’s) Traditional Taverna

Crag snacks (baked) - Anasis Bakery & Pastry we recommend the Pasteli, sesame-honey bars.

Smaller groceries (bits to put you on) - A handful of mini-marts along the Masouri/Mirties road. Stallas market is the biggest local one on your way out of Mirties. But Hibiscus has the best homemade flapjacks.

Big shop - AB Super Mart (Panormas between Pothia and Mirties)

Car/moped hire - My go to is Noufris at Souzouki rentals in Pothia (can meet you right off the boat) or for Masouri based rentals we’ve had good experience with Kalymnos Vehicle Hire

Notable Routes (Now we’re talking)

Best routes to onsite

5a - Swedish Blonde - Sea Breeze (the perfect first route on Kalymnos)

6a - Viavai - Noufaro right wall (a lovely long route)

7a - Globus - Ghost Kitchen left wall (a friendly and consistent introduction to the grade)

8a -Fun de Chichunne - Grande Grotta (I have yet to try but it’s got to be the most onsighted 8a in the world?!)

- Animal Farm - Je T'aime left wall (if vert crimping is more your thing to monster overhangs)

Like the UK

chicken dance 8a - Noufaro - for those missing the peak ;)

Like Verdon

Ghost Kitchen (everything right of the Tufa Bowl) - Something you wouldn't expect in tufa land. A great location when the sun has engulfed the left area and a unique style of climbing for Kalymnos.

If you’re a boulderer dragged on a route trip:

- Gecko’s team 7a+ - Noufaro right wall (one move wonder, low down as well with a fitting name!)

- Gabriele Salvatores 7c/+ - Arginonta valley, Diagoras Cave (a new one, walk to the far left of the cave and keep going. Short but good quality!)

If you like a soft play centre and want to show off your bridging:

- And Now for Something Completely Different 5c - Arginonta, Fire Wall (a lot of fun!)

A few noteworthy mentions to be aware of:

GOATED beware, the tormentors of the crag. The last thing you want to find when you come firing off your route, exhausted, drenched in sweat and reaching with your wilting hand into your bag for the carbs… is an open empty packet = no carbs, and your bottle 100m down the crag because the real GOAT’s of the island hit up your crag snack collection. Free roaming goats are common on the island and enjoy your bag contents as much as they enjoy running around above climbers converting rocks into missiles. We’re a lover of the helmet life regardless (you only got one head, it’s quite essential to daily life) but it becomes a bit of a necessity with these hooligans around. They will eat most things, even ropes.

The flower/fly cough is a rare occurrence known to Kalymnians and climbers who visit is the sudden onset of quite a persistent cough, almost as though you’d breathed in something, lasting for days up to weeks. It’s not something that appears to be too common but is known about among circles. Some think it’s Oestrus ovis a fly which causes parasitic infections, most think it’s a pollen from a native species. Some report success from seeing the local doctors in Pothia but ultimately, as distressing as it is during, no one has reported long term symptoms beyond getting rid of the cough. It’s certainly not a reason to avoid the island, not something to be aware of so it’s not as startling if you ever did develop it. As always, seek medical help and climb on.

Cash is still very much a thing in kalymnos and a few places (car hire, accommodation) will give you a cheaper rate if you have some. There are a few ATMs about on the island but beware some charge hefty fees.

Recycling - Kalymnos has a long standing problem with waste disposal, exacerbated by their historic reliance on bottled water. This year thankfully recycling has finally been introduced onto the island in a more substantial way, there are now a couple of recycling centres across the island with blue recycling bins in more places so it’s worth keeping an eye out for these as you explore.

Plumbing - a lot of Greece has notoriously minimalist plumbing. You can’t flush toilet paper down the toilet, so don’t. It’s not worth it, the consequences will be worse than simply getting over the mental wall of putting it in the bin.

Other useful resources:

Climb Kalymnos - If you think this blog has been useful, this website will only further help you, check it out!
Simon Montmory - A top climbing guide based on Kalymnos for those wanting some support exploring climbing in Kalymnos or even coaching and courses. From performance based coaching through to multi-pitch technique, Simon has the depth of knowledge of both the island and our sport.
The Facebook Page - Got a question, want to find a climbing partner, looking to share accommodation? This page is one of the most useful resources available when visiting the island as a climber.

The Ultimate Climbers Guide To Kalymnos

Kalymnos - the land of oversize gyros, ice cold mythos and a lifetime of sends.

Jen Wood

When to visit:

Places to stay