Sousse Beach stretches seven kilometers along the Gulf of Hammamet, a crescent of pale sand backed by palm groves and olive orchards that have supplied the region since Phoenician traders first anchored here in the ninth century BCE.
The beach itself is public land, free to enter at any hour, and has been a working shore for two millennia—fishing boats still launch at dawn from the northern end, near the ribat walls. Horse riding along this coast emerged as a structured activity in the early 2000s, when local stables in the nearby villages of Chott Meriem and Sidi Bou Ali began offering guided trail rides that combined beach access with inland forest routes through the cork oak and eucalyptus plantations planted during the French protectorate.
Today, horse riding sousse beach tours operate year-round, with departures available every day from 07:00 to 19:00. The beach itself remains free to access, but equestrian experiences are arranged through private operators who maintain stables in the hinterland, typically three to five kilometers inland. These providers offer a range of itineraries: private beach-only rides that follow the waterline for forty-five minutes to an hour, countryside loops that traverse working farms and orchards, and forest trails that climb into the cooler elevations of the Sahel plateau. The horses are predominantly Arabian and Barb crosses, breeds native to North Africa and well-suited to the sandy terrain and summer heat. Most operators require riders to be at least twelve years old and able to manage a walk-trot gait; prior experience is not mandatory for beach routes, though forest trails may require intermediate skills.
The shoreline itself is most rideable at low tide, when the sand compacts and the beach widens to twenty meters or more. Mornings between 07:00 and 10:00 offer the coolest conditions and the fewest pedestrians; by midday, the beach fills with swimmers and sunbathers, and horses are typically redirected to the quieter southern stretches near Khezama or inland to the forest paths. The coast here is shallow and calm, protected by the curve of the gulf, and the water temperature averages twenty-four degrees Celsius from June through September. Riders often pause at the midpoint to let horses wade, and some operators include a short swim segment where the animals can cool off in the shallows. The beach has no formal equestrian infrastructure—no mounted police, no designated bridle paths—but it has been used informally by local riders for generations, and the practice is culturally embedded in the region's relationship with both the sea and the land.
4 hr
