Climbing at Little Eden in Kalymnos

Little Eden is a newer sport climbing crag near Vathy in Kalymnos, first set in 2019 – and yes it’s paradise. Climbing at Little Eden was one of the highlights of a recent trip to Kalymnos. The routes are relatively short about 20-25 meters, and catch shade around noon. It’s the perfect place to go if you want to escape the more popular sectors and crowds that you might find in Kalymnos on a warm beach-worthy day. Not to mention, it’s breathtaking. A true experience to remember!

Getting to Little Eden from Massouri

The drive from Massouri to Vathy (where Little Eden is located) takes about 20 minutes. We arrived at the Port of Vathy at around 9:00 am and asked at one of the bars for a ride to Kampi beach. The man informed us that his friend with a boat was out in Pothia and would be back soon to take us. We ordered cappuccino freddos and enjoyed the quiet morning in the port while we waited.

The small harbor faces the beautiful Vathy fjord. In colder seasons, you could mistaken the view for one in Norway. The fjord is long and narrow and the harbor is lined with family owned and run tavernas and simple places to stay.

When our captain arrived we hopped on board. The boat ride took about 10 minutes. Our friendly captain even let us drive. He dropped us off and asked what time we wanted to return. He waved goodbye and there we were – alone in Little Eden.

Kampi beach

My first thought was wow! Kampi beach is beautiful. The beach is pebbled in white stones and the water is crystal clear. No matter how deep you go you can still see your toes. It’s the perfect place for snorkeling too – I saw plenty of urchins and small fish in the water. Towards the end of the day the water was calm and the turquoise color reminded us more of Thailand than Europe.

We had the beach and the crag to ourselves most the day. There were a few kayakers who came to swim or take a look, but other than that, Little Eden was all ours.

Climbing at Little Eden

When we first arrived, we headed up to the crag to scope things out. There’s a small path just behind the beach leading there. It takes just five minutes or so. The routes are clearly labeled and there are more than 35 routes, with a bit of something for every grade – more developing.

Unfortunately, the crag at Little Eden only creeps into the share around noon. After our warm up we decided it was far too hot to climb in the sun. We hiked back down to the beach for a dip and some rays instead. Smart choice. Once the shade came, the climbing was a whole lot better. The routes are well-bolted, have high friction and good anchors. Since the crag is newer, some of the routes could use a bit of cleaning – spider webs and plants, but that’s the beauty of it too.

We climbed at Little Eden from noon until about 4pm. It would have been great to spend even more time there. I’d definitely recommend a later pickup if possible. Note, it’s also possible to walk here, rumor has it it takes about 40 minutes from the Vathy harbor.

Early dinner in Vathy after climbing

We had read some horror stories of getting to and from Little Eden. Fortunately our captain couldn’t have been better. He arrived just after 4pm as promised. He refused to take any money from us. To return the favor, we decided to have an early dinner at his taverna before our drive back to Massouri.

We opted for the menus. The menus are a real deal – they are served with bread and a large Greek salad to start, fries and rice as side dishes and Greek yogurt with honey as dessert. I chose the fish and Julie had the pork and chicken souvlaki. We had plenty leftover for a second meal later in the week. And of course, some fish bones for the cats. Many, many cats. The Greek yogurt was shockingly tasty and light. We’ll definitely be back.