A timeless place where culture and adventure meet

Discover Essaouira, a pearl between the ocean and the desert with Ranch de Diabat. Created fifteen years ago in Diabat, a small village located near the coast of the Atlantic Ocean about five kilometres south of the city of Essaouira, the passion for horses has been passed on through generations.

Many Options

Ranch Diabat offers a wide range of horse riding experiences around Essaouira, or in the Atlas, between Berber villages, in the dunes or in the desert. This is a place where you can also experience a full speed gallop on the beach, Fantasia style! You can have a stationary vacation with different rides every day, you can take a few lessons, take a one hour trail ride or go on an amazing multiple day trek over long distances. Don’t forget to visit the fortified Essaouira Medina, a UNESCO heritage site, or the beautiful red city of Marrakech 2.5 hours away.

Barb-arabian horses

Iconic Rides: The Berber Ride and the Atlantic Trail Ride

Most of our Trail Rides are 8 day 7 night treks (6 days on horseback).

Only the “peals of Essaouira” is a shorter ride of only 6 days (4 days on horseback). Beautiful intense gallops on wet sand at the beaches, the unforgettable view when we’ll reach back to Essaouira, the night skies, our magnificent barb-arab horses and our wonderful guides will provide lifelong memories. Throughout the trail ride, accommodation will be in collective berber tents for 6 to 7 people or in a 2 person igloo tent, whilst the first and last night are at a hotel in Essaouira.

Our Trail Rides consist of a transfer to and from the airport (Marrakech or Essaouira) to the starting point of the trek, all meals, accommodation in Berber tents for 6 to 7 persons or in igloo tents, horses, equipped for trails, guides.

Berber Ride Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Essaouira. Welcome to Marrakech airport and transfer to Essaouira. Dinner and overnight at the hotel (transfer from Marrakech included).

Day 2-7: Horse trekking About five to six hours in the saddle per day. We’ll start from Agadir on a trail along the hills planted with Argan trees and cacti. Enjoy the panoramic view over the Atlantic Ocean coast until you reach the top of the mountain. Discover a typical village in a palm grove, meet Berber people on an ancient mountain trail. We will pass through valleys, sheathed in colourful mineral hues and lively traditional souks (markets) before reaching the Argan forest. We will approach the region of the Ida or Tanane tribe at a faster pace and move away from the foothills of the High Atlas through long agricultural plains. We'll ride on numerous beaches in the saddle, circle the cliffs on foot, walk through Argan trees orchards and arrive at sunset on the great cliffs overlooking the sea. Every evening you will enjoy a bonfire, a traditional Moroccan meal prepared for us by our coo and a night in a bivouac under a Berber tent. Dinner and overnight at the campsite.

Day 7: Discovery of the Souiri coast and the city of Essaouira. This stage lasts half a day, lunch is served back at the Ranch. The afternoon is free for shopping in the Medina of Essaouira, or massages and Hammam to recuperate from the trek. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel in Essaouira.

Day 8: Transfer to Essaouira or Marrakech airport.

Trail Riding

The Atlantic Trail Ride Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival; welcome at the airport and transfer to Essaouira. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Days 2-6 : Ride your horse through narrow lanes, small Berber villages, and alternate between sand dunes and waterfalls. Walking along winding paths and tracks you can see the Argan and olive trees on one side and on the other the ocean with its blue waves. The excursion through the Atlantic coast is a chain of deserted beaches, cliffs and paths that run through the arid and rocky land in the hinterland. Every evening you can enjoy a bonfire, a traditional Moroccan meal and a night in a bivouac under a Berber tent, experiencing the traditional Berber way of life.

Day 7: The last day is dedicated to the discovery of the Souiri coast and the city of Essaouira. In the afternoon it is possible to do shopping in the Medina of Essaouira, or massages and a traditional Hammam. Dinner and overnight stay is in a hotel in Essaouira.

Day 8:Transfer to the airport.

Gallery

Location

Car

Our address : Ranch de Diabat Douar Diabat 6، Diabat 44000, Essaouira Morocco. The Ranch de Diabat is located in Diabat, 3 km from Essaouira and just under 200 km from Marrakesh For all our services transfer to and from the hotel in Essaouira is included. For our 6 to 8 days trail riding the transfer from ant to Essaouira o Marrakech airport is included. (The roads between Essaouira and Agadir are not in good condition, which is why we do not organize the transfer between Agadir and Essaouira.) We gentile ask to book a flight that arrives at Marrakech airport until 14:00 on the day of arrival so that other participants do not have to wait too long. If your flight arrives after 14:00, you will have to pay an extra charge for extra transport to Essaouira.

Airport

Il you will arrive at Essaouira airport, please book a flight that arrives until 18:00. If your flight arrives after 18:00, you will have to pay an extra charge for transport to Essaouira.

Food & Drink

The Restauranch (Restaurant)

If you choose to go on one of our multi-day treks, all bivouac meals will be lovingly prepared by our chef who aims to make you discover our wonderful traditional moroccan cuisine in a nomadic atmosphere. The menu will take into account special diets or food allergies of the participants.