The Lake Trail

Day 1 Arrival

You land in Agadir or Essaouira. A driver will be waiting for you at the airport and take you to our base. From Agadir the road is winding, so if you’re prone to motion sickness, it’s worth taking something before. From Essaouira is very close – 30 minutes by taxi.

Our base is in a small village by the Atlantic – Sidi Kaouki, where our stable is. The drive takes about 3 hours from Agadir. From Essaouira is very close – 30 minutes by taxi.

You spend the first night in our house with a pool. The plan depends on your arrival time. If you get in early, we can walk to the stable to meet the horses, or even head out for a short sunset ride.

In the evening, we have dinner together – then time to slow down and rest after the journey.

Day 2 Into the land

After breakfast and coffee, we head to the stable. We match the horses and set off for a full day in the saddle.

We ride through Berber villages, past herds of camels and goats, and endless argan trees. In spring, the landscape is often green. After a rainy winter, the argan trees bloom with a hint of purple, and in some places you ride through real meadows.

We spend the night near the ruins of the largest 16th-century sugar factory in Morocco. These are not just random walls. This region once played a key role in sugar production, which was a major trade commodity. The scale was impressive, and places like this were rare.

Today, only stone walls and fragments remain – but you can still feel how big it once was.

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Day 3 Towards the lake

Today we reach the lake – a large reservoir that supplies water to the whole region. In this climate, it changes throughout the year. After winter rains, it can be full and turquoise, attracting birds. In drier months, it becomes quieter, but remains essential for both people and animals.

From a distance, the surface shines. Up close, you start to notice submerged palms.

The trail runs along narrow paths, through hills and open patches of land. The closer we get to the water, the greener everything becomes.

Day 4 Around the lake

We circle the lake from the other side. The terrain gets rougher – rocky ground, narrow paths, some steeper sections. In a few places, we get off and lead the horses.

We slowly start moving back towards the ocean, but for the night we stay inland.

Towards the end of the day, we stop at an argan cooperative. You’ll see how argan oil – often called the gold of Morocco – is made, from cracking the nuts by hand to pressing the oil.

It’s work traditionally done by women, passed down through generations.

There’s also time to look around and buy if you want.

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Day 5 First sight of the ocean

Today we ride through more gullies and dry riverbeds.

Towards the end of the day, the Atlantic appears for the first time – waves breaking against the rocks.

We camp on a cliff above the ocean.

In the evening, you hear the waves below and see a sky full of stars. We light a fire, there are drums, and a good dinner.

No signal. No city lights. Just the ocean and the night.

Day 6 Beach day

A full day by the ocean.

In the morning, we ride along a wide beach near the camp. Then we climb up to the cliffs, with views of the Atlantic breaking hard against the rocks.

We stop for lunch at the Sidi M’Bark oasis – where water meets sand. This is where the Aghbalou stream has been shaping the rock for thousands of years, creating small cascades and natural pools.

Geologically, it’s a moving landscape – layers of sand and rock constantly shifting, dunes changing shape over time. For centuries, this was a stopping point. In a dry land, water always meant life.

In the afternoon, we’re back on the beaches – sometimes with darker sand – and long gallops.

Camp right by the ocean.

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Day 7 Towards Essaouira

We follow the beaches towards Essaouira. Last gallops on empty stretches, last climbs along the cliffs. Today is shorter – around 3 hours in the saddle.

We stop at the stable for lunch. That’s where we say goodbye to the horses, then head to Essaouira. A quick shower, and we go out into the city. Windy, open, with a different rhythm. For centuries, it was an important trading port – a place where Africa, Europe, and the Middle East met. You can still feel it in the streets and the architecture.

If you feel like it, there’s also the option of a local hammam.

In the evening, we return to the house for a final dinner together.

Day 8 Departure

Breakfast, a last walk on the beach or some quiet time by the pool.

Then we head to the airport.