Price
2026
High Season – 15 March – 1 November
Low Season – 2 November – 23 November
Panorama Ride 7 Nights – Not available in July or August
Low season €1,475 per person sharing
High season €1,510 per person sharing
Sunny Ride 7 Nights – Available July & August
High season €1,330 per person sharing
Learn To Ride 7 Nights
Low season €1,175 per person sharing
High season €1,210 per person sharing
Please contact for child rates.
Dates & Prices
GREECE
Velani Country Retreat Crete
Overview
A stunning boutique type hotel run more like a personal guest house at the foot of the Dikti Mountain Range in Crete. With onsite stables and fabulous horses to suit all types of riders. This is a little slice of horsey heaven if you want fun riding, or want to learn to ride too, nice accommodation, sun, gorgeous food and drink and time to chill – really you can’t go wrong!
There are four programmes to choose from:
Competent riders can explore the surrounding area on the Panorama Rides.
Novice riders can choose the Learn to Ride programme.
Sunny Rides offer shorter rides in the cool of the morning or evening.
Children's programme for children aged 8 to 11 years.
There is plenty of time to spend either visiting the beach or heading into the mountains and the Lassithi Plateau.
Location
Crete, Greece
Airport
Heraklion, Greece
Duration
7 nights
When to go
March - November
Riding level
Beginner and Intermediate
Weight
90 kg / 14 stone / 198 lbs
Group size
12 max
Accommodation
Onsite hotel
Included
All riding, accommodation in a room with terrace,meals (from dinner on the first day to breakfast on the last day) and riding as per the itinerary (no riding on arrival or departure day).
Extras
Single supplement €245 per week to guarantee a single room.
Room upgrades per room per week:
Deluxe Suite €455
Panorama Wellness Suite €910
Superior Wellness Suite €1,050
Excluded
International flights, Climate Crisis Resilience Fee (maximum €2 per room, per night), drinks, deserts and ice cream, transfers and tips.
Price guarantee
All our riding holidays hold a price guarantee. We believe in your piece of mind on price when you book with us and will refund the difference should you find the same riding holiday elsewhere at a lower price.
Exchange rate
Rates are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations, please refer to our Terms and Conditions for full details.
Transfers
Heraklion is the closest airport, 40km away from the hotel. You can also fly to Chania which is a 3-hour drive.
From the airports you can either rent a car, we can arrange transfers and there’s also option of public transport.
From Heraklion airport we can organise transfers for €55 each way per vehicle. Please be aware that not all taxis will agree to drive the dirt drive to the hotel or will add an extra charge.
From Chania you can take a bus to Hersonissos and from here a transfer which costs €30 each way.
Departure dates
Closed during the winter from 22nd November 2026 to 14th March 2027.
Riding & Itinerary
There are 4 different programs you can chose from.
Panorama Rides
Each day you ride out from the stables, returning to Veláni Country Hotel. The rides are from three to five hours long and all are within the Langada Valley. Most days you will return to Veláni Hotel for a late lunch and a leisurely afternoon, whilst on other trails you may have lunch at a local taverna.
The pace on the ride is varied, depending on the terrain, with opportunities for trots and canters on the rural tracks. You should be a competent rider, capable at all paces over uneven terrain. Over a seven night stay you ride on six days for a total of about 22 hours. The Panorama Rides do not run during the hot summer months of July and August. Children aged 12 years and over, who are experienced riders, may be accepted on the Panorama Rides, subject to an assessment.
Sunny Rides
The Sunny Rides itinerary offers a more relaxing holiday with two-hour hacks either in the morning or in the evening. Rides are split according to ability; a slower ride with generally only one short canter, and the other being more challenging. For these rides you should be happy at walk, trot and canter. Over a seven night stay you ride on six days for a total of about 12 hours. Additional riding can be arranged and paid for locally, subject to availability. Children aged 12 years and older (and exceptionally aged 11 years and under) who have the required experience, may join the Sunny Rides, subject to an assessment.
Learn to Ride
There are two different instructional programmes available all year round. The Beginner Course is for riders who have never ridden before, whilst the Starter Course is aimed at riders who have had some riding lessons, or have ridden in the past, and are keen to improve their basic riding skills. The holiday includes a combination of private and group lessons together with hacks in the area. Lessons in horse care (grooming and tacking up) are also included. Over a seven night stay you ride on six days for a total of about six hours. Children aged 12 years and older are welcome on this programme.
Children’s Programme
This programme is for children aged 8 to 11 years, who are able to walk and trot. Children from the age of 4 can enjoy ten-minute pony rides, whilst from 6 years old they can have half hour lunge lessons in the arena.
Please ssk about
Hiking trails
Mountain biking
Paragliding
Golf (7km from hotel)
Horses
Arabs, Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods, plus a Section B pony for the kids, ranging from 14.2hh to 16.2hh.
Riding level
Beginner and Intermediate
Type of riding
Arena lessons and hacks
Tack
English style
Weight limit
90 kg / 14 stone / 198 lbs
Group size
12 max
Accommodation & Meals
Velani Hotel
The country hotel Velani run by your hosts is perched high on a hillside overlooking the Lake Aposelemis in the foothills of the Dikti Mountains. It is a secret haven hidden in a rocky wilderness of ancient stone and protected Kermes oak forest. It is these oak trees with their evergreen leaves and ‘Velani’ fruits that gave the hotel its name.
A charming hotel in a serene quietness, with spacious and comfortable rooms. All rooms have a breath-taking view and give you a feeling of relaxing with nature on your doorstep.
With a 4-hectare estate, there is onsite pasture for the horses to roam and also various gardens for fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers as well as an olive grove for the production of their own olive oil.
The rooms are gorgeous with 3 different room types and options to upgrade at an extra cost just ask. With a fantastic infinity pool, a jacuzzi (extra charge) and a yoga area with mats available for hire there is always some relaxing to be done.
Meals
Meals are taken en-group at the hotel and the food is delicious.
The Velani restaurant uses its own fruit and vegetables to prepare the famous healthy Cretian diet; their kitchen utilizes their home-grown produce as well as that of the local farms and surrounding villages. Try typically Greek dishes with extra virgin olive oil, Cretian wine made from ancient grape species, meat and cheese from the free-ranging sheep and goats of the neighbours, honey from the local beekeeper and eggs from the hotels own free ranging chickens.
Most dietary requests are accommodated – Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Intolerant etc, please just ask.
Accommodation
Onsite hotel
Single Supplement
Possible to have a single room, extra fees apply
Meals
Inform us about food allergies and intolerances
Drinks
Drinks payable.
The Destination
Crete is the largest island in Greece, and the fifth largest one in the Mediterranean Sea. Here, you can admire the remnants of brilliant civilizations, explore glorious beaches, impressive mountainscapes, fertile valleys and steep gorges, and become part of the island’s rich gastronomic culture. In 2025, UNESCO added six Minoan palace centres in Crete to its World Heritage List.
Book Now
Please accept the Privacy Policy to continue!
Please fill in your first name, last name, and email before submitting.