My journey with Aladin
– Take a break from your routine, and ride across the beautiful Moroccan coastline on Arab-barb stallions –
This Atlantic Coast Trek was my second horse trek with Ranch de Diabat. After joining them for their Pearl of Essaouira trek in July 2025, I knew I would be returning for another holiday in the future. Morocco is a very beautiful place filled with kind people, and I was happy to be returning for riding at a stable that really cares for their horses.
With this trek, you can take the included transfer from Marrakesh Airport to Essaouira (in a car or minibus). On this occasion, I arrived early with a friend and we took the bus to Essaouira the night before, as we wanted to get out and do a bit of riding at the ranch before the trek officially began.
Day 1: Arrival and welcome dinner
While the rest of the group were en-route to Marrakesh Airport, my friend and I checked out of our first riad in Essaouira and then headed to the Ranch for our 2 hour beach ride. We then returned to Essaouira (transfer time is roughly 10-15 minutes from the ranch to the city) and headed to the hotel.
Our hotel assignment was Wind Palace, a beautiful traditional building that is just off one of the main streets in the medina of Essaouira.
That evening, we met up with the rest of the riders at the Ranch, and enjoyed atay (Moroccan mint tea) and a full spread for dinner. It was fun to meet everyone and hear a quick briefing about the trek that would be starting the next day.
Day 2: A transfer south, and meeting our horses
After a cute breakfast spread at the riad, we all got on the transfer bus at the meeting point and headed to the ranch. From there, we offloaded any unnecessary bags that wouldn’t be coming on the trek, filled our water bottles, and then loaded ourselves and our trekking bags onto the the transfer bus. We drove south and arrived at the starting point, which is also where we had a lunch to kick off the trek.
The first day is always full of nerves as horses and riders get to know each other. The horses themselves are very well trained and eager to start the ride, they can just take some time to get used to, especially if you are a more beginner rider (like myself). There are lots of little things to manage, like keeping enough distance between your stallion and the one one in front of you, or holding him back from a trot when he’s going through deep sand, but the majority of the riding is still pleasant with many moments of fun (trotting, cantering, chatting with fellow riders).
Morocco experienced intense rainfall in the weeks leading up to this tour, which meant most of the places we passed through were covered in greenery. The first campsite was no exception, and the ground was coated in wildflowers. Once we arrived at the campsite, we untacked our horses and gave them water before heading into our assigned tents and unpacking our things. Eventually, dinner was served in the dining tent, followed by some fresh fruit for dessert.
Days 3-6: Flowers, food, fast horses, and more flowers
Each morning begins the same: wake up, change, pack our bags, and meet at the breakfast table for the first meal of the day. Typically, there will be a couple types of bread and an assortment of spreads to choose from (amlou, honey, cream cheese, jams, butter, etc.), hard boiled eggs, fresh fruit juices, tea and coffee. Once we’re eaten, we finish packing our personal bags and set them outside of the sleeping tents in a pile so that they are ready to be packed onto the supply truck again. Horses are then brushed and saddled by the riders, and we set off for the first leg of the day.
When we arrived at the campsites, we took our horses to the buckets of water that were waiting for them. Sometimes, there would be a bit of wait while other horses had a drink, but eventually everyone got their share before we took them to the nearby trees to untack them. We would then put the saddles & saddlepads on a nearby tarp, and bridles got tucked into the saddlebags of their respective horses so they did not get lost.
The food
Lunches are always served on beautifully-arranged platters. They’re filled with different things, ranging from pastas, rice, vegetables and eggs all the way to fruit slices and tuna mixed with tomato sauce. All of it is delicious (the tuna is usually the first plate to be cleared). There is always tea, water and some pop/soda to accompany the food. I do not normally drink sugary drinks at home, but on the trek they were a nice treat and the sugar boost helped restore some of our energy levels.
Evening meals are varied, changing each day which is fun for trying different Moroccan dishes. My personal favourite is kefta tagine, but there are also tagines with couscous, chicken, lamb and fish. I have yet to find one that does not taste great, especially after a long day of riding!
Day 7: Gallops and goodbyes
The last day of riding takes about a half day, and a large portion of it is along the beach that leads back to the ranch. This makes for lots of fun riding opportunities, like having all the horses follow in a line as the lead rider (our guide) winds a wide, snaking trail as we canter and try to follow the weaving motion. There are some great moments for galloping as well, and it is always bittersweet when we finally reach the ranch and untack our horses so they can enjoy a nice afternoon off.
Lunch is served at the ranch, then we’re shuttled back to Essaouira with our original bags so we can check back in to our hotel for the night. Some riders opt to try a hammam spa and/or massage (I do recommend!) to get scrubbed clean before the final group dinner. This is also an opportunity to withdraw cash for the staff tip, which is collected in an envelope at the end of the evening meal.
When the time comes for the last meal, we head to the pickup point and are driven back to the ranch. A lot of people dress in nicer clothing but it is still a very casual atmosphere, with no pressure to be too fancy. It’s nice to walk around the stalls and say “hi” to the horses that carried us across the Atlantic coast of Morocco for the past week or so. We are soon served atay, and then we are seated for dinner at the same long table where we had our first group meal together. It is a beautiful way to end the trip!
What I packed for this 8 day trek – March 28 to April 04, 2026
With extra items added for 3 additional nights in Morocco
Please note that I earn a commission if you purchase items through the affiliate links that are included in this list. Thank you!
Clothing
- 2 pairs bombachas de campo – Very comfortable for riding and durable material with deep pockets
- 1 pair breeches, 1 belt – belt was optional, more for “flair”
- 1 pair of riding boots and half chaps – I used my Blundstones but you can also use hiking shoes
- 1 pair of riding gloves
- 2 button-up safari shirts
- 5 tank tops – 2 fancier ones, 2 sports, 1 cotton
- 1 tube scarf, 1 yellow scarf – Helped keep the sun off my neck
- 3 long sleeve shirts – 1 merino base layer, 1 black shirt with thumb holes, 1 long-sleeved green riding shirt
- 1 pair of flowy pants and 1 flowy cardigan to layer over – for walking in the medinas and around camp
- 1 pair pyjamas – I brought warm winter pyjamas since temps would be dropping as low as 10°C at night
- 1 pair of slide-on sandals – for showering
- 1 hat – to wear at camp
- 10 pairs of socks
- 20 pairs of underwear
- 3 sports bras, 1 regular bra
- 1 set of thermal knee braces – I used them but am still undecided on whether they are reducing my knee pain
- Bathing Suit – I never used mine, but some riders did go for a swim in the ocean at one campsite. If you visit a hammam, you can wear underwear or their disposable paper underwear instead of a swimsuit.
- 1 pair of moccasins/shoes or sandals – Optional: for walking in the medinas of Essaouira and Marrakech
Clothing I packed but did not use
- Icelandic wool sweater – Temperatures never got low enough. I would leave this at home next time.
- Rain coat – it never rained so it was not needed (the forecast predicted rain on only one day so I could have left it at home)
- Tuque/warm hat – it never got cold enough to wear
- Merino leggings – I left these in another bag back at the ranch. Some nights were cool but I survived without them
Toiletries
- Toothbrush – non-electric to save on space. Though I did leave a note in my notebook about “missing” my electric toothbrush, so I may try and pack it next time
- Toothpaste tabs and floss
- Shampoo bar, conditioner bar – read about these and more in my other post
- 1 small soap bar
- Ibuprofen, Antacid tablets, anti-nausea tablets
- 1 Liquid face sunscreen/suncream – This La Roche-Posay tinted Mineral sunscreen protected my face for the whole week.
- 2 Body sunscreen/suncream – I brought one solid format (ATTITUDE Mineral Sunscreen stick) for easy application while riding. I also brought a liquid sunscreen, the Neutrogena Hydro boost 50 SPF – however, my friend had a bad allergic reaction to the ingredients in the Neutrogena one (it was fine for me but I would like to warn those who have sensitivities)
- 1 SPF lip balm – I use this ATITTUDE tinted lip balm for a bit of colour
- Hand sanitizer
- Dry shampoo – I used very little
- Makeup – kohl powder, mascara, makeup remover
- 5 packs of tissues – for toilet paper or serviettes/napkins. I noted that I used all of the tissues but did not need more
- 2 packs of wet wipes – I used 1.5 packs
- Nail clippers
- Razor
- Antiperspirant – I prefer to use this instead of deodorant so my clothes last a bit longer
- Moisturizer stick – solid moisturizer for body & hands. I brought the smaller format of this Oceanly Face Cream Stick and I would recommend you also try a smaller size before investing in this large one
- Contact lenses -optional
- Other hygiene products – Menstrual products (even if you won’t need them, there’s a chance someone else might!)
Toiletries I packed but did not use
- Face cleanser and toner spray – I used these only twice, on the hotel nights in Essaouira
- Laundry Soap – it’s not easy to wash things at camp (takes a long time for things to dry when near the ocean) and I brought enough clothes to last the trip. Since I brought just a couple Tru Earth strips, it wasn’t a huge waste of space either way
Items I would pack next time
- Very good moisturizer for hands – My hands were very dry from wearing my gloves all day
- Non-drowsy allergy pills – to help with pollen and grass allergies (for the Spring season)
- Muscle/joint pain relief cream
Electronics
- 1 power adapter – if needed
- 1 cellphone and charge cable
- 1 GoPro camera, 3 batteries
- 1 GoPro battery charge station
- 1 GoPro head strap – to mount the camera on my helmet
- 1 headlamp – great for walking around the campsite at night
- 2 power banks – I brought one 20 000mAh bank and one 10 000 mAh bank, both from Anker. This Anker Zolo Power Bank is similar to my 10 000mAh bank
- 1 USB hub – to charge multiple things at once from a single power bank. I use this atolla USB hub
- 1 smartwatch and charger – OPTIONAL – I may be making the switch to a regular watch so I can do away with charging the thing every 3-4 days. I find myself checking steps less and less, so a plain-and-simple watch sounds more appealing
Accessories & Extras
- Travel towel – Fast-drying, perfect for using at camp
- Water bottle – I noted in my travel notebook that I wished I had a flip-cap bottle so that it would be easier to open while riding (mine was a twist-off)
- Small first aid kit – one with bandages of varying sizes
- Eye mask – for sleeping
- Hair scrunchie
- Candies & cookies from my country – to share with people on the trip. I shared lots of maple candies and boxes of maple cookies
- Cleaning cloth for lenses
- Small notebook & pen – for jotting down words learned or packing details for your next trip
- 1 empty packing cube for dirty clothes
Some extra information you may find useful when packing
