Upon arriving in Santorini (by cruise ship) you have three options for scaling the cliffside infront of you; 1) Ride up in one of the modern cable cars complete with a lovely view 2) Sweat like crazy hiking all 588 steps to reach Fira or 3) Hop on the back of a poor donkey and make him carry you to the top.
Santorini's has been using donkeys to taxi people and goods up the hillside since visitors first started arriving at the main port in Fira. Unfortunately, the owners have a poor track record of abusing and mistreating the animals, of which most tourists are unaware.
Travis and I came across this issue when researching Santorini, unfortunately we saw long lines of tourists paying for donkey rides and the accompanying photos, unaware of any issue. If you have plans to visit Santorini please refuse to participate in this practice. More information can be found online at The Donkey Sanctuary.
In good news, Greek billionaire and founder of Easy Jet, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has pledged to build a second cable car to cut down on long lines and in the meantime has provided the donkey owners with breathable blankets that reduce chaffing.
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