Beach Riding Vacations

Australia’s Beach & Bush Trail Ride

Horses and trail riding are popular activities with local residents and visitors to the region. The Noosa Council has created a special hinterland trail network which covers a range of mountain trails and rainforest tracks with spectacular coastal views and the opportunity to ride along a beautiful Australian surfing beach close to the world's largest sand island - Fraser Island.

We have put together the Australian Beach & Bush Ride for you to enjoy the range of sites and sensations this unique Australian region has to offer. Australian flora and fauna, including kangaroos, koalas, colorful parrots, eucalypts and heritage rainforest are just some of the Australian icons you will see regularly on your rides.

Your guide for the week is triple Olympian, Alex Watson, who lives in the Noosa area.

California’s Northern Coast Trail Ride

The California Northern Coast Trail is a five-day, five-night ride on Tennessee Walking Horses. Located just one hour south from San Francisco, along the undisturbed California Coast. Discover the pace of nature on this horseback riding vacation. Long before maps and diaries were inked on Spanish galleons, the indigeneous people, the Ohlones, sang the name of this place: “Dancing on the brink of the world.” Your host and horses are located on site at your picturesque seaside inn which overlooks a spectacular stretch of rugged bluffs surrounded by endless acres of wilderness, rolling coastal hills and secluded beaches. This offers a great base camp for the first half of your horseback trail ride vacation. The final day of riding will cross through backcountry wilderness over to a charming turn of the century Inn for your last night in a coastal town that still retains its 19th century atmosphere.

Costa Rica Beaches Trail Ride

This seven night, four day horseback riding trip takes riders along fifty different beaches. Some beaches are white while others are black. All are interesting. You will ride along beaches where pirates stashed their loot and weapons. You will ride along country trails lined with "Sangre de Toro" trees with their magnolia type flowers. Along the trail, you will see the nesting areas of giant turtles. It is here that the giant turtles come to lay their eggs every year between November and March. You will pass small fishing villages and get a chance to see the day's catch. In the trees, you will see macaws, parrots, Spanish moss, and monkeys. You will pass through teak and mango plantations and some of the most beautiful natural scenery on earth. Remember to bring your swimsuit because one of the most popular features of this ride is a swim in the clear waters of the Pacific Ocean with your horse.

France’s Mediterranean Trail Ride

The Camargue Inn-to-Inn trail winds by stone farm houses and radiant fields overflowing with olive trees. As the trail moves from the area of the Luberon region (the foothills of the Alps) towards the sea, an interesting change of scenery takes place. As you move ever closer to the sea you see fewer and fewer signs of civilization and more signs of nature's work. It is an extraordinary experience. On this six night, five day ride you will see stone houses, meandering streets, local artists, outdoor cafes, and many fountains set amongst the Roman ruins. As you enter the Camargue, you will see the landscape change to dunes, beaches and pine forests. This is a protected area and part of a regional park since 1927. It is only open to horseback riding by special permission, but you are a welcome guest here. You are welcome to ride in the dunes and along the white sand beaches as well as to swim with your horse. Here you can also gallop along the deserted beaches or in the surf.

France’s Normandy Beaches Trail

This is a true adventure to experience over 6 nights and 5 days of riding.

The Allied Landing of June 6, 1944 and the Battle of Normandy have deeply laid their marks in Bessin and its capital of Baveux. The high cliffs, the dunes and the long seashores are fringed by a landscape of wooded bocages. The numerous castles, manor houses, mills and other churches, chapels and abbeys were also witness to this historical time. Add on to this historic ride, the famous Mont Saint-Michel, “the 8th wonder of the world”. The area sketched by the Mont Saint-Michel, Granville and the Chausey archipelago experiences the biggest tides in Europe. The decorum gains an extraordinary mobility out of it. Crossing the bay on horse where the water, the sand and the sky mingle together promises intense emotion. The food is incredible with seafood, meat dishes, vegetables and, of course, fruit. There are many concoctions made from apple cider but the most famous is Calvados, a brandy used to aid digestion. A fine meal after a wonderful day in the saddle is an indescribable delight.

Greece’s Kefalonia Island Trail

Imagine riding along the Ionian Sea that the Greek poet, Homer wrote about over two thousand years ago. Imagine a visit to the Temple of Delphi where ancient Greeks went to have their fortunes told by the Oracle. And imagine long gallops through the Greek countryside along the same trails that people and horses have used for hundreds of years. This is what is waiting for you on the Ionian Sea Trail Ride. On this six night, four day ride you will ride a horse which very well might have the blood of the horses ridden by ancient Greek warriors. Their modern descendants are fit and agile to be able to negotiate mountain trails as well as break out for a canter or a gallop. For more information on this ride click here.

Ireland’s Connemara Coastal Trail Ride

This horseback riding vacation is a delight for riders who want to gallop on beaches on a wonderful Irish horse, since beach riding is a frequent occurrence. You will stay in guesthouses along the way and enjoy true Irish hospitality. Just be prepared to be surprised with how much the Irish know about the United States. Everyone seems to have a relative living “in America” or has lived in the States themselves. But most of all, be prepared to fall in love with the wonderful Irish people. This seven night, six day ride travels through a beautiful untouched area dotted with quaint villages that seem like they haven’t changed since the Nineteenth Century. The colors change all day long as the sun and the clouds compete for primacy.

New Zealand’s South Pacific Beach Trail Ride

This trail takes riders along the South Pacific on New Zealand's east coast, past some of the finest beaches, rugged farm land and Maori tribal homeland. Nestled at the base of a prominent local landmark called 'Puketiti', amidst 90 acres of native and exotic forest is the Homestead at Puketiti Station, your home for the next 6 days. you will experience the pioneering spirit that is locked up in this historic location and at the same time witness some of the most spectacular sights and scenes that the east coast has to offer. You will have the opportunity to be part of a modern day sheep and cattle station, capturing the day-to-day station life and see some of the best Stockmen on the coast at work. You will also ride on some of the best local beaches that are not only world famous for their surf but also are rich with sea life.

Portugal’s Seaside Coast and Village Ride

This vacation brings riders out of the interior countryside to Portugal's rugged Atlantic coast to ride in a natural preserve which is open only to hikers and riders. Here you will pass through cork tree forests, Alentejo farms, pine forests and along the Atlantic beaches. Riders will see lighthouses which have guarded mariners for many years and windmills which dot the farm country. In the distance, the fishing villages of Zambujeira do Mar and Vila Nova de Milfontes stand on the coast as they have for so long. On the dunes, you will see the rare and small shrub, Morganheira das Praias which shows off its tiny violet flowers almost all year. This six night, five day (or seven night, 6 day) ride is comprised of full riding days on magnificent Lusitanos and meals of seafood, caught fresh that day.

Spain’s Andalusian Coast and Villages Trail Ride

The sweeping, sunlit curve of the gulf of Roses stretches for 10 miles from the Cap de Creus peninsula in the north to the Montgri mountain range in the south, its long sandy beaches running along the edge of the alluvial plain of Emporda which was formed by the Muga and Fluvia rivers. This is the backdrop for your Coast to Village trail ride. During your seven night, six day ride on a noble Andalusian, you will venture through several small towns like Peralada, north of Castello, a village with several noteworthy buildings. Foremost among them, standing in the midst of a large park, is the great castle of the Rocaberti family, which has fine Renaissance features (16-17th C.) and others that are neo¬medieval (19th C). Now, it houses an important casino and a celebrated International Music Festival is held there every summer. Nearby are the old convent of El Carme, with its church and cloister in elegant Gothic style (14th C.), and the Museo del Castell de Peralada (containing ceramics, glass and ancient art) and an interesting library.

Spain’s Andalusian Costa Brava Trail Ride

The wild beauty of Catalonia has always brought a lot of admirers to this part of the world. Around the middle of the 19th century the painters enjoyed the hues of the intense Costa Brava green lawns and forests, of the wild and beautiful coastline, of the deep blue of the rivers and the sky as well as the reddish brown to black colors of the lava stones. You will be able to enjoy this the same way as they did, on the back of a noble Andalusian. This six night, five day ride covers some of the most beautiful and rustic countryside in Spain and hosts amazing views of the Mediterranean.

The ride above is just a sample of past rides available.

>> View our entire list of full rides available now.