|
Horseback riding tours
Rides in
Morocco
Intro to Morocco
----------------------------
Northern Africa Middle East
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ride between Land and Sea
Morocco
Morocco
This unique
ride explores all wonders that Morocco has to offer from the land to the sea!
Along this trek you encounter a myriad of breathtaking landscapes: waterfalls,
lakes, canyons, wadis, forests, mountain villages and a spectacular coast line.
The Atlantic Ocean and its vast beaches call use throughout the journey, and we
arrive on horseback to discover chalky cliffs, fishing villages, beach camps
and swimming – with our horses!
The first
night of the trek is spent in a wonderful mountain hotel that provides vistas
of fresh waterfalls. This is a relaxing start to a journey that will take us
through beautiful valleys, limestone landscapes, oases, villages and forests.
We explore Moroccan culture while visiting ancient marabouts, tombs for venerated saints, and fishing villages such as
Sidi Kaouki. The natural beauty of the country is not lost as we canter freely
along sandy Atlantic beaches. This trip
concludes with a day spent in Marrakech where we explore the souks and riads before saying a fond farewell to newfound friends.
|
Camping Ride with vehicle support Progressive Ride (no camping)
|
|
Meeting:
|
Agadir
|
|
Airport:
|
Ouarzazate
|
|
Transfer:
|
Agadir - drop off Marrakesh
|
|
Riders:
|
Min
6 riders
Max
12 riders
|
|
Trip Brochure (PDF)
Trip Rating
Video
|
|
|
|
Rates and Dates for 2012
Rates include:
Accommodations in 4-star hotels and deluxe tent camps, meals, sightseeing, 4.5 riding days
| A | 2012 | 8 day trip, AP | 8d / 7n | €2195 | $2945 |
| Single supplement | €445 | $600 |
| Small group supplement (2-5) pp | €350 | $470 |
Transfer Option:
|
2012
|
Transfer from Agadir included - drop off Marrakesh
|
Meeting is in Agadir. The trip ends in Marrakesh.
Day 1 Arrival in Agadir near the end of the day. We transfer directly to a charming hotel in the heart of the mountains overlooking waterfalls (1.5 hrs trip). Dinner and night at the hotel.
Day 2 We take a minibus through a lush palm grove, surrounded by beautiful landscapes formed by gorges carved and collected by the wadis. We arrive in another stunning valley where we meet the horses and our ride begins. We spend the day on horseback to discover several great valleys, one after the other. A picnic is planned at noon and towards the evening we discover our first camp on the edge of a lake.
Day 3 We ride through landscapes of limestone and through different oases and Argan forests, which are known for the production of Argan oil and for their goats. Our second camp is on the edge of a charming mountain village, but unknown to the tourists where you can do some authentic shopping.
Day 4 We cross several villages and Argan tree forests until we reach the Atlantic at lunchtime. After the picnic, we overlook the sea, the cliffs bring us to the evening bivouac near the ocean, it is very conducive for the swimming.
Day 5 We temporarily leave the Atlantic Ocean and ride through forests, white villages and the marabouts - mystical tombs and places of prayers. In the afternoon, we supersede between the cliffs and the beach to finish the day on the immense beach of Sidi Kaouki - an adorable fishing village.
Day 6 After breakfast, we take some time to swim - with or without horses. After lunch in camp we leave the horses to explore the beautiful city of Essaouira. This is a unique city still undiscovered from the mass tourism - it is renowned for its beauty and was once the Mecca of beatniks in the 1960s. Dinner and night in Essaouira.
Day 7 After breakfast, we set out for a transfer to Marrakech. We have the lunch in the medina before the Saadian tombs. The afternoon is planned for the free visiting in the city. Dinner and night in a riad.
Day 8 Visiting day in Marrakech and transfer to the airport according to the time of flight.
Meeting:
Agadir
Airport:
Ouarzazate
Transfer:
Agadir - drop off Marrakesh
Meeting is in Agadir. The trip ends in Marrakesh.
|
Tack:
|
|
English
|
|
Horses:
|
|
Arab and Berber
|
|
Pace:
|
|
Moderate with trots and canters, 4-5 riding hrs
|
Walk |
Trot |
Canter |
Gallop |
|
|
Level:
|
|
(2.5
to
4
out of 5) Intermediate
|
|
Age:
|
|
Min
18
|
|
|
Riders:
|
|
Min
6 riders
|
Max
12 riders
|
|
Cavalry and saddle
The horses are Arab-berbs specialized for this type of excursion. They
are particularly well maintained, accustomed to working together,
patient and reliable. These horses are selected on the spot by your
French guide. The saddles are English or excursion saddles.
The Equestrian Level
You should feel
comfortable at all gaits and have some experience of long rides. We
spend between 4 and 5 hours on horseback every day. During a typical
day we mostly walk, there is some trot, sometimes we walk beside our
horses and when the conditions are right, we go for a fast canter.
There are two guides on horseback so that we can split into smaller
groups in order to allow for different paces. We are not in a
competition but on vacation !
The Horses
The Barb-Arab horses are absolutely fabulous. They have been schooled
and are kept by a french Saumur instructor living in Morocco. These
horses only do trips and are used to working every day. Some of them
are perfect for less experienced riders and others for higher level
riders.
Tack
You have a choice of trail or English saddles, all being very
comfortable. They come with saddle bags. We use bridles with Spanish
bits. All the tack is in excellent condition, perfectly maintained.
On a full trip there will be a crew of 15 people (less on smaller rides):
* Your guide, Corinne, rides along with you
* The GP doctor
* One Moroccan guide, Salah or Ahmed
* The logistics chief, Hamid or Saidi
* The vehicles chief, Mabrouk
* The chef and his assistants (2 or 3)
* The service personnel (2 to 3)
* The chief groom Hassan, and the stablemen (2 to 3)
* The personnel for the setup of the bivouacs
* The drivers
The vehicles :
* The doctor's 4WD
* The truck for 14 horses, is waiting at every campsite and keeps the spare horses
* The water tank trucks
* A passenger van is available at every campsite, just in case it is needed
* The trucks for the camping gear and the luggage
All the personnel has walkie-talkies.
Safety is a proactive matter: horse selection, choice of tack and
personnel. Our horses have been carefully selected, they are perfectly
calm and schooled for trail tours. Our partners are trail professionals
with extensive local experience.
Last but not least, the passenger van follows the group all the time,
although out of sight, it's always, just like the doctor's 4WD and the
horse truck, less than 15 min away. Should anything happen, a person or
even the whole group can be safely taken care of.
Passport and Visa Requirements:
PassportsPassport valid for at least six months from date of entry required by all nationals referred to in the chart.Passport NoteVisitors should ensure that their passports are stamped when they ent. more
This list is only a guideline for you
- Travel documents and Voucher
- Flight tickets
- Passport
- Visa (check with your consulate)
RIDING GEAR
- Comfortable riding pants (2)
- Riding boots (not rubber)
- Long sleeved cotton shirts
- Riding helmet (recommended for all trips)
- Light riding gloves
- Hat (with chin strap) for sun protection
PERSONAL CLOTHING
- Jacket or sweater for cool evenings
- Cotton blouses/shirts
- Jeans
- Shorts
- Underwear and socks
- Pyjama
- Jogging suit
- Tennis shoes
- Swimsuit
ADDITIONAL THINGS TO BRING
Luggage
The crew will take care of your luggage and transfer it from place to place
in the support vehicle.
It is best to bring soft luggage and not hard suitcases. Not too many pieces
will avoid problems as well.
*Important Notice: The following ratings have been submitted by guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Hidden Trails, its partners or employees.
Every care is taken to ensure accuracy but Hidden Trails is not liable for any errors or omissions.
** No trip reports found
with the tour ID you provided.
|
..view other reports for different trips
Hotel days: Meals include a special welcome evening banquet and a lively evening and farewell dinner at a restaurant.
Camping days: Breakfast buffet - mixed « Moroccan continental / traditional », lunch is in the form of picnics (salads, barbecues ...),
Dinner are prepared in the dining tent - meals of Moroccan cuisine are
served at the table, including a special evening of couscous and a
lively mechoui evening.

Lodgings will be 3 nights in hotels or riads and 4 nights in deluxe camps.
We have
selected hotels with the usual criteria in mind : cleanliness,
hospitality, comfort, but also trying to share some treasure troves:
outstanding architecture, incredible welcome or exceptional restaurant.
Not all these places sport a star, but everyone is impressed and
wonders how we found these places. ……It's a secret …

During the trip, there is the bivouac, where everything is ... like in a hotel.
The rooms/tents are typical berber tents, roomy, high, with real beds
(with a base, a mattress, sheets, pillows, blankets). There are rugs on
the floor and night tables with lamps. If needed, there is heating in
winter (in the desert the temperature can drop to 5°C / 40°F, down from
25°C / 80°F during the day).
Every evening you'll find your towel, soap and shampoo on your bed,
because we have hot water showers. There are restrooms too, fully
equipped. Every day we have two water tanks brought to the bivouac !

Thanks to the generator, you can charge your cell phone, your camera or
camcorder batteries or your laptop ! You may even use a blow dryer...
Just remember, the power here is 220V / 50 Hz and you may want to bring
an outlet adapter.
You can even call in the middle of the desert !
There are always some surprises (two
or three) : musicians, dancers, snake charmers, and even an incredible
bard... but we shouldn't disclose too much if we want them to be
surprises !

Meals
All meals at the hotel, including a special welcome evening and an animated goodbye evening.
During the ride: Continental breakfast and traditional Moroccan
breakfasts, picnic lunches (salads, BBQ) or in typical restaurants,
dinners are cooked by our chef and his assistants in camp.
Meals are important, therefore it has
to be just perfect! The chefs have been carefully selected and the
evening meals at the bivouac are literally gastronomic. For lunches we
have huge barbecues and for breakfast, a superb buffet !

Here are some menus, just to give you an idea :
Lunch :
* Continental salads
* marinated meat kebab, vegetables
* Pastries, fruit, tea, coffee
* Moroccan salads : Zaalouk, Carrots à l’orange, yams,…
* Tajines de Kefta, vegetables
* Pastries, Beghrir, fruit, tea, coffee
Dinner :
* Harira
* Lamb Tajine with prunes Harira
* Oranges with cinnamon, fruit, tea, coffee
* Cheese Briouats
* M’Qalli chicken with lemon and olives, sautéed potatoes
* Semolina desert, fruit, tea, coffee
* Potato and carrot salad
* Chicken Pastilla
* Almond Briouats, fruit, tea, coffee
Breakfasts are super buffets with everything you want : French style
and Moroccan pastries, eggs, cheese, fresh fruit juices, coffee, tea,…

|
Tack:
|
|
English
|
|
Horses:
|
|
Arab and Berber
|
|
Pace:
|
|
Moderate with trots and canters, 4-5 riding hrs
|
Walk |
Trot |
Canter |
Gallop |
|
|
Level:
|
|
(2.5
to
4
out of 5) Intermediate
|
|
Age:
|
|
Min
18
|
|
|
Riders:
|
|
Min
6 riders
|
Max
12 riders
|
|
Cavalry and saddle
The horses are Arab-berbs specialized for this type of excursion. They
are particularly well maintained, accustomed to working together,
patient and reliable. These horses are selected on the spot by your
French guide. The saddles are English or excursion saddles.
The Equestrian Level
You should feel
comfortable at all gaits and have some experience of long rides. We
spend between 4 and 5 hours on horseback every day. During a typical
day we mostly walk, there is some trot, sometimes we walk beside our
horses and when the conditions are right, we go for a fast canter.
There are two guides on horseback so that we can split into smaller
groups in order to allow for different paces. We are not in a
competition but on vacation !
The Horses
The Barb-Arab horses are absolutely fabulous. They have been schooled
and are kept by a french Saumur instructor living in Morocco. These
horses only do trips and are used to working every day. Some of them
are perfect for less experienced riders and others for higher level
riders.
Tack
You have a choice of trail or English saddles, all being very
comfortable. They come with saddle bags. We use bridles with Spanish
bits. All the tack is in excellent condition, perfectly maintained.
On a full trip there will be a crew of 15 people (less on smaller rides):
* Your guide, Corinne, rides along with you
* The GP doctor
* One Moroccan guide, Salah or Ahmed
* The logistics chief, Hamid or Saidi
* The vehicles chief, Mabrouk
* The chef and his assistants (2 or 3)
* The service personnel (2 to 3)
* The chief groom Hassan, and the stablemen (2 to 3)
* The personnel for the setup of the bivouacs
* The drivers
The vehicles :
* The doctor's 4WD
* The truck for 14 horses, is waiting at every campsite and keeps the spare horses
* The water tank trucks
* A passenger van is available at every campsite, just in case it is needed
* The trucks for the camping gear and the luggage
All the personnel has walkie-talkies.
Safety is a proactive matter: horse selection, choice of tack and
personnel. Our horses have been carefully selected, they are perfectly
calm and schooled for trail tours. Our partners are trail professionals
with extensive local experience.
Last but not least, the passenger van follows the group all the time,
although out of sight, it's always, just like the doctor's 4WD and the
horse truck, less than 15 min away. Should anything happen, a person or
even the whole group can be safely taken care of.
Passports
Passport valid for at least six months from date of entry required by all nationals referred to in the chart.
Passport Note
Visitors should ensure that their passports are stamped when they enter the country.
Visas
Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to three months.
Visa Note
(a) Visa extensions are possible upon request at the nearest police station. (b) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements.
| Passport Required? |
| British |
Yes |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
| USA |
Yes |
| Other EU |
Yes |
| Visa Required? |
| British |
No |
| Australian |
No |
| Canadian |
No |
| USA |
No |
| Other EU |
No |
| Return Ticket Required? |
| British |
No |
| Australian |
No |
| Canadian |
No |
| USA |
No |
| Other EU |
No |
This information is not being updated on a regular basis. Hidden Trails does not
take any responsibility for the accuracy of the above information. Please, consult
the embassy or consulate for updated info.
|
|
|
|
Ride between Land and Sea
Tour Code:
PG-MCTLD
8 days /
7 nights
~$2,945.00
Dates :
Oct to Feb
Difficulty :

Lodging:
Introduction
Day to Day Itinerary
Rates | Dates
Accomodation
Tack:
English
Horses:
Arab and Berber
Pace:
Moderate with trots and canters, 4-5 ...
Walk,
Trot,
Canter,
Gallop,
Airport:
Ouarzazate
Location on Google Map
Video
Image Gallery
Image Slide Show
Customer Trip Rating
Climate
What To Bring
Download tour PDF
|