Do something different during your time in Essaouira and spend an hour exploring the beautiful countryside on horse back. Benefit from pick-up at your hotel, if located outside the medina, and then make your way to the Ranch de Diabat, approximately 3 kilometers south of the city center. Benefit from a horse ride that can be adapted to your equestrian skills and ride at a gentle pace if your are a beginner, or gallop on the endless beaches if your are more advanced. First, head towards the river with your faithful companion and discover the ruins of the old palace of the sultan Mohammed III, who revived the fortunes of the city when he invited Jews and the English to trade there. Continue along the sandy beach and get stunning views of the Portuguese castle on Mogador island in the Atlantic Ocean. Return to the ranch through the forest for the end of the services.

Take a full-day private trip to Essaouira, one of Morocco’s most attractive coastal towns. Admire its undeniable charm, with whitewashed and blue shuttered houses, art galleries, wood workshops, fishermen and colorful boats, all enclosed by ancient red walls. Your private tour starts with pickup at your hotel or riad in Marrakech. Depart Marrakech, driving through lush valleys filled with orange groves, ancient olive trees, and working farms. Stop at Chichaoua for a coffee or snack at Cafe Afoulki. Continue past your first Argan trees. These special trees are valued for their nutritive, cosmetic, and medicinal properties. A relic species from the Tertiary Period, it is extremely well adapted to drought and other environmentally difficult conditions of southwestern Morocco and, while now endangered, under the protection of UNESCO. Arrive in Essaouira and wander the ancient streets, where it’s easy to imagine life before you. The streets have a Portuguese feel after they renamed the city in the 16th century and used it as a port city of their own. Dine on fish straight from the sea at any number of local restaurants, and ride a camel on the beach. After some free time to explore on your own, return to Marrakech for drop-off at your hotel or riad.

This full-day activity is suitable for horse riders of all abilities, from beginner to advanced. Starting from the Ranch de Diabat, your guide will take you on a route that first runs along the river. Stop to see the ruins of the Black Sultan’s palace before riding along a sandy beach. Admire the views of the Portuguese castle on the island of Mogador. Riders of intermediate or advanced ability will have the option of a longer tour, heading a bit inland. After a picnic lunch at noon, you’ll ride along the sand dunes, past fishermen’s cottages, and to a fresh water spring. The tour continues through a forest and then returns to the ranch. The pace of the tour will be adapted according to your preference and ability.