UPDATE: I've been told by some of my fellow travelers that I'm being too harsh on Klima. They really enjoyed the trip. It is worth pointing out that I was driving a (small) minivan, so some of my driving problems wouldn't be an issue for drivers of smaller cars. Also, if you're the passenger, that's not an issue. You'll have no problems at all.
Klima is a picturesque little spot just down the road from Plaka, the catacombs, etc. I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from visiting, but there are a few things you should know before you go. There is nothing to do there. There is no beach. There are no restaurants and there are no cafes. You will drive there, you will take a picture and you will leave. Here is the picture you will take.
Cute, no?
Now, the problem here, and the reason I won't be going again (unless it's on a motorbike), is that getting in and out of Klima is awful. The drive is maybe a mile down from Plaka. The difficulty is that it's a steep road, curving sharply down the mountain, with no space for two cars to pass one another for large stretches of that mile. If you're in a car, and you meet another car, you or the other car will have to drive in reverse, up or down a winding mountain road, for maybe a quarter of a mile to find a spot where the two of you can pass each other. So that's stressful.
Then, to make matters worse, when you arrive down in Klima, there are only maybe 20 meters where the road widens out for cars to park. So maybe space for six or eight cars. If those spaces are taken (they were when we went) you can't park. Worse, you can't even turn around. The road is exactly one lane wide until it ends at a cement landing that drops off into the sea. You can see that landing in the picture above. That cement block surrounded by the sea is the only place to turn around. So you're going to do a three- or four-point turn on that block, wondering at every turn if your wheels are going to go off the edge. It's totally doable, but not fun, and then you have that drive back up the mountain to look forward to.
So, is that picture worth it? It wasn't for me, you'll have to decide for yourself. And if you're on a motorbike, don't think twice. It'll be a nice half-hour trip for you.
Klima is a picturesque little spot just down the road from Plaka, the catacombs, etc. I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from visiting, but there are a few things you should know before you go. There is nothing to do there. There is no beach. There are no restaurants and there are no cafes. You will drive there, you will take a picture and you will leave. Here is the picture you will take.
Now, the problem here, and the reason I won't be going again (unless it's on a motorbike), is that getting in and out of Klima is awful. The drive is maybe a mile down from Plaka. The difficulty is that it's a steep road, curving sharply down the mountain, with no space for two cars to pass one another for large stretches of that mile. If you're in a car, and you meet another car, you or the other car will have to drive in reverse, up or down a winding mountain road, for maybe a quarter of a mile to find a spot where the two of you can pass each other. So that's stressful.
Then, to make matters worse, when you arrive down in Klima, there are only maybe 20 meters where the road widens out for cars to park. So maybe space for six or eight cars. If those spaces are taken (they were when we went) you can't park. Worse, you can't even turn around. The road is exactly one lane wide until it ends at a cement landing that drops off into the sea. You can see that landing in the picture above. That cement block surrounded by the sea is the only place to turn around. So you're going to do a three- or four-point turn on that block, wondering at every turn if your wheels are going to go off the edge. It's totally doable, but not fun, and then you have that drive back up the mountain to look forward to.
So, is that picture worth it? It wasn't for me, you'll have to decide for yourself. And if you're on a motorbike, don't think twice. It'll be a nice half-hour trip for you.
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