I chose not to ride a donkey in Santorini for three reasons. I had two before I arrived in Greece, but I found another heartbreaking reason when I was cruising between the islands.
1. Donkey rides in Santorini are tourist traps.
I was already sceptical about the authenticity of a donkey ride in Santorini. Iβd read online that locals view it as a bizarre activity that tourists flock to. No Greek citizen in their right mind would jump on a donkey to get down the rocky slopes of Santorini. Why would I want to participate in an arbitrary activity with no relevant significance to the culture of Santorini? Seems like a pointless exercise.
2. Donkey rides in Santorini are uncomfortable.
All Iβve ever heard about the rides is that they are uncomfortable and at times, terrifying. Donkeys walking up against stone walls crushed the rider’s leg between the donkey and the wall. Donkeys that donβt want to walk down the track and get separated from the herd, slipping down loose rocks on the steep trail. No one who had done it sounded like theyβd had a lot of fun.
3. Donkey rides in Santorini are cruel.
The big one. It could have been the most comfortable, luxurious, exciting ride of my life but it wouldnβt change the fact that Iβd be supporting animal abuse.
On my cruise, my guide warned us against the experience. Animal welfare organisations have launched boycotts and βSave the Donkeysβ campaigns. Watching donkey owners swearing and screaming at them and hitting them is all part of the package. My guide told us that many customers break down in tears because it is such a sad experience.
The owners force the donkeys to do constant trips up and down 680 stairs all day. The poor creatures are not given enough water, food or breaks in the shade. They carry tourists who are far too heavy for them.
Admittedly, Iβm not a vegetarian and I’m hardly a posterchild for PETA. I still donβt see the value in supporting pointless animal abuse. This is a tourism activity that has no traditional roots in Santorini and is irrelevant to Greek people.
So this is why I passed up on the opportunity. Iβm sure there are people who have been and enjoyed it but for me it didnβt feel right to take part.
Alternatives to riding a donkey in Santorini
The good news is that there is a three-minute cable car you can take instead, for the same price as a donkey ride. You can read other opinions from travellers on this TripAdvisor Page.
Notes on travelling with your head & your heart
Animals are vulnerable when they work in tourism. It’s so important that travellers use their head and their heart when overseas. Whether you’re planning on riding a donkey in Santorini or playing with a tiger’s tail in Thailand, do your research.
I’d never ride an elephant after reading a report on the conditions of these animals kept in Thailand. How they are treated behind closed doors is different to the happy show tourists see. These highly social creatures with tight family bonds are kept in isolation. Despite their size, it’s very painful for an elephant to have someone sitting on its head. Surprise, surprise.
I’d never cuddle and feed tigers. They’re drugged so they stay calm. The babies are often starved so that they leap into the arms of tourists bearing baby bottles. In Australia, there are very active animal welfare organisations and the industry is well-regulated. It’s easy to forget that this isn’t always the case in every country.
Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.
It makes sense not to sit on an animals head or watch a herd animal be kept in isolation. It should ring alarm bells that tourists can cuddle up to wild tigers without the presence of a trainer and safety guards.
This post was a little more serious today and I hope it didn’t come across as preachyΒ because I’ve definitely made mistakes when I’ve travelled. I’m interested in hearing your experience and opinions.
I’d love to hear your opinions and experiences relating to animal tourism. Where was a fabulous, fair experience? Where did you feel concerned?
Hello! I’m an Australian travel blogger, living in Melbourne, Australia. I grew up in Brisbane, studied in Paris, lived & worked in New York City and now live in Melbourne, Australia.
I love sharing specific and useful recommendations, itineraries and guides for the most beautiful things to see, do, experience & eat wherever I go.
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Great post!Ill go to Santorini in july Im looking for some brosshure to share with tourists.Id like use your advise:)
Anonymous sounds like a typical idiot tourist. Itβs horrendous that people can be so ignorant and cruel. I just visited Santorini yesterday and have been thinking about those poor animals since. We walked down and saw many donkeys with sores and twitching muscles. They were all in direct sunlight without water. It was so sad and disturbing. Is there any organization that is helping to eliminate this cruel attraction?
Hi Jen, yes I think there are a couple – one I know of is the donkey sanctuary, which is a UK organisation that is trying to work with the Greek government. I’m not sure how much success they’ve had so far. I think that while there is a tourist demand, not much will change – hopefully more visitors will see that the island has so much more to offer, cruelty-free π thanks for commenting, hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip!
Thank you SO MUCH for this post – it’s so important. A lot of people don’t realise a lot of the cruelty that goes on in the animal tourism industry and they need to know, education is the only way forward I guess. I have had incredible experiences with animals when I am on holiday – for example once when I was in Australia I went to a horse riding centre and booked to do a bush trek. All of the horses were treated very well and we spotted loads of kangaroos in the bush! They weren’t overworked and it wasn’t a massive tourist trap, just a normal equestrian centre! Much much better. xx
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Thanks Alexandra! I totally agree – the more you know, the more informed choices you can make. That sounds like a really fun activity! There are definitely some great animal experiences out there, one of my favourites is going whale watching in Moreton Bay (just north of Brisbane). Absolutely spectacular!!! xx
A Donkey Sanctuary ? They are donkeys !! They are supposed to work. I rode the donkeys in Santorini and it was just fine. I heard my lettuce screaming as I was eating my salad today.
Come on people
Hi Anonymous, I guess we’ll disagree on this one, as I disagree with animal cruelty for human entertainment.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this and encouraging people not to contribute to the abuse of these wonderful animals. Perhaps you’d like to read the blog post I just wrote about my visit to a donkey sanctuary in Greece: http://www.thenomadicvegan.com/the-dapper-donkeys-of-crete/
Cool I’ll check it out – it’s good to know that there are ethical donkey initiatives in Greece too!
I skipped the donkey ride too. Unfortunately I ended up walking up behind the donkeys which is almost worse. I had a bad horseback riding experience in the D.R. – quite sure I weighed more than the horse they gave me to ride and I don’t weigh that much π The only real travel experience I care to have WITH animals is watching them in their own habitat; on safari.
Totally agree with you! Would love to go on safari one day – have you been whale watching? I went in Moreton Bay, near Brisbane, AUS, and it was one of the best experiences of my life!