One of my bucket list items is to horseback ride on the beach! After searching up different options for horseback riding in Santorini, I decided to check out Santo Horse Riding. The offer a few tours of different lengths and the tour I picked takes you to one of the famous black beaches of Santorini!
About Santo Horse Riding
Santo Horse Riding is located in Akrotiri which is on the south side of Santorini island. It’s easiest to reach here by car as it’s not served by the bus. If the name Akrotiri sounds familiar, that’s because the famous Akrotiri archaeological ruins is right nearby! The business has been running since 1997 and I saw about 20 horses on the farm.
Tour Options
There are a 3 different options for group tours available. The shortest option is for 20 minutes (20 Euro) and you stay on the farm with a chance to ride in their enclosed area. Next, there is a 1 hour tour (60 Euro) that’ll take you to nearby trails. I did the longest option which is 1.5-2 hours (90 Euro) and ends with a stop at Vlychada beach! There are semi-private and private options as well. For my trip, we had 6 guests in total and 2 instructors.
What to Wear
For this activity, it’s recommended that you wear close toed shoes! Santo Horse Riding will provide these shin guards which zip up and protects from your ankle to knee. These are helpful as otherwise branches, or high grasses will scratch your skin. I wore shorts and it wasn’t an issue. Bring a cross body bag if you want to carry your personal belongings as you’ll need both hands on the reins!
The Route
Our instructors, Yanna and Margarita, gave us some tips before getting on the horse. They also matched up horses based on our experience level. The horses were really tame and calm which is great if you’re nervous about getting on a horse. I was clearly too nice to my horse as she kept on eating bundles of grapes along the way! The trails are mostly dirt roads and has views of some vineyards. Along the way, we learned some interesting facts about Santorini.
One of the instructors led the way and the horses mostly followed each other. You’ll be able to direct your horse with the reins as instructed. There is also another instructor at the rear so you don’t have to worry about falling behind! One thing to note is that you can’t take pictures or use Go Pro etc. on the trail due to safety reasons. I wanted to capture some unique memories but unfortunately the only photo op is at Vlychada beach. Luckily though, it is gorgeous!
The Beach – Vlychada
After about 45 minutes of walking in the trails, we reached Vlychada beach, a famous black beach! The tour had timed this perfectly with the golden glow of the sunset. Each guest had the chance to get photos taken while enjoying this unique landscape. You also ride the horse on the beach along the water which is a dream come true! After about 15-20 minutes at the beach, we headed back again to the farm.
If you have more experience, consider doing a private tour so you can ride faster. If you do a group tour, you’ll have to go at the pace of the least experienced rider. This tour is great for beginners who would like to experience horseback riding in Santorini! The trails were mostly flat and you also get the unique opportunity to ride on the beach. Yanna and Margarita were both so nice and clearly very experienced riders. You can book the activity online on their webpage!
I was a guest of Santo Horse Riding in exchange for media coverage