Horseback riding in Morocco is like traveling back to the fabled land of the “Thousand and One Nights”. You will see ancient walled cities, Roman ruins, huge markets with a wide variety of exotic wares and towns with elaborate arches and minarets.
This once powerful country launched an attack on southern Europe reaching as far as central France and controlled southern Spain for 8 centuries. It is the home of some of the world’s finest Arabian and Barb horses which were used with such success by the Moorish cavalry. The varied landscape includes beaches on the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, the mighty Atlas Mountains, fertile fields with olive groves, fruit trees and wheat fields as well as the austere and beautiful Sahara Desert in the extreme south. Morocco is only a 7-hour flight from the US, and has long been a favorite winter destination for Europeans who revel in its vital and colorful traditions. The spectacular landscape has not escaped the attention of the film industry which has taken advantage of the varied and beautiful terrain to shoot many films here, including “Lawrence of Arabia.”
The rich Moroccan culture includes an elaborate cuisine, highly developed over the centuries, with fresh vegetables, fruits and spices available all year in this temperate climate. Morocco is particularly well known for its arts and crafts. The old guild system with apprentices is still very much alive and has been encouraged by the government. You can find wonderful bargains in the maze like souks where you can find carpets, clothing, jewelry, perfumes, spices, leather goods and countless other items.
These rides are quite fast paced and your Barb and Arabian horses have lots of endurance to make long, fast canters to cover the ground quickly. Morocco is a comparatively short flight from the East Coast and the rides are some of the most reasonably priced of any in Europe or Africa.
