Price
2026
7 Nights – €1,756 per person, sharing
Dates & Prices
SOUTH AFRICA
Sunshine Coast Beach Trails
Overview
This ride is fantastic value and a great choice for budget conscious travellers who want the opportunity to ride in Africa. The accommodation and set up is not luxury, it’s camping and rustic but our clients love it and enjoy the small owner managed family team who host it. The joy is the fit horses, the unspoilt beaches, crossing rivers and great outdoor adventure. There is even one day riding in a game reserve to give you a taste of safari. As the sun sets on the day, sitting around the fire with a glass of wine in hand or a beer, you will be reminiscing about your day. If this sounds like heaven this is the trail for you.
You'll be following the Sunshine Coast from Kenton on Sea and riding fit, part bred Arab horses over sandy beaches, swimming across rivers, exploring the many coves and shipwrecks along the way. Owner Jono has a background in endurance riding and has developed this ride. He is backed up by a guide who brings you out and cook/cleaner. It’s a friendly family affair that feels like riding with friends more than a commercial operation.
The itinerary includes a day riding in a safari park as well as a visit to the famous Addo Elephant park (in a minbus) so it’s a good way to gain a taster of game viewing. This ride is suited to good confident riders who are not looking for luxury and just want an action-packed good fun week of fast riding, swimming plus a taste of game viewing too all at fantastic value.
Location
Sunshine Coast, South Africa
Airport
Port Elizabeth or East London, South Africa
Duration
7 nights
When to go
All year
Riding level
Intermediate Plus to Advanced
Weight
100 kg / 15.7 stone / 220 lbs
Group size
8 max
Accommodation
Guest/beach houses and comfortable but rustic bush camping
Included
All the riding, accommodation, meals, drinks with meals and airport transfers.
Extras
Single supplement applies if unwillingly to shar - please contact us.
Single rooms available subject to availability.
Excluded
Flights, extra drinks and tips.
Price guarantee
All our riding holidays hold a price guarantee. We believe in your piece of mind on price when you book with us and will refund the difference should you find the same riding holiday elsewhere at a lower price.
Exchange rate
Rates are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations, please refer to our Terms and Conditions for full details.
Transfers
Airport transfers are included. Your driver will pick you up at the airport and it’s a 1.5-hour drive to Kenton on Sea.
Departure dates
2026
This trail runs twice a month Friday to Friday, please ask use for dates and availability.
Riding & Itinerary
Day 1
Your hosts will meet you at the airport and drive by vehicle to Kenton and stay at the tented camp. After a short introduction briefing we will go for a short river ride followed by drinks and snacks. The evening meal is normally fresh fish.
Day 2
We have an English breakfast and then we get into the bus and drive to the start of the trail at Port Alfred. The scenery is incredibly beautiful and the beaches mostly deserted. We have a pack lunch at the rocky outcrops of the Ship Rock. After lunch we have long canters which are often in the surf as the tide pushes in. Also popular is swimming with the horses in the lagoon. We stay overnight in Kasuga.
Day 3
After breakfast we head off on the horses to Kenton-on-Sea. The beaches are exceptionally beautiful. Long beach canters on this day.
We swim across the Kariega River and have a picnic lunch on the banks of the Kariega River. After lunch we then head upriver to the Beachcomber’s tented camp in the late afternoon. The tented camp has fantastic views of the river and the horses are close by. We normally have a barbecue and enjoy snacks and sundowner drinks on the deck overlooking the river.
Day 4
After breakfast, we ride in the nearby game reserve. Here we will look for elephants, giraffes, buffalo and many other game animals. We ride most of the day and leave the reserve by 3pm. Weather depending, swim and sundowners at the beach.
Day 5
This day we head off to Addo Elephant national park in the minibus and spend the day driving around in the reserve looking for animals. They have all the big 5 and it is the best place in the world to see African Elephants. We return to the tented camp in the evening.
Day 6
After an English breakfast, we ride from the camp to Cannon Rocks. We must swim the horses across the Bushman’s River which is always a highlight. We will have a picnic lunch at the remote Diaz Cross. We then continue up the coast to the next overnight stop. The beaches are spectacular here. Along the way we will visit a Stone Age pottery site. The accommodation is a beach house with nice views.
Day 7
This day we ride back to the Tented camp. Sometimes it is possible to gallop on this day. In the afternoon we do a boat trip up the Kariega River, often swimming and enjoying the tranquillity of the area. This night we will have a braai and drinks around the fire.
Day 8
We may do a short morning ride depending on departure time.
Horses
Mostly part bred Arabs, some TB and Boerperd crosses
Riding level
Intermediate Plus to Advanced
Type of riding
Trail rides exploring unspoilt beaches, tidal rivers, coastal forests and grasslands
Tack
Trail type saddles and snaffle bridles
Weight limit
100 kg / 15.7 stone / 220 lbs
Group size
8 max
Accommodation & Meals
Accommodation along the trail is a mix of accommodation, both guest/beach houses and comfortable but rustic bush camp accommodation. All the accommodation is either on the beach or very close to it and many of the rooms have sea views.
The tented bush camp is very tranquil and well situated among indigenous trees and shrubs. There is a small mess room and dining room to retire should there be any bad weather. There are two shared identical shower/toilet facilities with flush toilets and hot water. The tents have 2 camp beds with duvets, pillows and viewing decks to enjoy nature. There is no electricity, so everything is solar, including phone chargers in the common room so bring a head torch.
This week-long stay includes all meals, and you can expect home-made food with picnic lunches and multi-course dinners.
Breakfast is buffet style, mostly continental, with some cooked options.
Lunches are simple and packed, expect sandwiches and fruit.
Dinners are wholesome, freshly prepared, with local ingredients and influences, expect at least one South African Braai.
Of course there is always a decent South African table wine on tap as well as beers.
Accommodation
Guest/beach houses and comfortable but rustic bush camping
Single Supplement
Possible to have a single room, extra fees may apply.
Meals
Inform us about food allergies and intolerances
Drinks
All drinks and a limited selection of alcohol with meals included.
The Destination
The Sunshine Coast in South Africa is a popular coastal region in the Eastern Cape, known for its abundant sunshine and charming seaside villages. It stretches approximately 500km from Port Elizabeth to East London. This area offers a diverse range of attractions, including blue-flag beaches, great hiking trails, and access to game farms. The Sunshine Coast is also a popular destination for beach horseback riding, offering a variety of trails and experiences.
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