Chania: 10 horse-drawn carriage permits not renewed

Ten permits for horse-drawn carriages at the Venetian Harbor of Chania were left without renewal, according to a report by neakriti.gr. The development was recorded on September 28, 2026 and concerns decisions made within the authority of the Municipality of Chania. As reported by the same source, the ten cases are divided into two categories with different reasons for each. In one permit, the renewal was not granted because the holder had exceeded the age limit of 70 years. In the remaining nine, neakriti.gr reports that the holders chose not to renew their permits themselves.

Horse-drawn carriages have long been associated with the image of the Venetian Harbor, one of the most recognizable spots in the city, where residents and visitors walk daily. At the same time, the activity operates as a tourist service, as it offers rides in the area of the old harbor. Its exercise requires a permit from the municipality, and these permits are subject to renewal. As emerges from neakriti.gr’s report, the age limit of 70 years constitutes a criterion that was applied in one of the ten cases. In the broader context, the use of animals in tourist transportation is generally a subject of public discussion, without the particular report attributing positions to specific entities.

For the harbor, the non-renewal of the ten permits concerns an element of its daily image, since the carriages are visible on the waterfront. For professionals in the field, the development means that ten permits are no longer in effect, while the reasons differ: one concerns the age limit and nine concern personal choice of the holders, as reported by neakriti.gr. The permit holders are private individuals and their names are not presented here. For visitors, the question is how many carriages will continue to serve the harbor. Neakriti.gr, in the data that have been publicized, does not report how many permits remain in effect nor how many horses or carriages are operating in the area, which is why this number cannot be determined.

For the future, neakriti.gr’s report, as becomes known by September 29, 2026, does not describe next steps. It is not clear, for example, whether the municipality intends to issue new permits in place of the ten that were not renewed or whether the licensing framework for the activity will be revised. Any such decision will be announced by the Municipality of Chania and will be recorded when made public. Until then, the question remains open regarding the final number of carriages at the Venetian Harbor, one of the points visited by those passing through Crete and Chania.