Rock Climbing at Manikia

Manikia is a small village on the island of Evia in the central region of Greece.  It is connected to the mainland via a road bridge and is located around 2 hours driving time (130km) to the northeast of Athens. 

Manikia is a relatively new rock climbing area that has only been developed since 2018. A group of French climbers discovered the unique quality and beauty of the limestone rocks in the Manikia-Vrisi area. Now there are now around 450 routes on good quality limestone rock. The majority of the routes are in the F6’s and F7’s, though there are routes from F4’s up to F9a epics. The harder routes tend to be huge 30m to 40m tufa-strewn journeys through massive overhangs, plus there are lovely grey limestone walls and slabs full of easier routes. As well as the single pitch routes there are also 26 good quality multi-pitch routes up to 250m long with grades from F6a+ to F7b.

The definitive guidebook for Manikia is called the Climbing in Manikia Guidebook that is available to buy from our shop.  It has been produced by an organisation called the Manikia Project, who are dedicated to creating a climbing community for International climbers and the local community.  All the profits of the guidebook are invested in the bolting of the routes and the community as a whole.

Getting to Manikia is straight forward.  Fly to Athens airport and it is a simple 2 hours’ drive (half by motorway) to the cliffs of Manikia – no ferries involved as there is a road bridge between the mainland and the Island of Evia.

Accommodation is fairly limited in the villages of Manikia and Vrisi, though the coastal town of Kimi has more options, and is only 35 minutes away.

The best time of the year to climb at Manikia is in the spring and autumn, with May and October being a popular time to visit.

An 80m sport rope is ideal as many of the routes are between 30 to 40m long, plus around 18 quickdraws.