Rock climbing at Karpathos
Karpathos is an island of soaring mountain ranges and charming quiet beaches, with breath taking scenery and tranquillity. Situated to the east of Crete it is less well developed than neighbouring Greek Islands in terms of tourism, and it has predominately been regarded as a windsurfing Island. However, from 2010 sport climbing areas have steadily been growing and there are now around 390 routes across 33 different sectors. If you like the climate and climbing on Kalymnos but dislike the crowds, then Karpathos is an excellent choice.
The rock on Karpathos is limestone with a wide range of shapes and colours. There are huge overhangs with tufas that can be found at either Leonidio or Kalymnos, vertical walls with small edges, and slightly overhanging, steep walls with slopers. The rock is sharp in places, and because climbing is new to the island there is no polish on the routes.
| No | Crag | Total No. of Routes | F3a to F5c+ | F6a to F6c+ | F7a to F7c+ | F8a to F9a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adia | 144 | 23 | 83 | 37 | 1 |
| 2 | Yvonne | 51 | 3 | 28 | 17 | 3 |
| 3 | Lefkos | 19 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 0 |
| 4 | Achata | 26 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 0 |
| 5 | Pigadia | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 6 | Afiartis | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | Kastello | 44 | 10 | 20 | 10 | 4 |
| 8 | Arkasa | 46 | 16 | 25 | 5 | 0 |
| 9 | Finiki | 41 | 1 | 27 | 10 | 3 |
Map of the rock climbing areas on Karpathos
The two largest climbing areas on Karpathos are Adia and Yvonne.
Adia is by far the largest crag on the island with many routes between F6a and F7c. Access is easy with some of the sectors being off the beach, and is therefore an ideal location for families with children.
Yvonne is the second largest area and it also has the greatest potential for opening new routes. Here there are routes across a wide range of grades including 1 sector with an amazing 30m section of overhanging tufas.
There are also 7 smaller crags, which are Lefkos, Kastello, Achata, Pigadia, Afiartis, Arkasa, and Finiki. These 9 main crags are split into 33 sectors with 388 routes across a wide range of grades from F3’s to F9a.
Karpathos climbing logistics
Karpathos has its own airport with regular scheduled flights to Athens. During the tourist season there are also regular charter flights from other areas of Europe. Alternatively it is possible to fly to a neighbouring island such as Crete or Rhodes and then get a ferry to the capital Pigadia.
The best time to climb at Karpathos is in the spring and autumn. It is possible during the summer though it does get very hot and climbing is limited to early mornings or late afternoon where shade can be found. During the winter months it can get cold and often there is rain.
The definitive guidebook is called the Karpathos Rock Climbing Guidebook that describes 388 routes with; 64 routes between F3 to F5c+; 216 routes between F6a and F6c+; 97 routes between F7a and F7c+; and 11 routes between F8a and F9a. Buy the Karpathos Rock Climbing Guidebook from our shop.
Read an article about sport climbing on Karpathos by the guidebook author.
Walking and Hiking on Karpathos
Northern Karpathos has a varied and authentic landscape that offers endless opportunities for walking and hiking along paths that are fairly clear and waymarked. One classic route is the ascent of the peak Profitis Ilias (719m high) that lies to the south of Olymbos. Olymbos is a magical village perched on a saddle between two mountains and two seas.
The highest mountains on Karpathos are found in the centre of the island, with Kali Limni being the highest at 1,215m high). This is the green area of Karpathos that has lots of forests and many rare species of plants.
Buy the Karpathos walking map from our shop that shows a great network of walking and hiking trails on Karpathos at a scale of 1:43,000.