Equine galore

Discover untamed rural Greece on horse back through agro tourism

Ancient Greek mythology spoke of centaurs wild beasts that were half-man and half-horse and roamed the mountains of Arcadia and Thessaly. And Homer wrote of the notorious Trojan Horse, one of mankind’s most famous instances of subversion. Contemporary Greek horses may be less famous and ferocious, yet they offer visitors a unique chance to explore the countryside while sitting on their saddle.

Thirty minutes from Thessaloniki on the Yeorgakopoulos estate in the small village of Lefkohori, Yiannis Kotelis and his wife Vasso breed a variety of Greek horses and play host to daring visitors who are eager to roam the untamed Greek countryside on horseback.

Four-and-a-half years ago the couple decided to take their” five horses and a cabin on the mountain” and invent some sort of “rural paradise” in the form of an agro tourism business initiative. With funds from the Agriculture ministry’s agro tourism scheme, the couple now boast about 30 horses, a traditional guest house with five separate units (GDR15,000 or 44 Euro per unit nightly) plus appropriate facilities for children. What’s more, the venue’s dining area and kitchen offer traditional local dishes (around GDR3,000 or 3,80 Euro per head).

Luring nature lovers

“We are not aiming to attract professionals,” says Yiannis. “We call upon horse lovers and people who want to track down targets and experience a run through the countryside atop a horse.” Apart from horse riding, archery, target shooting and mountain bike rides are also available to visitors. Horse riding, however, is the main attraction and Yiannis’ four-year dressage training enables him to guide absolute beginners. An hour-and-a-half atop the horse of your choice will set you back about GDR5,000 or 14,67 Euro.

“Our philosophy,” offers Yiannis, “is to bridge the gap between the urban and the rural people and to promote links between the two by providing opportunities for city folk to get to know the country. I believe that the people who visit us from the cities truly enjoy themselves and exhibit a real need to be in nature, to go for long walks, to actually see the animals.”

The horse-breeding couple will soon be building a park area that will house various domesticated animals for children to become acquainted with. Indeed Yiannis and Vasso have already welcomed groups of school children to the farm, as part of their environmental studies programmes, while they’ve also been organising special days for children with mobility problems who are taught to ride horses.

Agro tourism’s realm

The agriculture ministry’s commitment to agro tourism aims to achieve” the balanced development of local societies, the elimination of inherent inequalities, the maintenance of the environment and the ecosystem and the creation of supplementary incomes [this] is the starting point for a different era for agricultural economy and restructuring of the Greek countryside.” The bulk of agro tourism in Greece consists of small-scale, family-owned tourism initiatives, which aim at providing lifestyle alternatives for rural population as well as improving their income.

* The Lefkohori estate is on the road from Thessaloniki to Serres, some 6km off the Lefkohori intersection. For bookings, call Yiannis or Vasso on 0394-82405 or mobile 0944 776258. For more horse riding opportunities in Greece check the sites of Trekking Hellas, Hidden Trails and Fantasy Tours.

 

by Kathryn Koromilas

First published in Greece Now