Living There
Company: White Pegasus
Price: $ 63 USD
Duration: 3-4 hours
Location: Ioannina, Greece
About White Pegasus:
Horse rides and treks for all ages and levels in one of Greece’s most beautiful environments, Papigo, one of 46 villages in the Zagori region, in the heart of the National Park of Northern Pindos. Enjoy the sunset as it paints the majestic cliff faces a deep sultry red while riding among the forefeet of the spectacular Astraka peak (2,436m).
You can also admire the endemic wildlife watching golden eagles and kestrels soaring above and hunting the smaller prey of the area. And on a lucky day you might be able to catch a glimpse of a fox, badger, hare or wild boar or see a brown bear scrambling along the cliff faces.
3-4 hour trail ride
This ride is moderate to difficult and is not recommended for beginners. It follows difficult terrain and may require getting on and off the horse as well as leading it at various points. The rides take us far above the village of Megalo Papigo and offer an eagles eye view of the gorge, cliff faces and villages below. It is not possible during the winter months due to too much snow on the trails. It allows clients to truly bond with their horse and offer an amazing panorama of views and landscapes rolled out below!
Maximum amount of riders are 6.
Price:
$63 USD
Duration:
3-4 hours. The duration may be slightly longer as we adjust according to weather, riders, etc during the ride.
Included:
- Guides
- Helmets
- Horses and their gear
Not included:
- Personal insurance
Other Tours:
We have many different routes.
Our simplest ones are a 30 min and 45 min rides and are in the location Sela, right outside the village of Megalo Papigo. The trail follows various large fields, small dirt foot paths and a dirt track created by the local shepherders (cow and goat) in order to reach their remote stables. It winds through small scrub, shrub forests of oak and along old abandoned fields that were once used for growing grain and other hay products for the local animals, sheep goats that were kept by the villagers before the village became a tourist destination. Along the way we also get a fantastic view of the exit of the Vikos Gorge and the springs of the river Voidomatis.
Both these rides are easy, easy to moderate and for beginners or intermediate riders and small kids (2-6 years old) Max number of participants – 9 people On these rides, horses will either be led or the riders handle them themselves and we are either on foot or riding, depending on the clients comfort levels.
30 min – $19 USD per horse
45 min- $25 USD per horse
We then offer 2 different 1.5 hour routes.
The easy to moderate level one is in the direction of the springs of the stream that feed the villages/local swimhole. We ride through the village along cobblestone roads to reach the dirt track on the other end which we then follow. Along the ride we have a beautiful constant view of the Papigo cliff faces and on our return a fantastic vista of the village with a backdrop of the Vikos Gorge meets our eyes. Along this trail there is the possibility for cantering and slightly faster paces. Max participants – 7 people cost – $38 USD Younger kids can also do this ride if they are confident enough to be on a horse for the full duration (we can lead 1-2 horses behind us the rest must be handled by their riders)
The other 1.5 hour route is slight more difficult moderate to hard and is for clients that have some basic previous riding experience and are slightly more adventurous or active. We once again pass through the narrow cobblestone streets of Megalo Papigo to reach a dirt track that takes us towards the abandoned village of Ano Klidonia. After a small stream crossing we veer off the main trail and head towards the little church of Profitis Ilias. This ride offers a variety of landscapes, from drier rocky cliffs, to green lush oak forest and to amazing views of the land around us. As we loop around we come upon some beautiful old fields that act like balconies offering us a tremendous view of the villages Vikos and Aristi and of course the Gorge and the impressive cliff faces. There are a few places for cantering on this ride as well. (This ride is for competent riders, we do not lead any horses on this ride)
Max participants – 7 cost -$38 USD
7 hour ride
This ride is moderate the duration simply makes it more difficult for beginners. There is cantering and galloping on the ride so some basic riding experience is necessary. We follow the marked hiking trail to the abandoned village of Ano Klidonia with our backs to the Papigo towers for the first 2 hours. At the village we stop for a refreshment at the only residents of the village who also own a small cafe. We then follow the dirt track out of the village that was created as a fire lane to protect the national Park. We head upwards through massive black pine forests and beautiful fields of golden wheat bobbing in the breeze. We then stop for a small picnic in a shaded field and snack while the horses graze freely. Hopping back into the saddle we begin to descend towards the village along another hiking trail leading us to the water tank of the village and offering incredible views of the villages below. Maximum participants- 7 cost – $89 USD per person This ride must be booked at least a week in advance.
We also offer multiple day rides which can be arranged by request. Details can be found on my www.white-pegasus.eu site and we can alter the routes according to rider preference. These rides are not available on busy holidays (Oct 28th, christmas-new years, easter, August) and must be booked a few weeks in advance.
http://white-pegasus.eu/itinerary/megalo-papigo-rides.html
http://white-pegasus.eu/itinerary/alpine-mountain-trek.html
All rides are weather dependent! (we don’t got out in rainstorms, extreme wind or icy ground conditions.) Rides with slight rain or snow can still be conducted
Contact White Pegasus:
- Address: Megalo Papigo, Zagoriou, Ioannina 44004, Greece
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone numbers: Tel. (0030) 697 7011 275 Fax. (0030) 2653 042204
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/White-Pegasus-Horse-trail-rides/176882063804?ref=bookmarks
- Tripadvisor page: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g970274-d3572463-Reviews-White_Pegasus_Horse_Ride_and_Treks_Day_Tours-Papigko_Zagorohoria_Ioannina_Region_.html
- Websites: www.white-pegasus.eu and www.white-pegasus.com
