Mars Area

Mars
From another planet. Climbers have finally set foot on the red giant, only to discover that it offers more than just its iconic red rock. Tufas, stalactites, and perfect finger-sized craters await.
Don’t believe it? Book your spaceship seat and enjoy a voyage to Mars and its surrounding satellites.
Mars is one of the Big 5 in Leonidio. For years, it stood as the flagship sector of the area and despite some polish on the popular routes, it remains an essential stop on your visit.

Venus
Still a hidden gem, despite being so close to the ever-crowded Mars. Maybe that’s exactly why it stays quieter—everyone goes to Mars.
Although only about a hundred meters away, the rock quality differs slightly. Some routes have sandy starts, but all of them improve drastically towards the top. These are fantastic journeys, bolted with care and a thoughtful approach

Phobos
Located just to the right of Mars, this sector has long held underdog status. But since Bernhard added new routes in 2021, climbers have been returning—and for good reason. It’s absolutely worth the detour.
Climbing here is mainly vertical, characterized by pockets and crimps, with the occasional tufa feature thrown in.

Namaste / Hermes
A paradise for crimp lovers, Namaste is the first stop on the way to Mars.
Many climbers treat it as a quick warm-up sector or a stopover—only to stay longer than planned, thanks to its high-quality rock and wide range of grades.
The downside? The wall faces fully south, meaning it's in the sun all day.

Hermes is the outlying block situated in front of Namaste. It features very easy routes with solid, closely spaced bolts, making it the perfect spot to start your climbing career.

On a hot summer day in 2014, Michael went for an exploration hike around the cemetery area in Leonidio. As he turned the corner on the east side of Kokkinovrachos, something bright red caught his eye in the distance. Curious, he moved closer and couldn’t believe what he saw: a jaw-dropping, untouched wall covered in tufa and stalactites, like a natural organ rising from the earth.
Soon after, together with a group of friends, he began bolting this fantasy wall. The sector’s kingline, Boubouki, was the first route to be equipped, on Christmas Day, 2014.

Just a year later, Mike also began work on what would become Namaste, a wall he’d passed countless times on his way to Mars.

Hermes was initiated in 2017 by Alex and Sylvie, who financed the work and bolts to create a sector with routes in their preferred difficulty range.

Phobos was established even earlier, in 2015, when Vincent from Canada bolted the first three lines. The climbing on those "old" routes demands commitment between the bolts, a style less common among today’s comfort-focused holiday climbers.

Venus, another of Mike’s contributions, was first developed in the summer of 2017.