After spending several days in Marrakesh, I was ready for a slower pace of life. Enter, Essaouira. In comparison to Marrakesh, Essaouira is a small city and it’s a perfect place in which to unwind. There are no grand things to see or do in this port city but that is okay! What there is to see is more about culture and Moroccan coastal life. One of the things I did end up doing was going for a camel ride!

Since I was going to be dealing with an animal, I spent quite a bit of time searching online for a reputable company. Ranch de Diabat got good reviews on a wide variety of websites both for the quality of their tours and for their good treatment of their animals. I decided to book with them and ended up being happy I did. Note – I did not receive any compensation for this blog post; all opinions are mine alone.

Ranch de Diabat
Ranch de Diabat
Ranch de Diabat

I booked a 3 hour sunset camel ride with Ranch de Diabat. They picked me up in Essaouira and we drove to the small town of Diabat several kilometers away. It was early in the tourist season so my group was small – just two parents and their young son. We soon met Mohammad and he introduced us to our camel friend for the evening – mine was Aladdin.

Ranch de Diabat
Ranch de Diabat
Ranch de Diabat

Riding a camel is a strange experience. The rocking motion really does make you feel like you’re on a boat! The camels in our little caravan were all well-behaved; it was pretty cool to watch Mohammad interact with the animals. They responded to his littlest command, even hilariously posing for photographs when he asked! Mohammad is also skilled at finding the best angles for photos – just ask him to take pictures of you on your camel and I bet he’ll take something better than you did, haha.

Ranch de Diabat
Ranch de Diabat
Ranch de Diabat

Most of the camel ride occurred on the beach between Diabat and Essaouira, which was lovely. I wasn’t doing any desert visits on this trip to Morocco so at least I still got some sand time! One thing to keep in mind is a camel ride is just that – riding a camel. There are no fancy shows or bells and whistles. It is riding the camel down a beach while the sun sets over the ocean. A simple activity but an enjoyable one, I think. So, if you’re in Essaouira, I do recommend checking out a camel ride with Ranch de Diabat!

Ranch de Diabat
Ranch de Diabat
Ranch de Diabat
Ranch de Diabat

Tips for a Comfortable Camel Ride

Wear comfortable long pants no matter what time of day you are going for a ride.

Wear a hat – you’re exposed to the sun for several hours out there on a camel.

Bring long sleeves if you go at sunset – it gets pretty chilly once the sun is gone.

Bring anti-nausea tablets if you are prone to seasickness.

Relax and enjoy the trip. The less tension you carry in your body, the faster you’ll adjust to the unique motions of a camel.

I didn’t find sitting on a camel too uncomfortable but some people do to the point they find it painful. Maybe bring painkillers for your muscles if you think that will be you!

Ranch de Diabat
Ranch de Diabat
Ranch de Diabat