The beaches in Essaouira stretch as far as the eye can see and the dunes make you feel like you’re horse riding in the middle of the desert. Besides the stunning scenery it also offers lots of opportunities for gallops and fast-paced riding on beautiful Arabian stallions.
Sounds good? In this post I’ll be telling you all about horse riding in Essaouira, Morocco, how to book, what to expect and everything about the horses and incredible guides. I’ll also be telling you about the options for non riders!
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Amazingly long beaches, the sun setting into the ocean, and long canters and gallops. Riding on the beach in Morocco is basically any horse rider's dream come true and gives you an amazing sense of freedom.
There are several rides, from 1 hour to full day, and from sunset rides to multi day treks. I went on a sunset ride, 1 hour ride and 2 long rides of about 4 to 5 hours.
Long rides include either lunch or Moroccan tea depending on how many hours you’re riding for. The location where lunch or tea is served is absolutely stunning, on the top of a dune at a fisherman’s hut overlooking the beach and sea.
It’s quite far from the busy tourist beach near the town of Essaouira and makes you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. The rides also take you to different types of terrain. Of course you’ll be doing lots of riding on the beach, but also in the surrounding forests, dunes, and you even get to a mini desert on the full day ride with dunes up to 15 meters high right next to the ocean.
The sunset ride is also an absolutely stunning and popular ride as the sun sets perfectly into the ocean as you’re galloping home on the beach. There are also several multi-day tours a year, and you can add onto a group if you’re a solo traveler, or you can get your own group together for a multi day horse ride through the stunning Moroccan nature. If you are a solo traveler but aren’t able to join a group or get one together, make sure to contact me! I would be more than happy to help out in getting a group together.
As a solo traveler you can join a group or you can get your own group together and enjoy the stunning rides Yassine Cavalier and his crew has to offer. If you aren't able to join a group, please don't hesitate to contact me!. These horse rides are a once in a lifetime opportunity!
Also read: traveling solo on your horse riding holiday
At the stables, there’s a horse for every type of rider. Whether you’re a bit nervous, a complete beginner or an experienced rider. The horses are incredibly well trained, all stallions and they are mostly Arabians, Barb horses and Arab Barb crosses. The characteristics of both breeds make for horses with lots of endurance and a fantastic temperament and personality.
The horses are very well taken care of and you can feel how happy and enthusiastic they are to go for a ride! The beginner horses are even suitable to go for a gallop with, which is often done with beginners who want to try. The beginner horses will follow the guide, and stop when the guide stops, so all you have to do is stay on and enjoy the scenery and the wind in your hair.
Yassine Cavalier and everyone else who works at his horse riding stable in Essaouira are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about horses. They are great riders and it’s such a pleasure to see them work with their horses.
I rode with Yassine Cavalier for 2 days and it’s amazing to see how much love he has for his horses and the way he’s able to care for them so well in such a harsh environment. Check out Yassine’s instagram here. The last ride I did in Essaouira was with Zine Dine, who is probably one of the most skilled riders I’ve met in a long while. Check out his Instagram here to find out exactly what I mean.
Yes! You can definitely bring your partner/friend/family as well, there are lots of other activities to do in Essaouira such as surfing and quad biking through the dunes and on the beach. There are also lots of places that offer camel rides. Also, if your partner is a beginner but is willing to join a ride, there are some super easy to ride beginner horses at the stable as well.
After riding the amazing silver stallion Ginger for a few days, I also had the pleasure of riding one of the beginner horses called Othy. He was such a sweet horse and all I had to do was sit and enjoy the view. The guys even canter with beginners due to the amazing temperament of these horses and I can definitely see why!
They even canter with beginners due to the amazing temperament of the horses. The only thing you need to do is stay on and enjoy the incredible feeling of pure freedom.
Also read: horse riding in Egypt
If you’re interested in riding with Essaouira Horse ride, make sure to contact them on Instagram by clicking here. It’s also possible to book through Yassine Cavalier by messaging him on instagram. If you can’t seem to get in touch with them about your ride, or if you have more questions about the experience, definitely don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll book the ride for you or answer your questions!
Are you interested? Don't forget to read my other blog posts about horse riding in Essaouira, Morocco: 10 day trip to Morocco, the itinerary and Packing list for travel in Morocco. These blog posts will give you more information on where to stay in Morocco and especially in Essaouira, what else to do, horse culture, packing lists, itineraries, where to eat and go out and so much more!
For more horse riding holidays all over Morocco, click here.
Interested in horse riding on the beach elsewhere? We have an incredible beach riding holiday in Turkey!
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I hope this article has been useful! If you have any questions feel free to email or DM me on instagram, or fill out the contact form. If this article has been helpful please share it with your friends who want to gallop horses over Morocco's beaches!
