Horse Riding in Riambel: Make a Day of It
The Riambel equestrian centre is our neighbour, a minute’s walk up the lane. Whether you are riding, waiting for someone who is, or driving across the island for the beach ride, this is how locals would plan the rest of the day.
Two and a half kilometres of beach, no hotels
Riambel beach is one of the few long stretches of sand in Mauritius with no hotel on it. Riding here means open sand, cane fields behind you and the full Indian Ocean in front. The Centre Equestre de Riambel has run rides on this beach since 1999, and is known for giving retired racehorses a second life.
Mornings are cooler and calmer for horses and riders. The sunset ride is the one people photograph. Wear long trousers and closed shoes; helmets are provided by the centre.
We are not part of the centre. To book a ride or check prices and ages, contact them directly at beachhorseridingmauritius.com.
What kind of ride to choose
The rides the centre has offered, in brief. Options change, so always confirm with them when you book.
Beach ride
The classic: a walk along the sand at an easy pace, suitable for first-time riders who are accompanied on foot.
Beach and countryside
Part beach, part trails through the fields and cane behind it. A good choice for those who already ride a little.
Swimming with the horses
A beach ride that ends with the horses wading and swimming in the sea. Usually only for confident, regular riders.
Sunset ride
An hour on the beach as the light goes golden. The most popular slot, so book it early in your stay.
Before the ride, after the ride, or instead of it
A beach ride lasts about an hour. With a little planning, the same trip becomes a half day that tells you something about Mauritius as well as showing you its beach.
Before your ride
Come an hour or two before your ride for the museum, the spice garden and herbal tea. You set off for the beach knowing the story of the land you are riding through.
After your ride
Walk over after the ride for tea, traditional tastings and the stories of the families who built the south. A calm way to end the morning before the drive home.
Not riding?
Partners, children too young for the saddle and friends who came for the photos spend the hour next door, grinding spices on the volcanic stone and exploring the museum.
Visit, then the sunset ride
Take our 15:00 visit, browse the boutique, then walk up the lane for a sunset ride on the beach. One of the nicest afternoons the south can offer.
Ride, then cook and eat with a local family
End the day the Mauritian way. After your ride, walk one minute down the lane to our family kitchen for the evening cooking class: pick herbs in the garden, grind your own masala on the volcanic stone, cook a full three-course Mauritian meal with us, then sit down together at the family table with homemade rum punch.
Late-afternoon ride: ride around 16:00 and join the class at 17:30, when it starts.
Riding at sunset? Tell us when you book and we will start the class after your ride.
MUR 6,000 per adult, MUR 3,000 for children under 12, for 2 to 10 guests on agreed evenings. See the menu and request your evening.
What you will find one minute away
Heritage Spice House is a family heritage house on Teeluck Lane. Riders, partners and children all find something here: the Mauritius our ancestors knew, told through objects, spices and food.
The heritage museum
Everyday objects of island life, from the charcoal iron to the old kerosene lantern, with family photographs and the stories of sugar, spice and immigration.
Grind your own masala
Take the heavy volcanic ross cari stone in your hands and grind spices the way Mauritian grandmothers did. Children love this part.
Taste what you ground
Herbal tea from the garden and traditional Mauritian food cooked with hand-ground masala, ready when the riders come back hungry.
Spices and the boutique
Hand-ground masala, curry blends and single spices, plus textiles and crafts, in the same room where the visit ends.
Coming from the north, east or west? Make it a day
Many riders drive an hour or more to reach Riambel. Rough driving times, depending on traffic:
- Flic en Flac and the west coast: about 1 hour
- Mahébourg and Blue Bay: about 45 minutes
- Port Louis: about 1 hour 15 minutes
- Grand Baie, Belle Mare and the east coast: about 1 hour 30 minutes
If you are coming that far, build the day around the ride:
- Morning: beach ride at the equestrian centre.
- Late morning: walk next door for our visit, with tastings that arrive just when you are hungry.
- Afternoon: Rochester Falls and the Gris Gris cliffs, each within ten minutes, then a swim in the calm lagoon at Bel Ombre before driving home.
More ideas in our guide to things to do near Bel Ombre and our one-day guide to South Mauritius.
How to fit a visit around the ride
Our visits start at 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00, every day except Wednesday. The full visit takes about 90 minutes; the Spice Stop takes 30.
- Visiting before you ride: choose a visit that ends at least 15 minutes before your ride time.
- Visiting after you ride: choose the next visit after your ride finishes.
- Waiting while others ride: join the visit closest to the ride time; the riders can walk over and join you for the tasting at the end.
- Sunset ride: take our 15:00 visit first.
Getting here: the equestrian centre is on Montocchio Lane and we are on Teeluck Lane, about a minute’s walk apart. Free parking at our gate.
Visits are small, so please get in touch with your ride time and we will arrange your visit around it.
Questions we get asked
Is there anything to do near the Riambel equestrian centre while waiting?
Yes. Heritage Spice House is a minute’s walk away, with a heritage museum, spice grinding, a spice garden and traditional tastings. A full visit takes about 90 minutes.
Can we visit before or after our ride?
Yes, and many riders do. Come early for the museum and tea before you ride, or walk over afterwards for tastings and the boutique.
Can we ride and then do the cooking class?
Yes. Ride in the late afternoon and join the class at 17:30, or tell us you are riding at sunset and we will start after your ride.
Can children who are not riding come along?
Of course. Children take turns on the grinding stone and usually enjoy the spice garden. Children’s tickets are MUR 200.
Can I swim at Riambel beach?
Yes, with care. Riambel is wild and quiet, with no lifeguards and very few people, so stay close to the shore and do not venture far out, as the tides can change.
Are you part of the equestrian centre?
No. We are neighbours. Please book rides directly with the Centre Equestre de Riambel.
What else is there to do nearby?
Rochester Falls and the Gris Gris cliffs are each within ten minutes. See our guide to things to do near Bel Ombre and our one-day guide to South Mauritius.
One minute from the equestrian centre
We are on Teeluck Lane, Riambel. Open 08:30–18:00, every day except Wednesday, with visits at 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00. Before your ride, after it, or while others ride: get in touch with your ride time and we will arrange your visit around it.
Come and see it today
MUR 200
Museum, grinding demonstration, herbal tea and the boutique.
MUR 375
Museum, ancestral kitchen, spice garden, hand-grinding and tastings. Children MUR 200.
Thu – Tue
Last entry 17:00. Free onsite parking at the gate.
Visits are small and run at fixed times. Book ahead to hold your place; if there is space on the day, we will gladly fit you in.