Zakynthos horse riding takes riders along the beaches and hill paths of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea. Rides in the sea and on the sand are the best known. It is one of the horseback tours in Greece on Greece VIP.
This post covers what Zakynthos horse riding includes, where rides take place and the beaches they visit. It also covers the rules for turtle beaches, wildlife, villages and island history. Horse breeds, safety, what riders wear, the best season and common questions come last.
Each section ends with a Zakynthos horse riding tour or a nearby tour that can be booked online.
What does Zakynthos horse riding include?
Zakynthos horse riding includes a calm walk and a steady trot. Riders learn how to sit or rise with the horse. They also learn how a horse sees the trail. Both skills keep the ride smooth and safe.
Zakynthos horse riding starts with the way a horse moves, called a gait. All four natural gaits are seen in wild horse herds too. Ambling gaits form a separate, smooth group.
An ambling gait has four beats. A horse tends to need special training to amble on command. Ambling is faster than a walk but slower than a canter, and smoother than a trot.
Horses keep an ambling gait for long periods, so trail riders like it. The trot is a very stable gait. The horse needs no large balancing moves with its head and neck.
In 1872, Eadweard Muybridge proved a point with photographs. A trotting horse has a moment with all feet off the ground. On Zakynthos horse riding trails, riders handle that lift in three ways.
In a sitting trot, the seat stays in the saddle and follows the horse without bouncing. Seat and weight then give the best control. Yet it tires riders without strong stomach and back muscles.
In the two-point position, the rider stays off the saddle. It gives the least control and needs strong legs. New riders who rise and sit, called posting, glance at the horse’s shoulder to check the diagonal.
- Night vision: About 20 rods per cone give horses strong night vision.
- Cloudy days: Horses see better on slightly cloudy days than on bright, sunny ones.
- Light changes: Horses adjust less well than humans from bright daylight to a dark barn.
- Distant objects: A horse raises its head to focus both eyes far away.
Zakynthos horse riding also depends on horse eyesight. About a third of domestic horses are near-sighted, while wild horses tend to be far-sighted. Lab tests show horses tell shapes apart even on dark, moonless nights.
Where does Zakynthos horse riding take place?
Zakynthos horse riding takes place on country trails in village areas near the coast. The north and northeast include the Arkadioi and Alykes areas. The south includes Lithakia and Ampelokipoi. Each area lies a short drive from Zakynthos city.
Zakynthos horse riding is a form of trail riding, like horse riding on Corfu. A trail ride can be of any length. It can even be a long trip over more than one day.
Arkadioi is a district on the north coast. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part of the single municipality of Zakynthos. It had 5,729 residents at the 2021 census.
The old seat of Arkadioi was Vanato. The district holds 7 communities: Vanato, Agios Kirykos, Kalipado, Kypseli, Planos, Sarakinado and Tragaki. Zakynthos horse riding in the north passes these villages.
Alykes is a district along the northeastern coast, about 10 km northwest of Zakynthos city. It had 5069 residents in 2021. Its old seat was Katastari, at the foot of the Vrachionas mountain.
Katastari stands 2 km from the Ionian Sea coast. It is 13 km northwest of Zakynthos city and 10 km southeast of Volimes. Zakynthos horse riding here mixes mountain and sea.
In the south, Ampelokipoi takes its name from the Greek word for “vineyard”. It lies 3 km southwest of Zakynthos city. Lithakia sits at the foot of low hills, about 2 km from the coast.
- Arkadioi: The district covers 26.475 km² of land.
- Alykes: The district covers 42.881 km² of land.
- Lithakia: The village is 3 km west of Laganas and 9 km southwest of the capital.
- Airport: The island’s airport lies 1 km southeast of Ampelokipoi.
Zakynthos horse riding depends on trails in good shape. Heavy or careless use can cause erosion, the wearing away of soil. It can also spread invasive plants, upset hikers and harass wildlife.
Which beaches does Zakynthos horse riding visit?
Zakynthos horse riding visits sandy shores on the north and east coasts of the island. Tsilivi and Alikanas lie in the northeast. Argasi lies in the east. Sea daffodils, white beach flowers, grow on sandy shores like these.
Planos, also known as Tsilivi, is a village and resort on the northeastern coast. It lies about four kilometres northwest of Zakynthos city. Tsilivi Beach, a lively resort, belongs to Planos.
Zakynthos horse riding at Alikanas meets a wide, sandy beach. Alikanas lies 3 km northeast of Katastari and 3 km northwest of Ano Gerakari. Loggerhead turtles are sometimes seen in the waters off Alikanas.
Argasi sits on the east coast, at the northwestern foot of the hill Skopos. It is 3 km southeast of Zakynthos city and 3 km northeast of Kalamaki. Its beach is very small.
The sea daffodil grows on beaches and coastal sand dunes. Much of its leaves and stems lie buried in the sand. Its Latin name, maritimum, means “of the sea”. Zakynthos horse riding crosses such sand.
The flower stalk grows to 40 cm and carries 3–15 white flowers, each up to 15 cm long. Flowering runs from August to October. The soft lily scent only shows on still, windless summer nights.
The leaves are evergreen, yet they tend to die back in hot summers. The plant is native to both sides of the Mediterranean region and also to the Black Sea.
- Pollination: A hawk-moth carries pollen from one sea daffodil flower to another.
- Own pollen: The plant cannot use its own pollen, so it needs cross-pollination.
- Slow start: Seedlings can take until their third or fourth year to flower.
Zakynthos horse riding on these shores passes resorts of different sizes. Planos had 1011 residents in 2021. The turtles off Alikanas prefer less populated areas, so they keep away from busy beaches.
What rules protect turtle beaches during Zakynthos horse riding?
Zakynthos horse riding stays off the sea turtle nesting beaches of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos. Park rules ban horses, cars, motorbikes, bicycles and dogs on that sand. Each one counts as a hazard to the buried nests.
The nesting beaches are open to the public only by day, until sunset. All activity stays on a narrow strip about 5 metres from the sea. Higher up, the sand holds the nests.
Nests close to a human activity zone are marked by a cage. Visitors keep away, so hatching goes undisturbed. A beach stop on Zakynthos horse riding follows the same rule. Sand castles stay within 1-2 metres of the sea.
Anyone who sees hatchlings emerge does not touch them and tells a Park Ranger at once. With no ecoguard nearby, visitors smooth the sand ahead of them and scrape off the hot top layer.
In full sun, visitors create shade for the hatchlings. A hatchling that heads away from the sea is lifted together with its sand. It is set down 5 metres from the water to finish alone.
Dogs and other animals must never be left close to baby turtles. On a Zakynthos horse riding trip, the horse counts as one of those animals. Sand, shells and pebbles also stay on the beaches.
- Night pressures: Park managers track noise and light at night on each beach.
- Board: The park’s Management Board has eleven members.
- Field season: ARCHELON field projects run until mid-October, through the hatching season.
- Volunteers: ARCHELON relies on about 400 volunteers each year.
Each nesting beach has its own protection measures, set by local conditions. Riders follow the instructions of the Park Rangers on the spot. Zakynthos horse riding then shares the coast with the turtles.
What wildlife lines the trails of Zakynthos horse riding?
Zakynthos horse riding crosses an island full of reptiles, frogs, bats and small mammals. The Kalamaki sand dunes give snakes and lizards an ideal home. Wild orchids, pine woods and plants found only in Greece also line the paths.
The banks of Lake Keri host the European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis, and the terrapin Mauremys caspica. On land, a pond turtle’s trips can span 1 km. It sometimes turns up 4 km from water.
Frogs and toads share these banks. They include the tree frog Hyla arborea and the toads Bufo bufo and Bufotes viridis. Male tree frogs measure 32 to 43 mm, and females 40 to 50 mm.
A tree frog’s back turns green, grey or tan with temperature, humidity or mood. People once used tree frogs as barometers, since they croak before rain. A loud chorus near a Zakynthos horse riding trail hints at a shower.
Zakynthos hosts over 10 species of bats, which live in caves, old buildings and trees. Hedgehogs, mice, hares and martens also share the fields and woods that Zakynthos horse riding crosses.
No record shows Eleonora’s falcon on any island farther north than Zakynthos. The Vasilikos peninsula in the southeast is folded land.
Zakynthos horse riding passes a rich flora. About 100 important plant species have been recorded on the island. Of these, 30 are Greek endemics, plants found only in Greece. Three species grow only on Zakynthos.
- Orchids: 47 species of orchids and cyclamens grow on Zakynthos.
- Rare orchids: Four orchids are rare or almost endangered in Greece, among them Ophrys reinholdii and Orchis palustris.
- Crocus boryi: This crocus has a limited range, in Greece and one other country.
Zakynthos horse riding links dunes, lake banks, farmland and pine hills on one island. A slow pace and quiet voices help riders notice the animals and plants of each setting.
Which villages does Zakynthos horse riding pass?
Zakynthos horse riding passes inland villages such as Ano Gerakari, Meso Gerakari, Kallithea and Agios Dimitrios. Vanato and Kalipado lie close to Zakynthos city. The Vasilikos community sits in the southeast, and Artemisia covers the central west coast.
Ano Gerakari is a hilltop village in the Alykes municipal unit. Its community also includes Alonia and Kastelia. Alonia, the largest of the three, lies northwest of Ano Gerakari at the foot of the hill.
Zakynthos horse riding meets Ano Gerakari 4 km east of Katastari and 9 km northwest of Zakynthos city. Its community had 700 residents in 2021. St. Nicholas Church there has a bell tower.
Meso Gerakari, next to Ano Gerakari, had 343 inhabitants in 2021. Agios Dimitrios is 2 km south of Meso Gerakari and 9 km west of the city. Its community includes Drakas and had 610 residents in 2021.
Zakynthos horse riding below the Vrachionas mountains reaches Kallithea, at about 60 m. It lies 3 km southeast of Katastari and 12 km northwest of the city. Science Park Zakynthos, a Norwegian-Greek institute for sustainable water use, has its farm here.
Vanato lies 4 km northwest of Zakynthos city and had 1191 residents in 2021. Kalipado is 1 km northwest of Vanato and 5 km northwest of the city. Zakynthos horse riding near the town passes both villages.
The Vasilikos community holds Vasilikos, Agios Ioannis, Ano Vasilikos and Xirokastello. Xirokastello lies halfway between Argasi and Vasilikos, at the eastern foot of the hill Skopos. Vasilikos village had 297 of the 728 community residents in 2021.
- Artemisia: This municipal unit on the central west coast had 4,440 residents in 2021.
- Machairado: The seat of the Artemisia unit was Machairado.
- Lagopodo: This village in the Artemisia unit had 478 residents in 2021.
Zakynthos horse riding through these villages shows the inland life of the island, far from the coast. Hilltop houses, village churches and the slopes of Vrachionas set the scene for a calm ride.
What history does Zakynthos horse riding recall?
Zakynthos horse riding recalls a long bond between the island and its horses. Horse races were mentioned on Zante in 1835. Centuries earlier, horse soldiers in Venetian service guarded the island. Their watchtowers are still found on the island.
Simonides of Zakynthos was a Greek poet of the 4th century BC. He stated that horse-breeding does not suit the island. Scholar Richard Rawles links the line to Homer’s texts, which mention horses on other Greek islands.
Under Venice, horse soldiers called stradioti settled on Zakynthos. Each had to provide and upkeep his own horse and stand ready for war. Shortly after 1498, 150 stradioti and their families arrived.
In 1483, Theodoros Palaiologos and his brother Georgios became governors of these riders. Their grants included Marathonisi, an islet in the bay of Laganas. After the earthquake of 1513, Theodoros left for Venice, but the bulk of his company stayed.
Zakynthos horse riding also recalls the island’s coast guards. A separate company of stradioti watched the shore for frequent pirate raids. These men counted as the better fighters, with the best horses on the island.
Fearing an Ottoman attack in 1499, Zakynthians began to sell their horses and flee with their families. Meanwhile, Theodoros Palaiologos and his stradioti returned and trained with their war horses.
Zakynthos horse riding for visitors has an early record. In 1532, a Turkish admiral and his entourage asked for a riding tour of parts of the island. Members of the island council obliged.
- Signals: Fire or smoke signals gathered fellow stradioti against raiders.
- Summer watch: Guards kept watch in summer, when pirate raids grew more frequent.
- War horses: In December 1499, galleys carried 52 war horses to attack a Kefalonia castle.
Over time the stradioti became a hereditary caste, passing their role down through families. Certain descendants joined the Ionian nobility, while others took to farming. Zakynthos horse riding keeps that old bond alive.
Which horse breeds suit Zakynthos horse riding?
Zakynthos horse riding has a local breed of its own, the Zakynthos horse, or Zante horse. It is a black breed for saddle and carriage driving. The breed is young, dating to the 20th century. Local families raise it on the island.
Zakynthos horse riding draws on a mixed bloodline. The breed is of Anglo-Arabian type and genetically close to the Andravida. CAB International traces it to Andravida mares crossed with Anglo-Arabian stallions.
Archaeozoologist Theodore Antikas, an expert on ancient animal bones, believes the first horses came from Elis. Anglo-Arabians from France and England followed in the interwar period, the years between the two world wars.
Writer Jasper Nissen tells another story. After the Greek Civil War, Greek immigrants in the USA sent a black Percheron stallion to the island. It descended from heavy draft horses.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Friesian and Andalusian imports have replaced earlier ones. Genetic studies in 2005 and 2010 placed the breed in the same genetic group as the Thoroughbred.
The Zakynthos horse stands 1.45 m to 1.55 m on average. Amalthia, a Greek biodiversity group, gives 1.45 m to 1.65 m. Black is the commonest coat. Antikas also describes a very dark bay.
Zakynthos horse riding is only one use of the breed. The horses also pull carriages called phaetons, or paetonia, for tourists. Their living conditions make them relatively frugal and robust.
- Thoroughbred: Thoroughbred stallions imported from England also shaped the herd.
- Fair: The horses have won prizes at the Andravida horse fair since the 1930s.
- Status: The breed has no official standard and no recognition from the Greek Ministry of Agriculture.
Zakynthos horse riding rests on a young island breed with mixed roots. The Andravida, its close relative, has a temperament described as willing but strong. Riders meet that history in the saddle.
How safe is Zakynthos horse riding?
Zakynthos horse riding carries real risks, as every kind of riding does. Injury studies from Canada, Germany, Australia and the United States show where the danger lies. Reading a horse’s body language helps a rider stay safe. So does a helmet.
On Zakynthos horse riding trails, the ears reveal a lot. One ear forward and one ear back means split attention. The horse can be watching both its handler and its surroundings.
Loose ears turned slightly back can mean the horse is drowsy, bored, tired or relaxed. A raised head and neck show the opposite. Such a horse is alert and can be tense.
The tail and mouth send signals on Zakynthos horse riding outings too. A tail tucked tight against the body can mean cold or pain. A raised tail, flared nostrils and snorting can show tension or excitement. Chewing with no food in the mouth is a soothing habit that can release tension.
In Zakynthos horse riding, the commonest injuries after falls come from kicks, trampling and bites. A kick from a horse can break the skull. It can also badly hurt the organs inside the body.
Zakynthos horse riding belongs to a sport with clear injury data. In Victoria, Australia, equestrian sports had the third highest rate of serious injury. Only motor sports and power boating ranked higher.
A German study found 40% of riding injuries were fractures, or broken bones. Only 15% were sprains. In the United States, 78,279 horse-related injuries were studied in 2007. Of those patients, 86.2% were treated and released.
- No helmet: Falling from a horse without a helmet compares to being struck by a car.
- Brain injury: About two-thirds of riders who need hospital care after a fall have a brain injury.
- Concussions: A 2023 study of 210 riders found more concussions than in football or rugby.
Helmets matter on Zakynthos horse riding trails. A 10-year study of injured riders in Canada found 48% had suffered head injuries. Only 9% of those riders had been wearing helmets.
What do riders wear for Zakynthos horse riding?
Zakynthos horse riding calls for a tested helmet, boots with a heel and light, sun-rated clothes. An aired helmet suits warm summer days. Stirrups hold the boots. Insect repellent protects the skin on trails near ponds and slow water.
Zakynthos horse riding starts with the helmet. In the United States, fewer than one in eight trail riders wear one. The hard outer shell is impact-resistant resin or plastic, at times covered with cloth.
Vents are built into a riding helmet, as airflow and comfort count as key features. Casual riders wear schooling helmets in a wide range of colours. Show rings keep to black, brown or grey.
The British standard PAS 015 sets the tests for a helmet. It checks shock absorption and resistance to penetration by sharp objects. It also tests strap strength and how far the peak bends.
Boots come next for Zakynthos horse riding. Field boots and certain paddock boots have a toe cap. This is an extra layer of leather on the toe. Zip-on boots go on without boot hooks.
English riding boots are traditionally smooth leather, mainly cowhide or at times pigskin. Synthetic leather and vinyl are becoming more common. Western riders wear cowboy boots with a riding, walking or roper heel.
English stirrups are called irons, yet they are now mainly stainless steel. Jockeys use aluminium to save weight. The Icelandic stirrup has its eye turned 90 degrees, which eases stress on the tendons.
- UPF 15–24: This fabric sun rating counts as good, blocking 93.3–95.9% of UV radiation.
- UPF 25–39: This rating counts as very good, blocking 96.0–97.4% of UV radiation.
- Repellent: DEET or icaridin repelled almost 100% of insects for 2 hours in a consumer test.
Kit for Zakynthos horse riding has old roots. In 1459, Nuno Fernandes asked for spectacles against snow glare while riding. Today, the EU no longer allows citronella, neem oil or herbal extracts to be sold as insect repellents.
When is the best season for Zakynthos horse riding?
Zakynthos horse riding works in every season, as winters on the island stay mild. Spring and autumn bring cool mornings and fresh grass. Summer brings biting midges near water. Horse coats and grazing change with the seasons too.
Winter on Zakynthos stays mild. January averages a high of 14.4 °C and a low of 8.1 °C. February sits close, with a high of 14.5 °C and a low of 8.2 °C. A horse’s hair coat keeps out the cold less well when it is wet or in the wind.
December brings a high of 15.8 °C and a low of 9.6 °C. Relative humidity, a measure of damp air, averages 74.3% in January and 75.3% in December. The record low is -2.6 °C, set in January.
Zakynthos horse riding in spring starts cool. March averages a high of 16.1 °C and a low of 9.2 °C. Its records run from a low of 0.0 °C to a high of 24.2 °C.
Cold snaps reach into early summer. Record lows reach 2.6 °C in April and 8.4 °C in June. October has a record low of 5.2 °C. November keeps a mean of 15.8 °C.
Horses change with the seasons as well. In winter they grow a heavy hair coat and stay warm when well fed and sheltered. A shedding blade with short, dull teeth removes loose winter hair.
Spring and autumn grass brings its own risk. Lush, fast-changing grass is then high in carbohydrates such as fructans. Horses stay off it for short periods to lower the risk of laminitis. That is a disease of the feet in hoofed animals.
- Sweet itch: This summer allergy in horses comes from the bites of Culicoides midges.
- Water: Midge numbers tend to be larger near ponds, bogs and slow-moving water.
- Stabling: Keeping horses inside when midges peak works well against sweet itch.
Zakynthos horse riding therefore suits each month in a different way. Winter brings mild, damp air. Summer brings midges near standing water, so hot afternoons suit a kayak tour on Zakynthos instead.
What do travelers ask about Zakynthos horse riding?
Zakynthos horse riding raises questions about steering, voice cues and gear. Riders ask how reins and legs work together on the trail. They ask whether horses follow words. They also ask about whips, spurs, mixed signals and the emergency stop.
How do riders steer during Zakynthos horse riding?
With a direct rein, one rein pulls straight back, and the horse turns toward the pressure. With an opening rein, the hand moves away from the neck toward the turn. The one-rein stop is an emergency move for a runaway horse.
What does the neck rein mean in Zakynthos horse riding?
Western riders steer with the neck rein. They hold both reins in one hand. They lay the reins against the horse’s neck to ask for a turn. The bit does not come into play. Polo riders also use the neck rein at times.
Why do the legs matter in Zakynthos horse riding?
The leg, along with the seat, forms the main aid in Zakynthos horse riding. It has a great deal of control over the hindquarters, the back end of the horse. The hands control the head and shoulders far more. They have little control over the hindquarters.
Do horses respond to the voice in Zakynthos horse riding?
Yes. Clucks can cue a horse to move forward. Soothing noises can calm an upset or nervous horse. A calming tone helps a command to slow down. Riding school horses obey instructors’ words at times, so the rider only seems in charge.
Are whips and spurs part of Zakynthos horse riding?
Whips and spurs are artificial aids, meaning cues beyond the rider’s own body. Extra gear such as martingales belongs to the same group. Spurs attach to the boots and back up the leg aids. Whips and crops are carried across the thigh.
What happens when signals clash in Zakynthos horse riding?
Conflicting aids are two opposite requests at once. One example is more leg for speed while pulling the reins. A very lazy horse slows down or stops. An energetic horse resists the bit and follows the leg. Frequent clashes dull the horse to the natural aids.