Somewhere in Leonidio, the capital of Tsakonia, there’s a grandmother who says that the locals first saw people climbing the rocks back in the 1930s. She claims that they were Italian soldiers taking a break from their duties, so the act was purely recreational. The story hasn’t been verified, but it’s a lovely one to hear – especially on this rainy day, extremely rare for Leonidio, in the heart of winter and by the fireplace: a true kafeneio conversation.
Today is the kind of day when you expect to find a deserted provincial town, yet instead you see shops open and people from all over the world walking the streets or gathering inside cafés. Bent over climbing guidebooks, they search for cave sectors where they can climb in the dry.
“On a day like this, fourteen years ago, not a single person would have been out. Climbing transformed Leonidio,” says Giorgos Smyros, owner of the taverna Mitropoli, a favorite among locals and climbers alike. Until 2013, he mostly worked weekends, and if twenty people came through in a day, he would close the register satisfied. “Now it’s a hundred, and during the holidays, we may get more than hundred and fifty. If it weren’t for climbing, I probably would have left the village – maybe gone to work on ships, lived a completely different life. The timing was incredible,” he says.
The picturesque town of 4,000 residents, backed by Mt Parnon and overlooking the Myrtoan Sea, relied until the early 2010s on agriculture and on summer tourism, the latter thanks to its beautiful beaches. Its fate began to change in 2012, when the imposing Kokkinovrachos cliff was developed for climbing. However, even that story has an earlier start; the first climbing routes on the massive red rock face date back to as early as 1987, when renowned climber Aris Theodoropoulos established the route known as the “Pillar of Fire” together with his climbing companion Dimitris Sotirakis. He recalls that, by the time they reached the top, fifteen people were already waiting for them, and that the next day, the entire town of Leonidio gathered at the base of the cliff to watch their subsequent climb.
A few years later, the Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing organized a climbing meet there, and a handful of additional routes were opened. But there was no real follow-up to this until 2010, when a group of climbers from Athens developed several routes in Elona. In 2012-2013, the Parnon Development Agency, through the municipality (and inspired by the example of Kalymnos), implemented a European-funded program, inviting the Athens Mountaineering Club to open routes. These were developed in two phases and eventually reached 180 in number.
From that point on, things really took off. The conditions were already in place: high-quality rock offering great variety and routes for all levels of difficulty; a mild winter climate that allows for year-round climbing – something quite rare; easy access from Athens; and, of course, natural beauty and warm hospitality. As if by common agreement, everyone contributed toward the same goal of establishing Leonidio as a world-class climbing destination. The municipality invited Aris Theodoropoulos as a consultant for promotion and organization, and the climbing festival was launched. Well-known figures in the climbing world developed and upgraded routes. Throughout, Giannis Metaxotos and the South Kynouria Caving and Mountaineering Association (SOK) were ever-present, and local business owners paid for the necessary materials.
Soon after, Swiss climber Claude Rémy arrived at Theodoropoulos’s invitation. To date, he has developed, out of his own good will, around 40% of Leonidio’s routes – locals refer to him as the “father” of the area. The Panjika Cooperative also emerged, contributing not only to route development and maintenance but also running a climbers’ café and social hub and an equipment shop. The cooperative also published a climbing guide (as did Theodoropoulos).
In the end, success stories on this scale are never the work of just one person. In this case, the combined efforts resulted in 111 climbing sectors, 2,673 routes, and a small town full of life. The locals, including many young people now content to stay, are happy to see each year’s visitors arrive.
A gift from the heavens
Leonidio is home to the only campsite in Greece that remains open throughout the winter. When the Trochani brothers first opened it twelve years ago, that was not their intention. “We thought we’d operate for four months each summer, but in the end we’re full for all twelve. The timing was incredible – we were very lucky,” they say. Their guests are mainly climbers and Northern European retirees, who arrive in camper vans from all corners of the world.
Guesthouses have multiplied and short-term rental homes have surged, as climbers tend to stay for several days and enjoy having their own kitchen. “When I moved to Leonidio in 2007, the houses were abandoned, coming to life for just two weeks in the summer,” says Deputy Mayor for Tourism Simona Tsouka. “Climbing brought life back to the homes, to their owners, and to the craftsmen. There are now 300 residences available for rent, and locals are staying or returning, as there’s work for everyone. The population increase is not yet clearly visible, but it will likely begin to show now, with the younger generations.”
At the Mitropoli taverna, for example, the Smyros family now employs four people to help in the business, while new enterprises continue to appear all the time, such as the café Agkoni, recently opened by young local Giorgos Chiotis. “Climbing arrived like a gift from the heavens,” says Giorgos Georgantonis, owner of the Archontiko Chatzipanagioti guesthouse as well as the climbing gear shop Red Point. “Leonidio is doing very well, and we’re all happy – but it’s important for us to preserve our character: our architecture, our hospitality. So far, development has been moderate, and young people have a reason to stay. Climbers have brought a different temperament – they give us energy and a zest for life,” he says.
Simona Tsouka notes that, beyond the financial boost and renewed vibrancy, climbers have also brought locals into contact with different cultures and ways of life. “Suddenly, everyone is eating more healthily, having learned about organic and vegan diets; they’re dressing in more appropriate outdoor gear; they’re learning English; and they’re recycling more, too. All of this, of course, took time, but the older generation is especially fond of our new category of visitors – they observe them, often ask me what the climbers think about them, and they care about that opinion. Business owners now seem to prefer climbers to summer visitors, as they are quieter and less demanding. You offer them two oranges and a slice of spinach pie and they’re thrilled – they appreciate the simplicity and authenticity of this.”
To their credit, locals have kept standards high and prices reasonable, while also adapting to new needs. “I banned smoking in my restaurant well before the nationwide ban, and I also stopped taking reservations. How can I hold a table when the place fills up by six in the evening? That’s when climbers come in, after a full day of climbing – should I turn them away?” says taverna owner Giorgos Smyros. Of course, while Leonidio’s residents are largely satisfied, challenges remain: the difficulty of finding rental housing for locals and the issue of unrestricted van parking will require immediate solutions. For Smyros, meanwhile, the downside is more personal; serving so many people now means he has lost some of the direct human interaction with climbers that he once enjoyed so much.
Climbing migrants
There isn’t a single Greek climber who hasn’t climbed in Leonidio. From beginners and Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing (EOOA) schools to experienced climbers and champions, you’ll find them all here – from across Greece and around the world. On Kokkinovrachos, in the surrounding gorges, on sport routes (fully bolted climbs) or trad routes (from “traditional,” requiring additional removable protection), on short routes or multi-pitch ascents – Leonidio offers it all.
Some have come to appreciate this diversity, the mild climate, and the beauty of the landscape so much that they have chosen to settle permanently in the town. Among them are Bernd Schlegl from Austria and Carolina Medeiros from Brazil, members of the Panjika Cooperative. In addition to maintaining climbing routes and running two shops, they also organize workshops and a variety of artistic events.
Argyro Papathanasiou, widely regarded as Greece’s top climber – having reached a grade of 8c – is spending her third winter in Leonidio this year with her five-year-old son, Odysseas. Despite frequent trips to Athens and Ikaria, she finds herself based for the most part in Kynouria. “Leonidio suits me perfectly. I want to live somewhere that combines climbing and art, since I’m also involved in music. At the same time, we’re close to Athens, we have the sea, which we visit every day after school, and there’s room for kids to play in the neighborhood. Everything is easier here. And the rock is very interesting for me, as there are countless sectors, in styles quite different from what I was used to. I like change,” she says. She also hopes to contribute locally, organizing activities for children related to climbing, sports, and the arts.
Similarly, Cretan climbing instructor Kostas Grafanakis came to Leonidio six years ago, following an invitation from the municipality to take over the maintenance of the Climbing Park. Having lived in Athens (as both an athlete and a coach) and on Kalymnos, he finds that climbing has become a decisive factor in where he chooses to live. Together with his Finnish partner, Tiia Porri, and their four-year-old daughter, they plan to remain in Tsakonia, perhaps for good. Tiia works at Red Point and, together with Kostas, offers climbing lessons to visitors.
“As time goes by, I see that the sector is continuing to grow, and there’s plenty of room for initiatives that benefit locals, especially children. And I want to be part of that. A proper climbing wall, for example, is essential. Right now there’s a small tower at the SOK Club, and about 20 to 25 children go there. At the athletics track, there are a hundred,” says Kostas. And at that moment, I recall the words of Aris Theodoropoulos, who told me earlier that same morning on the rocks: “These children will no longer have to leave when they grow up. They will have opportunities and interests in their own place. And that is the greatest good that we have achieved in Leonidio.”
This article first appeared in Greece Is (www.greece-is.com), a Kathimerini publishing initiative.