Mozambique

Day 1. Bonding with Mozambique.

After landing in Vilankulo, a brief transfer will take us to our guest house. In the afternoon, we get to know the stables and choose our horses. We have to make sure it is a fine choice: in the end, these equines will be our partners in this adventure, and we need to make sure we have great chemistry with them. We then take a relaxing ride along the beach to bond with our horses, the equipment, and, no equally important, with Mozambique -it is known that the contact with great landscapes is not to be abrupt, it takes time to take it all in. The ride includes all the ecosystems in the island. Big beaches, incredible views from the cliff, spotless dunes and mangroves.

Day 2. Colours from landscapes, palm trees and the Govuro river.

Any traveller knows that the majesty of the place one visits reveals itself on the next day of his or her arrival. Who does not remember waking up on the first morning in the hotel or camp to discover the colours of the landscape, the waves of a near sea that try to reach the shore, and feeling that one was then immerse in the territory? That’s how we feel today. We ride into the land along the paths that skirt the African towns and vast natural lakes of sweet water and good fauna. The old agricultural paths allow us to gallop at a fast speed as continue to ride over the beach. At the end of the afternoon, we travel to the Govuro river on a boat, where we row along the perfect fluvial way. We submerge in the exuberant river, in the search of the native catfish and we listen to the sounds of the birds. As the sun falls down, the ducks return back into the land to rest. Chances are that we will see fireflies lighting the night sky.

Day 3. The magnificence of the Indic Ocean on a horse.

In the morning, a Dhow takes us to the worldwide famous Benguerra Island. As we reach the island, we see the shapes and colours of horses under palm trees. We soon saddle them up: they are anxious under their feet, with their ears pointing forwards. We position ourselves in the saddle and enjoy the magnificence of the vast Indic Ocean. As we go forward into the interior, we pass through local villages, towards the high dunes of golden sand and fresh water lakes filled with flamingos. If the tide lets us, we dive a little in the Magaruque Island, where a lunch of shellfish, simple and delicious, is served under the shade of a tree. We return to the continent while the sun sets to have dinner and some drinks.

Day 4. God’s footprint and a picturesque far away village.

The Fishing Village Ride is completely authentic, a community located far away, rich in cultural experience, with craftwork shops. We head towards it. Beyond the rocks, the beach opens up and we head towards the mangroves at a distance. We reach God’s footprint, from where we have a splendid panoramic view that will remain engraved in our retina for life. We contemplate this and continue our journey: it seems impossible, but there is a lot to discover about Mozambique yet. We continue through the sinuous coconut plantations all along the way in the beach until we reach a fisher's’ village in Managlise. Once we take a seat there in a modest hut, the coconuts freshly harvested are opened, their refreshing juice works for us, as reward after an exhausting journey. We have lunch in the traditional way: fresh crab fished from the beach, cooked on a grill in the morning, and Matapa. After lunch, the kids go out to sing local songs and dance, happy. Once we say goodbye to them, we saddle up and return.

Day 5. There are only two colours: the blue of the sky and of the sea that melt into one, and the yellow of the sand in the Red Dune.

The journey today is one of the most worshiped ones: we head towards the Red Dune. To do that, we take the old coast road that runs in parallel to the beach before meander and cross the small river estuary. All along the road we pass by little rural towns where children will come to say hi to our horses. As local population diminishes, we can freely gallop through coast bushes, letting us be taken over by the adventure and open the way as an arrow. After many hours galloping, we reach beaches with incredible views of the bay. The wide and desertic beaches offer a unique opportunity to experiment a good gallop, every step being a great thrust on the warm sand. The landscape is divided into two colours: the blue of the sky and the sea and the bright yellow of the sand.

Day 6. The landscape is divided into two colors.

The long and deserted beaches offer the opportunity to experience a good gallop in which each step is a firm lunge in the warm sand, where the landscape is divided into two colors: the blue of the sky and the sea, and the bright yellow of the sand. Nothing is certain: the duration and time of riding depends on weather conditions, the tide and the will of the group.

Day 7. Galloping in the water, a mandatory experience for any good rider.

On the one side, the green shore, the palm trees and the vegetation, firm land. On the other side, the horizon, crystal-clear water, the horses and us galloping in full swing. Each horse does it differently, each experience is unique and non-transferrable. The power traction of the horses counteracts the pressure of the water; we have part of our body submerged in the water and the torso under the inclemency of the African sun. This experience is mandatory to any rider that craves for challenging experiences.

Day 8. Farewell.

The last ride along the beach until we reach God’s Footprint. Just as God left its footprint in this viewpoint where our eyes can barely believe the view, Mozambique leaves a footprint in us: the landscape, the beaches, the warm sand and the crystal-clear water in which we rode testing our endurance. We sadly say goodbye, knowing, however, that we are not the same. After lunch, we head to the airport.