It was hard and easy at the same time to leave Kalymnos. Hard, because I (still) suck at goodbyes, even after all the travelling I have done. Easy, because the island was getting really empty, Masouri was turning into a ghost town, aaaand I was going to meet my dad in Athens at the airport for the next part of my Greece adventure!

I took the night ferry to Athens which was really comfy. Proper digital nomad-style, I spent my day working at a café in Piraeus and at the airport. Definitely preferred the airport with super speedy Wi-Fi, good seating and charging options!

My dad’s flight was only due in the evening, so we picked up our rental car and spent the night near the airport before heading off to Leonidio next day!

Photo from a couple of days later… It was a rather grey day, but we stopped at the Corinth Canal which was cool to see and at Acrocorinth which is basically like a castle with nice views. Sun came out just in time for us to enjoy this part of our trip!

We arrived in Leonidio in the pouring rain and the next couple of days were a bit…challenging…weather-wise. I was able to get quite some work done and dad made the best of the situation. Luckily, weather improved and we were able to head out for some climbing soon! I really enjoyed climbing in Leonidio, but I must say that climbing low/mid 6s is much better in Kalymnos. There is also just much more choice. We spent about 10 days in Leonidio and I think I could have spent another 10 days there, but then might have gotten bored.

One day, we climbed the only multi-pitch in the lower grades „Mignonette“ 5c which was one of my favourite days in Leonidio. It was a really nice climb, especially the last 3 pitches and the crux pitch. The views were amazing and it was just overall really enjoyable with the right temperature and right amount of clouds. The hike down was a bit long, but given the amazing views, we did not mind at all!

Another one of my highlights was our day trip to Kyparissi. It’s a 1h15 drive along a brand new coastal road but feels like a world away from everything! Actual peace and really the feeling of being in the nature, which I was sometimes missing in Leonidio when hearing traffic noise up at the crag. The drive itself was already beautiful and the routes were some of my favourites of our time in Leonidio. Loads of musical notes, which means amazing climbing and great rock!

We also explored some of the monasteries that are built into the rock – the prettiest one was the Saint Nicholas of Sintza Monastery. Super nice! There were lots of cute little towns and pretty drives. We stopped by Kosmas at one point and took some adventurous backroads which sometimes worked out well, sometimes less so!

All in all, we had a great time in and around Leonidio – but still wanted to see a little bit more of the Peloponnes. So after about 10 days, we drove to Nafplio, stopping at the ruins of Mycenae on the way. Unfortunately, we were just a little too late and they were closing for the day. But views from the outside were pretty cool with photogenic clouds in all directions!

Nafplio itself is a cute little harbour town that is supposed to be one of the prettiest towns of Greece. While I haven’t been everywhere in Greece, it is definitely a really nice and photogenic town. We enjoyed exploring the streets and went on a beautiful coastal walk. The castle was also definitely worth a visit and provided us with amazing views!

As we had some more time left, we decided to embark on yet another mini road trip. First, we went to see the ruins of Epidaurus, which were alright but overall not that amazing. We then drove across to the East coast and hopped along the coast and back to Nafplio with lots of photo stops along the way at little beaches, towns and viewpoints. Another worthwhile adventure!

And suddenly, our time on the Peloponnes came to an end. It was time to return to Athens – for dad for his flight home and for myself to take the train North… To part 3 of my adventures in Greece.

And for all of you who would like to see more photos of the beautiful Peloponnes, check out my Flickr album!