Where Next: Greek Isles Rock Climbing, Cycling, More

Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal reports on the thriving rock climbing scene on Kalymnos in the Eastern Aegea near Turkey. The Greek island, with its towering beachside cliffs, geological oddities, and low-key atmosphere has become “a top destination for rock climbers looking to combine outdoor adventure with an exotic beach vacation.” Particularly well-suited to rock climbers, Kalymnos has an authenticity some more developed resort towns have lost. 

Sign us up. We have long held the Greek Isles high on our must-see list. But if we're going, we want to go big. So we called up local expert Colleen McGuire, Marketing Director at Aegea Adventures and Cycle Greece, to get her recommendations on additional attractions in the area. Here’s what we discovered.

After trying out some rock climbing on Kalymnos, check out some of the neighboring islands of Kos and Rhodes. On Kos, where Hippocrates spouted wisdom in ancient times, take a seaside bike ride to soak in Therma, a thermal hot springs that flows into the chilly Mediterranean (yes, please). On Rhodes, a World Heritage Site thanks to the relics left by Crusaders who took respite here after they were kicked out of Jerusalem, check out a 14th-century castle before heading out for some windsurfing and parasailing. On nearby Nyseros, you can even trek a dormant volcano.

Check out Cycle Greece’s 12-day Crusader Paths trip, which was offered for the first time this year. Departures for 2010 will be set later this month. Oh, and you can thank the faltering economy for keeping the prices steady at 2009 rates.