rafaels trail riding

This was recommended to us by a friend who stays here, I have never done it before and was very anxious but Dimitris had told them this when he booked it fir us, I can honestly say its the best thing I've done the staff were great and reassured me, after 5 or 10 mins I was riding alone without assistance. We are going back this year and this will be one of the 1st things we book and for longer period it really was amazing and worth every penny!!

Took the mountain trail for an hour.Amazing views and well behaved horses [very well looked after]My first time on a horse and the instructor was very helpful and made everything so easy

A memorable experience whether you are already a rider or not. Our group was of mixed ability and all were extremely well looked after and catered for. It was easy to see Katy’s passion for all the horses, and how very well they were looked after in what must be challenging conditions especially throughout the summer months. We opted for the mountain ride but wish we had had sufficient time to go back and try the other options as well as we enjoyed it so much. I will keep our review short as the others say it all.

I could write pages about Rafeals but will try to keep it brief... As an ex horse owner but now very rusty with zero confidence I wouldn't normally think of riding abroad, but Rafeals is different. Very, very different. Katy and her team are awesome. The horses are very well cared for, worked well, fed well and rested well. My daughter and I did 3 rides with Katy, the beach, the mountain and the swim. Each was unique and special in its own way, riding through the mountain with its olive groves and vineyards, peaceful beauty on sure footed, kind and gentle horses. With her immense ability and experience, Katy can very quickly gauge your ability and adapts the ride accordingly. Added to which, although very well schooled the horses all retain their own unique character which is testament to Katy's brilliance. The swim was icing on the cake for us, what a privilege to be aboard these powerful, graceful creatures in the crystal clear sea. Something I will never forget and Katy maybe one day I may just get a job with you as chief poo-picker. Good luck to you and your team. You made a scared old bird very happy indeed.

Thank you Katie, beautiful, gentle horses and beautiful ride along the beach. My two favourite things together, riding and walking along a sunny, sandy beach.Will definitely go back for the mountain ride next time.

Went for 1 hour ride as my sister doesn't ride but she wanted to give it a try, this was good but I wanted more,I returned 2 days later for a 2 hour ride, now this was fantastic, cantering up the mountains and oh boy what a view from the top, thank u Katie, it was fantastic; -)

Took our kids aged 6 and 9 on the beach trek and was impressed. Safety is their no1 priority and the horses are in fabulous condition.All the staff are very professional and make sure it is fun for all. Although it is a little bit out the way,a simple phonel call to arrange a booking and they will pick you up and take you back to your hotel. Excellent value. P.S. go in the evening when it is cooler.

Firstly I would like to say how excellently the horses are cared for, they are very well kept and we were made to feel more than welcome to walk around the stables before and after our ride, the owner katie a young English woman showed how proud she was of her horses by the excitement she had In showing us her young foal.SafetyThe horses are very calm and relaxed throughout the ride, with the exception of christinaki who struggles with changes of routine, we were going for the longer ride which meant she wasn't as used to the longer route, because of this katie had another colleague meet our group at the point of the route split to hand lead christinaki through this section of the walk, this kept christinaki calm and was an excelent example of safety.ExperienceThis trip was for people of all experience from children who had never ridden to adults who never stopped, a perfect excursion for all, and the views being so spectacular it didn't really matter if you wanted to bring along someone who wasnt all that interested in the actual riding.InstructorKatie was extremely friendly and upbeat throughout the trip. Made you feel like you had known her years.Summary... Choose this excursion and you won't regret it.

This is an English lady who has been in Greece for the past 9 years and I reviewed here before visiting, true to the previous comments all horses have great feet and tack that fits well. There are 12 horses here in total (1 new born) all bedding was generous and clean a real find in a foreign country!! The owner told me there is not a vet on the island as it is so small but she arranges for the vet to come when needed and annually for jabs, teeth etc. There was no farrier on the island either so she decided to get herself qualified as one..........sensible lady!! The horses all seemed very relaxed and happy and the owner seemed a genuinely caring and responsible lady. Riding hats were provided and the hack itself was relaxing we went on the mountain ride it had beautiful views. The horses are fed on straw and short feed as you cant really grow grass out here I was told, we may moan about the British rain and mud but at least we get grass thinking about it!! There was one horse that was quite thin but the lady openly admitted she struggled getting the weight on this one, it had apparently been rescued and never really picked up her weight. I personally have never tried to bulk up a horse without hay or grass so I can sympathise. The fields and fencing looked nice and secure so I cannot say enough for how well these horses are kept. The owner told me that she believes resting the horses in the fields in between working and only taking them out twice per day as it is a healthy way to keep them happy and I couldn't agree more. Working horses............ It is so important to keep them feeling like horses and not just machines like some other places tend to. I forgot to take Rafaels phone number with me so asked at my hotel reception and they were only advertising another horse riding place I cannot remember the name of it but the main picture was of a black freisan rearing up with its female rider not even wearing a hat. Now this may look exciting to them, but for me a horse owner for many years that looks irresponsible so I would not recommend them if you see the leaflets. Read the other reviews for Rafaels Trail Riding and don't forget to take their number with you !!!! Me and my husband rode this day and it was a really nice experience.

Amazing ride - lovely views - my husband is not a rider but the horses are so well behaved it was easy for him and he enjoyed every minute of it. Would like to thank Katie as this was the highlight of our holiday. She really does an amazing job as most of her stable are rescued horses ponies this is a must . Thank you

I would recommend Rafaels to all holiday makers either beginners or advanced riders who would like to experiance the pleasure of either a glorious sea ride or a breathtaking mountain ride. The ride into the mountains took in some of the wonderful sights of Kardamena especially the sunset ride, i rode one of the most charming ponies such a caracter was such a pleasure to ride. It was nice to see all the horse had the correct and well maintained tack on as i have been to others where saddles where falling apart. Overall a most pleasurable experiance and a one i will be repeating in the near future.

İf you have ridden before or never you can still enjoy it. All abillities catered for. As i had ridden before we were able to do some cantering as well. We rode up through the mountains and the mare i rode was very well mannered.You can see the horses are well cared for and the tack is in good condition.They will also arrange to pick you up from your hotel too. Would definately use again.

If you have a couple of hours spare during your holiday may I recommend visiting Katie and her fabulous horses for a breath taking ride into the mountains. As a horse owner, I rarely ride when on holiday as I am often concerned for a welfare of "riding school" horses, however I had no such concerns at Rafaels. I visited them last year when my niece had taken me to visit a foal she had fallen in love with however I didn't ride then as my partner had an injury however we vowed to return and did so last week. Katie recommended a ride into the Mountains where she promised a spectacular view. I rode Harmony and my partner rode Pegasus (a wonderful 16hh Oldenburg with perfect manners). We rode up into the mountains in a small group of four plus Katie. During the ride we learned that many of the horses were rescued which made the place even more special.The ride itself was beautiful. We took it steady as it was very hot (though we didn't go out until after 6pm when it was cooler for the horses). We rode into the mountains and the views were spectacular indeed. All of the horses were exceptionally well mannered and our group (of mixed riding ability) all enjoyed it equally. Afterwards, the horses were turned out in the paddock to allow them to roll and have a drink after our ride, which was lovely.This experience would suit an absolute beginner through to an advanced rider as I believe you would be in very safe hands.This is a very professional establishment and I will most certainly be returning when I visit the island again.