Santorini has two distinct animal-based ways to get around, with very different scale and reputation: organised horseback tours, and the traditional donkeys still used on the steps below Fira.
Horseback tours
A small number of stables run guided horseback rides, typically through vineyard country in the south of the island or along quieter beach stretches, rather than through the crowded caldera villages. These are generally well-regarded, scenic outings suited to riders of varying experience levels, run as a set tour rather than open trail access.
The donkeys of Fira
For generations, donkeys have carried both supplies and, for a fee, riders up and down the roughly 500 mule-track steps between Fira and the old port — the traditional alternative to the cable car covered in our Fira guide. This is a genuinely old tradition, but it's also been the subject of real, ongoing animal-welfare criticism in recent years — concerns about the animals working in heat, carrying loads disproportionate to their size, and limited rest.
Our take
If animal welfare is a concern for you, the cable car covers the same route in a few minutes and is the straightforward alternative — there's no need to choose the donkey path for practical reasons, since a fast, comfortable option exists. Horseback tours through the wine country are a different, generally better-regarded experience if riding specifically is what you're after.
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