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Why you should think twice before riding a donkey in Santorini

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The quaint island of Santorini in Greece is never short of tourists who are attracted to the whitewashed cottages and blue-domed churches.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many tourists are arriving by boat, before making their way up hundreds of steep steps to the island’s main town.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you don’t want to walk, there are donkeys available to carry those who can’t or don’t want to journey up the stairs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, a new campaign has been launched to encourage you to think about the strain that’s being put onto the donkeys.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">British charity The Donkey Sanctuary has launched the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Their Hooves</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> campaign as a way of improving public awareness about the plight of donkeys.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The initiative is the result of a partnership between The Donkey Sanctuary and local Santorini authorities as the strain of passengers who weigh more than 100 kilograms are injuring the spines of the donkeys.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We are excited to launch the In Their Hooves video and we hope visitors to Santorini are able to make informed decisions about the welfare of working equines they will see there," Barbara Massa, The Donkey Sanctuary's regional director for Europe, said in a </span><a href="https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/news/collaboration-with-cruise-giant-to-protect-santorinis-donkeys"><span style="font-weight: 400;">press release</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We will continue to work with the municipality, providing training to equine health service providers and also the animal owners, all of whom are critical to improving the working conditions and practices on the island."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The initiative encourages tourists to think about whether or not the animals have access to adequate water and shelter, whether or not their owner treats them respectfully, if they show any signs of injury and whether or not they are expected to carry an acceptable weight.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you ridden a donkey before? Let us know in the comments.</span></p>

Travel Trouble

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Escape from reality at this green windmill in Santorini

<p>Few tourist attractions inspire as much wonder as Santorini. From the stunning Grecian waters to jaw-dropping mountains studded with porcelain white houses, it’s easy to see why so many tourists make the trek every year.</p> <p>Today’s <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/13131/?af=61160407&amp;c=apac_au_over60_greenwindmill"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Airbnb property</span></strong></a> is so idyllic, we think it’s just about the only thing on the island that will distract you from the achingly beautiful Aegean surrounds.</p> <p>Located in the small town of Oia, <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/13131/?af=61160407&amp;c=apac_au_over60_greenwindmill"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">the Green Windmill</span></strong></a> combines luxurious, modern comforts with a sophisticated style that will appease even the most demanding visitors.</p> <p>Spend the afternoon lazing in the bean-shaped swimming pool while you contemplate the jaw-dropping view of the surround vineyards. You’ll feel as though you’ve escaped from reality and entered a world of fantasy.</p> <p>Oia is a gorgeous town, one of the real hidden gems of the Aegean Sea despite the fact that it’s consistently ranked among the best sunsets in the world.</p> <p>To see more photos of the Green Windmill, scroll through the gallery above. And if you’d like to learn more about his property or book your own stay, <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/13131/?af=61160407&amp;c=apac_au_over60_greenwindmill"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">click here</span>.</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Image credit: Airbnb</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/?af=61160407&amp;c=apac_au_over60"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Whether you want to make money by renting your place or to find affordable accommodation options and stretch your travel budget further, head over to Airbnb now and have a look around.</span></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/accommodation/2017/01/frank-lloyd-wright-bernard-schwartz-house-airbnb/">Stay at Frank Lloyd Wright’ Bernard Schwartz House</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/accommodation/2017/01/this-big-blue-house-will-take-your-breath-away/">This big blue house will take your breath away</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/accommodation/2016/09/breathtaking-views-from-airbnbs/">7 breathtaking views from Airbnbs</a></strong></em></span></p>

Accommodation

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Santorini planning to ration cruise tourists

<p>It’s one of the most beautiful locations in the world and a real favourite for cruise-goers, but opportunities to visit Santorini in the future may be limited in peak periods, with island authorities introducing a system to manage the flow of cruise traffic.</p> <p>According to the Hellenic Port Association, in 2015 Santorini received 636 cruise vessels, which is more than any other destination in Greece. These cruise ships, mooring at the Athinios and Fyra ports brought a whopping 790,000 tourists to the island.</p> <p>But this is becoming a bit of a problem for the local community.</p> <p>A study from the University of the Aegean found locals are concerned about the social, economic and environmental pressures caused by the overcrowding of cruise passengers, particularly during peak tourist periods.</p> <p>To put it in perspective, on average Santorini will have 4,000 passengers from cruise ships.</p> <p>But in the peak period, between May and October, this will increase to a whopping 10,000 passengers. In this season Santorini receives about 90 per cent of its arrivals.</p> <p>This tourist traffic puts a huge amount of pressure on the local businesses and facilities.</p> <p>The Santorini Port Authority is now looking to limit the amount of passengers to 8,000 a day.</p> <p>The Santorini Port Authority will also be looking to ensure a more even distribution of traffic across periods, to ensure there are less days where there are too many people and cut down on the less popular days that don’t have too many passengers.</p> <p>Port Fund president Ilias Pelekis told the local newspaper Kathimerini that for this year only there will be more flexibility in the system, given that cruise operators have drafted their schedules many months in advance.</p> <p>Interestingly, the research from the University of the Aegean also found that 10 per cent of the cruise passengers visiting Santorini didn’t embark at all. Also, 40 per cent of the passengers chose to visit the island exclusively as part of the tour packages offered by the cruise companies.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/03/how-to-make-cruise-ship-towel-animals/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How to make cruise ship towel animals</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/03/inside-worlds-biggest-cruise-ship/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Inside one of the world’s biggest cruise ships</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/02/can-the-historic-queen-elizabeth-2-cruise-ship-be-saved/">Can the historic Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship be saved?</a></span></strong></em></p>

Cruising

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Santorini planning to ration cruise tourists

<p>It’s one of the most beautiful locations in the world and a real favourite for cruise-goers, but opportunities to visit Santorini in the future may be limited in peak periods, with island authorities introducing a system to manage the flow of cruise traffic.</p> <p>According to the Hellenic Port Association, in 2015 Santorini received 636 cruise vessels, which is more than any other destination in Greece. These cruise ships, mooring at the Athinios and Fyra ports brought a whopping 790,000 tourists to the island.</p> <p>But this is becoming a bit of a problem for the local community.</p> <p>A study from the University of the Aegean found locals are concerned about the social, economic and environmental pressures caused by the overcrowding of cruise passengers, particularly during peak tourist periods.</p> <p>To put it in perspective, on average Santorini will have 4,000 passengers from cruise ships.</p> <p>But in the peak period, between May and October, this will increase to a whopping 10,000 passengers. In this season Santorini receives about 90 per cent of its arrivals.</p> <p>This tourist traffic puts a huge amount of pressure on the local businesses and facilities.</p> <p>The Santorini Port Authority is now looking to limit the amount of passengers to 8,000 a day.</p> <p>The Santorini Port Authority will also be looking to ensure a more even distribution of traffic across periods, to ensure there are less days where there are too many people and cut down on the less popular days that don’t have too many passengers.</p> <p>Port Fund president Ilias Pelekis told the local newspaper Kathimerini that for this year only there will be more flexibility in the system, given that cruise operators have drafted their schedules many months in advance.</p> <p>Interestingly, the research from the University of the Aegean also found that 10 per cent of the cruise passengers visiting Santorini didn’t embark at all. Also, 40 per cent of the passengers chose to visit the island exclusively as part of the tour packages offered by the cruise companies.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/03/how-to-make-cruise-ship-towel-animals/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How to make cruise ship towel animals</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/03/inside-worlds-biggest-cruise-ship/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Inside one of the world’s biggest cruise ships</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/02/can-the-historic-queen-elizabeth-2-cruise-ship-be-saved/">Can the historic Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship be saved?</a></span></strong></em></p>

Cruising

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