Horseback Riding & Hiking Day
Our horses are kept in our stables in the plains at Kalithies. Friendly Arabian, Greek and Dutch Friesian horses...
Elli, Kalliopi, Hera, Aris, Niki, Britghe and Amir are just a few of the horses who’ll take you round the protected wildlife park at Psalidi peak near Kalithies where the ancient Rhodian Olympian Diagoras and his descendants used to train.
Enjoy a warm welcome from our guides, Stella and Pantelis, who’s an awarding winner rider and Balkans’ champion. The ride starts heading off in a SW direction through olive groves towards the protected wildlife park. Wild pheasants and hares keep a watchful eye on you as you pass by. Wild goats graze nonchalantly in the area and on the mountain slopes and will think nothing of dashing out in front of you, interrupting the horse’s peaceful trot. Deer are masters of the area, and it’s an almost certain that some will reveal themselves to you.
We then ride on through the pine forest which lies all around and the tall cypresses and head up towards Psalidi peak. We’ll pass through tunnels the Greek Army uses for military exercises and see in the distance the mouths of the ancient caves at the peak. We’ll stop off at Agios Georgios Chapel for a break, a light snack of cereal bars and some water, and a chance to enjoy the scenery.
On the way back to the stables, we’ll pass by a modern-day olive press. You can’t miss the smell of processed olives in the area. The ride, approximately 10 km long, ends up back at the stables. It lasts around 80 minutes.
There we’ll dismount and relax for a while, petting the other horses at the stables before heading back into the forest for part two of the outing.
We’ll head north through the dense Kalithies forest to a hut where a light traditional lunch awaits you. Your guide Stella will initiate you into the plant kingdom of Rhodes and recount the history of the island, the Olympian victor Diagoras and his descendants and their achievements.
When we arrive at the hut with its stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea you’ll enjoy your simple, but delicious lunch with local ingredients: tomatoes, olives, peppers, cucumber, olive oil, feta cheese, fresh boiled eggs, served up with amazing bread baked to a traditional Archangelos recipe.
We’ll end up back at the stables around 2 pm after a 5 km hike.
A horseback riding and hiking experience with incomparable scenes of natural beauty, historical facts and a dash of botany thrown in is bound to remain deeply engraved on your memory as an experience of a lifetime.
