Naxos horse riding takes small groups along sandy beaches, dunes and farm tracks. Naxos is the largest island of the Cyclades. Rides pass shallow bays, fields and low hills. It is one of the riding holidays in Greece on Greece VIP.
This post covers what a Naxos horse riding tour includes, where it rides and rides along the beach. It also covers the nature on the way, safety for beginners and the history of horses on Naxos. What to wear, the best season and common questions come last.
Each section ends with a Naxos horse riding trip or a nearby tour that can be booked online.
What does a Naxos horse riding tour include?
A Naxos horse riding tour includes an easy group ride with an instructor. Riders first learn the simple cues that steer a horse. They get help to climb into the saddle. Then the group heads out at a calm walk across open country.
A Naxos horse riding lesson covers the riding aids first. These are the cues a rider gives to tell a horse what to do. The natural aids are the legs, the hands, the body weight and the voice.
On a Naxos horse riding trip, the leg works with the seat as the main aid. It asks the horse to go forward. The hands control the head and shoulders, but not the back end.
Naxos horse riding beginners tend to halt by pulling back on the reins alone. A correct halt uses the hands and the legs together. Horses also learn spoken words such as “whoa”, “walk”, “trot” and “canter”.
A Naxos horse riding outing is a hack. That means a ride for pleasure and light exercise. The word comes from Hackney, Middlesex, now part of London, where horses grazed.
An organised Naxos horse riding hack is a short, fairly easy group ride for new riders. Mounting from a block puts less strain on the stirrup leathers. It also lowers the chance of the saddle slipping to one side.
- Koronos: This peak rises to 997 m, one of the summits of the range.
- Mavrovouni: This summit stands at 869 m, further south on the same range.
- Other peaks: Katsoprino (422 m), Anathematistra (778 m), Kavallari (521 m) and Viglatouri (418 m) complete it.
- Two sides: The eastern slopes are steep, but the western ones slope gently to busy farmland.
A low range crosses Naxos from north to south and shapes the whole island. Schist, a rock that splits into thin layers, rules the ground that Naxos horse riding crosses. The island belongs to the Attico-Cycladic geological zone.
Where do Naxos horse riding tours ride on the island?
Naxos horse riding tours ride across the farm lowland of western Naxos and its sandy south-west coast. The villages there stand on low, flat ground. Wide bays lie south of the port, so a route can link farmland and shore.
The lowland in the west is open country for Naxos horse riding. Galanado lies there, about 5 km south-east of Naxos town. It stands at 90 m in the Livadi basin. This fertile basin has a very good water supply.
Glinado was founded around 1650, when older settlements in four nearby valleys were abandoned. Between Glinado and Galanado stands the Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour. Built around 1680, it is one of the oldest churches on the island.
Agios Arsenios is the largest village of the western lowland in people and area. Locals call it Agersani. Its name first appears in a document of Duke Crispo, dated 1 April 1435.
Agios Prokopis is the largest bay of western Naxos, south of the town port. In 1898 the passenger ship Kalypso struck a rock there in a fierce snowstorm and sank. Its captain, Nikolaos Vlassis, saved everyone on board.
The rescued passengers built a small chapel of Agios Nikolaos. The cape still bears that name. Riders keen to see more can pair Naxos horse riding with island tours of Naxos.
- Galanado: The village had 455 residents at the 2011 census.
- Glinado: This lowland village sits at 70-100 m and had 585 residents at the same census.
- Agios Arsenios: The village lies at 40-70 m, about 7 km from Naxos town.
- Mastorakis: This old seasonal farm settlement lies about 1.5 km from Agios Arsenios, toward the coast.
The Sangri community lies east of the Naxos horse riding lowland, near the centre of the island. It lies 11 km south-east of Naxos town, with Ano Sangri as its seat. Its villages include Kato Sangri, Kanakari and Kastraki, also called Kampos.
Can a Naxos horse riding tour ride along the beach?
A Naxos horse riding tour can reach long sandy shores on the west and south-west coasts. The bays there are wide and open to the sea. Low dunes and juniper scrub back the quieter stretches south of the town.
Agios Georgios beach lies inside Naxos town. The Greek environment ministry rates it the busiest beach, with room for up to 3,500 bathers. Its sandy bay is 790 m long, 35 m wide on average and faces west.
Agios Prokopios beach is 1,200 m long, 80 m wide on average and faces south-west. It fills the north of Agia Anna bay, an open bay 3,000 m long. Junipers and tamarisks grow along its natural edge.
For Naxos horse riding, width matters as much as length. Agia Anna beach is narrow, only 15 m wide on average. At its southern end, wooden walkways cross a juniper forest to give access and protect the habitat.
Agia Anna-Maragkas beach, in the northern part of Karades bay, is 1,300 m long. Next comes Plaka beach, at least 3 km of sand. Maragkas lies to its north and Mikri Vigla to its south.
Mikri Vigla beach fills the south of Karades bay, an open bay 670 m long. It is 40 m wide on average and looks north-west. Dunes with juniper scrub back the sand, and rocks close both ends.
- Mikri Vigla-Liofagos: This beach south of cape Kaki Vigla is 1,780 m long and faces south-west.
- Width: The same beach averages 55 m across, with dunes and scrub behind it.
- Agiassos: This south-west beach is 720 m long and 25 m wide, with no shade.
- Shallow water: The sea there reaches 5 m deep only about 460 m from shore.
Naxos horse riding near Mikri Vigla faces a strong local wind in the bay. It reaches 4 to 7 on the Beaufort scale of wind strength. Pressure differences between Naxos and Paros drive it.
What nature does a Naxos horse riding trip pass?
Naxos horse riding trips pass sand dunes, coastal wetlands, low scrub hills and green mountain slopes. The island has more than 963 recorded flowering plants. Of these, 51 grow only in the Aegean. Another 12 grow only in the Cyclades.
Coastal Naxos horse riding crosses a land of sand and low trees. On the Alyko sands grows the large-fruited juniper, or Juniperus macrocarpa.
Inland Naxos horse riding climbs onto dry, rocky ground. Phoenician juniper scrub and open woodland grow even on the chalky soils of the south-east. On slate, a flat dark rock, broom shrubs rule the low scrub. Thyme rules on limestone instead.
Naxos horse riding in the hills enters land kept for wildlife. The island’s Natura 2000 zone, a protected nature area, covers land from Vigla to Mavrovouni. Seven wildlife sanctuaries have also been set up on Naxos.
Naxos horse riding near the shore passes seasonal wetlands, which hold water only part of the year. They include the lagoons of Mikri Vigla, Glyfada and Agios Prokopios and the marshes of Agiassos and Potamides.
Ammitis wetland covers 13 acres at the mouth of the Skoulikaria stream. It holds the largest reed bed on Naxos. A presidential decree of July 2012, an official state order, listed Ammitis among 380 protected small wetlands.
- Kalantos: This southern tip is the first stop on Naxos for migratory birds flying in from Africa.
- Alyki lagoon: Migrating shore birds crowd this lagoon by the airport, best seen in spring.
- Griffon vultures: These birds appear mainly around Agios Trifonas and are easiest to spot in December and January.
- Bonelli’s eagle: This eagle lives on Naxos all year and nests in mountain areas far from people.
Naxos horse riding crosses an island once far more wooded. Below the summit of Mount Zas survives a stand of large holm oaks. The bulk of the island’s oak clusters stand on the eastern side of the mountain.
How safe is Naxos horse riding for beginners and children?
Naxos horse riding suits beginners and children when the horse is calm and the gear is right. Quiet horse types cut the main risk for new riders. Safe tack, meaning the saddle, reins and stirrups, and careful rope handling add further protection.
For Naxos horse riding, the horse’s nature is the first safety question. Breeds are loosely grouped by temperament into spirited hot bloods, calm cold bloods and warmbloods. Warmbloods are crosses of the two.
Calm horses suit Naxos horse riding with children. Cold bloods are quieter and calmer than hot bloods. They include the bulk of draft breeds, the heavy work horses, and certain ponies. Ponies can be calmer than horses and show a high level of intelligence.
A pony ridden only by beginners can turn spoiled, or badly behaved. New riders lack the experience to correct its bad habits. A cob, a horse of stout build, has a steady nature and can carry considerable weight.
The Haflinger breed standard demands a quiet, kind nature. Inspectors check this trait. Haflingers serve widely as horses for children. They are still sturdy enough for adult riders.
Wrapping a lead rope, the rope for walking a horse, around the hand is dangerous. If the horse pulls away, the loops tighten and can drag the handler. A lead runs 9 to 12 feet, held in back-and-forth loops beside the hand.
- Safety knots: Horses are tied with quick-release knots, such as the halter hitch.
- Safety stirrups: A curved or break-away outer side frees the foot more easily in a fall.
- Closed reins: Joined into one loop, they help stop a rider losing the reins after dropping them.
Naxos horse riding lifts a rider high above the trail. A mounted rider’s head can be up to 4 m above the ground. So a calm horse and good gear matter.
What history ties horses to Naxos?
Naxos horse riding connects to a long past of working animals. Donkeys, mules, oxen and horses carried loads, walked trails and threshed grain. Their old stone paths and farm sites still mark the countryside between villages, mines and ancient quarries.
In the 19th century, Chora, the main town, had about 2,500 people. The bulk of islanders lived in villages and worked in farming and animal breeding. Naxos horse riding today crosses that same farm country.
Pairs of donkeys or oxen, and sometimes horses, once walked round and round a threshing floor. They dragged a heavy board to beat the grain from its stalks. Threshing floors and lime ovens still line the wide footpath up from Flerio.
Before Naxos horse riding became a pastime, donkeys did the heavy hauling. Emery is a hard rock used for grinding and polishing. Donkeys first hauled it to the coast over rough trails, a slow and tiring job.
Then came the emery cable railway, built in 1926-29. It was the first important public works project on Naxos. Its line ran 9 kilometres from Stavrolagada to Moutsouna on 72 iron pylons.
Older loads were heavier still. Half-finished statues and marble blocks from the Apollonas quarry slid down ramps to the ancient pier. Large statues left the quarry only roughly shaped, which protected their surface on the journey.
- Miners’ mule trail: Emery miners walked this stone-paved path to work, crossing the stone bridge of Kamilaris.
- School path: Pupils from Apiranthos walked an old footpath down to the plateau for school.
- Medieval road: A wide paved stretch near Ano Potamia once linked the valley to Apano Kastro and Tragea.
Between 1929 and 1982, the cable line moved about 340,000 tons of emery. That year a road opened, and trucks took over the work. Today the old animal paths make quiet ground for Naxos horse riding.
What do riders wear on a Naxos horse riding tour?
Naxos horse riding calls for a tested helmet and a hairnet for long hair. Riders add jodhpurs, a dry base layer and good socks. The horses wear gear too, such as a saddle pad and a fly mask against summer insects.
A riding helmet comes first on any Naxos horse riding tour. Testers drop each helmet onto a flat anvil, a heavy metal block, from about six feet.
A second test drops the helmet onto an anvil with a sharp edge. This copies a blow from a horse hoof or from the edge of a jump post. Riders who also book horse riding on Paros wear the same kind of tested helmet.
Hairnets are normal dress for female riders in show jumping and hunting. A large club for young riders asks members to wear one near horses. The net stops a horse from treading on loose hair and tearing the scalp after a fall.
Jodhpurs are close-fitting riding trousers. Women took them up in the 1920s, when they began to ride astride, one leg on each side. Certain pairs have a leather seat panel that keeps the rider still.
Socks matter on a hot Naxos horse riding trail. The foot is among the heaviest sweat makers in the body, at over 0.25 US pints a day. Thin liner socks under a second pair help stop blisters.
- Base layer: The inner layer of clothing keeps the skin dry by drawing sweat away from it.
- Wool: Wool keeps the body warm even when wet, unlike cotton.
- Saddle pad: This cloth under the saddle soaks up sweat and guards the horse’s back.
- Fly mask: Its see-through mesh covers the horse’s eyes and jaw but lets it see and hear.
A summer fly sheet keeps flies off the horse between Naxos horse riding outings. This light, breathable blanket also stops the coat from fading in the sun. Trail riders carry hoof boots in case a horse loses a shoe.
When is the best season for Naxos horse riding?
Naxos horse riding suits the mild months of spring and autumn best. April winds blow lighter than summer and autumn winds at the island’s weather station. Peak tourist season on Naxos runs from Greek Orthodox Easter, in late spring, to about mid-October.
HNMS, the Greek weather service, runs a station on Naxos. It records a mean wind of 11.7 knots, a sea unit of speed, in April. The mean climbs to 13.3 knots in July and 13.8 knots in August.
Autumn wind blows harder still across Naxos horse riding routes. The station records a mean of 13.9 knots in September and 14.5 knots in October. A windproof layer helps on open hills.
Air moisture changes little through the riding months. Relative humidity, a measure of how damp the air is, averages 70.6 percent in April. September averages 70.8 percent, and October rises to 73.0 percent.
Heat can arrive outside summer as well. The October record high in Naxos town is 30.8 °C. Summer nights stay warm. Record lows are 12.0 °C in June, 14.8 °C in July and 13.6 °C in August.
Spring and autumn nights run cooler for Naxos horse riding visitors. Record lows are 5.1 °C in April, 11.2 °C in September and 7.2 °C in October.
- Height: Apeiranthos is a mountain village at 600 m, with station averages for 2019 and 2020.
- April in Apeiranthos: Highs average 15.4 °C, lows 9.7 °C, and rain totals 77.4 mm.
- October in Apeiranthos: Highs average 22.5 °C, lows 16.3 °C, and rain totals 60.9 mm.
Horse hooves grow faster in spring and autumn than in summer or winter. In summer, horse keepers are advised to give horses shade on hot Naxos horse riding days.
What do travelers ask about Naxos horse riding?
Naxos horse riding draws questions about travel, medical care and the horses. Travelers ask how to reach the island and where the hospital stands. They also ask how old a riding horse is, how much it eats and which horses carry riders.
How do visitors fly in for Naxos horse riding?
Naxos Island National Airport, coded JNX and LGNX, serves visitors who come for Naxos horse riding. It has one asphalt runway, numbered 18/36, that is 901 m long. In 2018 it handled 86,210 passengers and 2,420 aircraft movements, meaning take-offs and landings.
Which ferry ports serve Naxos horse riding visitors?
Ferries to Naxos leave from Piraeus, and high-speed vessels also make the crossing. In summer, boats to the Cyclades islands also sail from Rafina. No direct express bus links Athens airport with Rafina. In the off-season, ferries to Naxos run only from Santorini.
Is there a hospital close to Naxos horse riding routes?
Naxos town has one hospital, which serves Naxos horse riding visitors and locals alike. Patients who need advanced emergency treatment move on to Athens. The transfer runs by helicopter or by ferry. Travel insurance with air transfer cover suits riders for this reason.
How old is a horse on a Naxos horse riding tour?
Horses start saddle training between the ages of two and four, as a rule. A horse counts as mature at four, but its skeleton keeps growing until six. A domestic horse has a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years.
Which horses carry riders on Naxos horse riding trips?
Geldings, castrated male horses, are preferred over stallions for work. They stay calmer and are easier to handle. A horse of 450 kg eats 7 to 11 kg of food a day. It also makes up to 10 US gallons of saliva daily.
Featured photo: Naxos horse riding, via GetYourGuide.