Athens may not be the obvious destination for a sport climbing holiday, but there is a surprising amount of crags within a short distance of this city. In fact there are over 30 crags within an hour’s drive that are dotted around the hills surrounding Athens. 

There is a good variety and styles of climbing to be found in Athens, ranging from sheer desperate slabs to highly featured, tufa infested walls, including some sea cliff climbing. The vast majority of these crags are limestone, though there are also a couple of marble quarries. There are over 1,100 documented routes across a wide range of grades (F4’s to F7c) on mainly single pitch routes.

The best time to visit Athens to climb is the spring, followed by the autumn. In the summer it can get very hot, though there is an abundance of north facing crags make it possible to climb during the summer. 

The Athens Climbing Guidebook is the most comprehensive guidebook available, covering 33 crags and over 1,100 routes across a wide range of grades (F4’s to F7c). Buy this Athens Climbing Guidebook from our shop.

With Athens being a famous tourist destination in its own right, this is a great place to visit to climb for a few days as part of your general holiday along with some excellent culture, food and drink.