Kalymnos recommendation

Hi

I'm planning a trip to Kalymnos starting on April 11th. I haven't received the guidebook yet, so I'm not sure which town would be better to stay at. I'm looking to climb mostly 7a+ and 7b. What sector/town would you recommend to stay at for two weeks?

Thanks!

Armeos-Masouri. Nice walk to a bunch of crags. Easy to rent a scooter for the rest.

Pablo, When we went to Kalymnos a few years ago I corresponded with the authors of the guidebook about where to go/stay. We ended up staying at Meltemi per their recommendation (Lambrinos was full; and once we got there realized it's a bit more of a "scene"). Meltemi was perfect for us. Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip!
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Regarding where to stay, you should definitely stay in Masouri or Armeos (the two villages are small and next to each other -think of them as one village, really). You can walk to at least half of the major / popular crags from there. Most studios are very decent and a good value for money; Kalymnos is quite cheap by Greek standards. Aris and I live in a house whenever we are in Kalymnos (which is about 5-6 months per year), but before the house we stayed at Lambrinos Studios in Armeos. It's not a super secret place as it's quite popular with climbers, it was just cheap and clean and had wi-fi. FYI there is some info about them here: oreivatein.com/oreivatein/c…

However I can recommend a studio complex just past Lambrinos (again in Armeos) called "Meltemi". Friends often stay there, the rooms are nice and quiet, view is great and this place -for unknown reasons- doesn't advertise anywhere. So most people don't know it. You can see some photos and get info here: facebook.com/pages/Meltemi-…

masouri for sure. places to stay should range from 15-30 euro. motos are pretty easy to get your hands on.

Massouri is where myself and a couple other will be. I will be in Kalymnos April 20th thru the 30th. I am always looking for more people to climb with.

Shane

If'n you do end up staying in Armeos, you can sometimes snooker the studio owner to kick in for a free scooter.

Either way, with THOSE grades in mind, you DEFINITELY wanna be spending MOST of your time over on the island of Telendos. Do NOT climb in the Grand Grotto, Odyssey, Sparticus, or the Sikati Cave!!! DON'T EVER CLIMB THOSE SECTORS!!!

(Bwha-ha-ha-haaaaa...guess WHO will be going back to Kali this April...)

One piece of beta: Last time I was there, the scooter rental peeps were starting to get stingy about needing to have an international driver's license. Just sayin'...

We were in Kalymnos last June through July. It was incredible in every way! I highly recommend you stay in Massouri... it's location is ideal for climbing as well as getting around to some of the local beaches and restaurants. If you meet a German named Gi Gi ("Jee Jee") tell him Michael and Sarah from Montana say hello. He will be your best resource for climbing, dining out, and all the other local adventures you'd like to get into...

Here is some information that was given to us prior to our trip:

The best place to fly into is usually just the cheapest connection either to Kos (neighboring island) or Kalymnos. There are a few airports other than Athens that have flights to Kos. From Kos you can take a short public bus and then about a 30 min ferry to Kalymnos. That is very cheap. The other option is to fly directly to Kalymnos from Athens. Super easy and you get an amazing aerial view of the island, but more pricey.

Now for practical things:

At any hotel you stay in the water will be salty in the room. Obviously, don't drink it. There are 2 public drinking fountains in Massouri.

I recommend NOT renting a car while you are there. The majority of the best climbing on the island will be within walking distance of Massouri. On the days you want to venture farther, simply rent a scooter from a rental place in town. If you pack carefully, two adults with packs should fit on one scooter.

Depending on the time you are going you can likely expect the climbing areas on the island to be to the windward. A light puffy and hat are advisable for the belay. However, don't forget to pack a swimsuit! I've gone for a dip in the Aegean as late as the first week in November!

Definitely pack sunscreen. It is much cheaper in the States!!!

Safety: Kalymnos is one of the safest places I have ever been. Crime is incredibly low. I have left valuables in the room each time I have been there without incident. The biggest danger is leaving your food in the open while climbing. The goats will run off with your lunch!

For groceries, there are mini marts within walking distance of any hotel. For larger grocery runs, you can use a scooter or car and head toward Pothia on the main road. Look for Smalios supermarket on your right. They don't have good produce, but here you can have more options of other things.

Best of luck and have an amazing trip!

i had really good luck going through turkey, it's a beautiful place to see and kalymnos is two short ferry rides from bodrum.

Don't forget to pick up an International Driver's License. It will make renting a scooter WAY easier. You can get them through AAA.

Hi all,
We are looking to book a studio in kalymnos and a couple of places have asked for us to wire money to an international bank account to reserve it (Lambrinos and triantafillos). Is that legit? Has anyone else dealt with this? What service do you use? Thanks

Dimly recall that's legit. I've used "xoom" in the past.

SLippy wrote:Hi all, We are looking to book a studio in kalymnos and a couple of places have asked for us to wire money to an international bank account to reserve it (Lambrinos and triantafillos). Is that legit? Has anyone else dealt with this? What service do you use? Thanks

Hey, SLippy

I don't know for triantafillos...but I've stayed at Lambrinos before and can vouch for them; totes family business.

Alternatively you could do the booking.com thing if'n you were all that worried. Or I think there's even a Kalymnos specific booking site.

Not by the way, the reason likely is a thousand and two people book rooms all the time and just no-show...