Leonidio – Twin Caves

Crag Summary

After climbing at Sabaton on the way in from the north and doing a quick recce of the extensive valley extending inland from Leonidio (see below) we settled on Twin Caves as our second crag – it is situated at the top of a spectacular switch-back, part of the main cliff-line that towers over the town and promises both hard cave-routes and slabby mid-grades on the left hand side. It was probably the busiest crag we climbed at for the whole trip but it was nice to make friends, and if we’d been staying longer, swapping stories would have been a good way to figure out which crag to explore next.

Leonidio is a climbing mecca and many people will spend a whole season here and return again and again. We only had time for a couple of crags and tried to pick 2 that worked well for families and winter climbing. The Panjika Cooperative climbing guidebook clearly shows that there is much more to discover as a family, especially if you are looking to have a single base and hard climbs (unlike the Argolis where crags are more spread out and grades are mostly middling).

• Style: single-pitch sport
• Parking: 37.17478, 22.84101 – at the top of a road with a whole bunch of hairpin turns. Not nearly as intense as the Serpentine in Montenegro but a little bit of a squeeze for our big vehicle.
• Topo and Approach details: The Panjika Cooperative climbing guidebook has all the latest -including a key for whether a crag is family-friendly. You can pick it up online or at the Panjika climbing shop of cafe/bar and get to know the active climbing community too.
• We visited on: Tuesday, 26th November 2024
• Who else was there: quite a lot of other climbers – this area is definitely popular and well-known for good reason. There is space to spread out, especially near the cave if you’re climbing harder.
• Camping: Camping Semeli was well-run, has all the services you need with direct access to a beautiful beach.

Nearby

We only had time to climb Twin Caves and Sabaton whilst in Leonidio but we did make a little drive down the valley just to get a sense of the depth and breadth of the crags on offer. Peppered by the roadside everywhere are cars parked up and little signs indicating the trailhead for yet another crag.

During our valley exploration we made a little stop at the Monastery of Panagia Elona, built into the rock – stunning to look at from afar, and stunning views from within. You pass by the Elona crag on the way up to the monastery – the lower part makes for easy access in afternoon shade, just be ready for hard grades!