Santorini Mostly Sport climbing 133 routes in crag

Santorini is the idyllic Greek island with the pretty white buildings you see on post cards. Most people show up here to lounge on the beaches (available in several colors), drink cocktails, and stay up all night bar crawling/clubbing. If you can sneak away in the mornings while the rest of your group is sleeping (and your head isn't ringing too badly) then you can find a good deal of climbable rock on the east side of the island. Best if there's at least one functional belayer you can drag along. You'll probably be here in the summer and it does get hot, so get an early start and don't forget some water! The sectors can be reached from the towns of Kamari or Perissa.

This is a bit of a different sport climbing destination, there are only about 120 routes here at the moment but you also need to factor in the great weather, intriguing history, fantastic rock formations. Add to these an interesting set of well bolted routes across the grades, which are close a swim in the sea and there is some fine Greek cooking too.

Santorini is the most southerly of the islands that make up the Cyclades chain. It is only a small island but it packs a lot of interest in with its amazing geology, holiday resorts and sunsets. The explosion that destroyed the volcano that once made up the island (and put an end to the Minoan civilisation) at around 2500BC was one of the biggest cataclysms of all time, the crater that remains is four times the size of that at Krakatoa. Fortunately the rock isn't all volcanic rubble, the mountains that make up the southern end of the island are limestone, and here a couple of climbing venues have been developed.

With some shade on offer is possible to climb all year round but the best times are spring and autumn. Winter is also a possibility although things are much quieter than during the main tourist season. It is possible to climb during the hotter summer months but hot afternoons are better spent on the beach or taking a siesta.

Topos (english translation).