These white cliffs rising up opposite Sardinia are already impressive. So just imagine the view of Bonifacio as you sit in the saddle of a horse, just a few meters from the drop-off into the Mediterranean Sea.
You might feel a little dizzy at the thought. But trust me: you won’t find a more spectacular vantage point overlooking the city perched on a cliff… Unless, of course, you treat yourself to a helicopter ride.
That’s why my partner and I decided to explore Bonifacio on horseback, guided by the owner of the Équi’libre riding center, for a 2-hour ride through the maquis and along the Mediterranean coast. It’s an uphill climb, it gets hot, and at the end, the view is breathtaking.
A Bonifacio equestrian center that takes good care of its horses
There’s no shortage of horseback riding centers in the Far South, so I was spoiled for choice. After finding two highly rated ranches (Santu Pultru near Sartène and Équi’libre just outside Bonifacio), and having received no response from the first one in the days following my call, I ultimately chose Équi’libre. The horseback rides were very different anyway.
Marine, the young owner, took over the estate a few years ago to develop a “four-season” horseback riding and trail riding business, with the commitment to animal welfare typical of a passionate rider.
“My horses go out for rides no more than 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. At least I know they’ll stay in good shape longer as they get older. The well-being of my animals comes before business.”
As I pointed out in my report on horseback riding in Sardinia, every traveler should pay attention to how horses are treated when booking an excursion. The ownerof Équi’libre goes even further, as she “has been campaigning for quite some time to bring some regulation to equestrian tourism in the region, which is sometimes marked by the overuse of horses.”
You feel better on horseback when you can see that the horse is doing well. And that’s clearly the case here.
A 2-hour horseback ride through varied terrain
With Santu Pultru, we could have climbed up to the Cauria plateau to explore the heart of Corsican prehistory, from “stantari” (menhir statues) to “stazzone” (dolmens). It sounded promising. In the end, we explored the site on foot, telling ourselves that our next visit to the Sartenais region might be the one.
In Bonifacio, accompanied by our guide, this experience offers a completely different perspective on the area. Here, the horses carry us from the town center to the cliffs, through steep scrubland, all in good spirits.
We’re meeting at 8:30 a.m. at the ranch. The first days of May feel almost like summer; the sun is out, with a light breeze blowing in from the Strait of Bonifacio that always seems to threaten to bring a flock of ominous clouds with it. But luck is on our side: the rain won’t come until the afternoon.
The last 100 meters leading to the equestrian center’s parking lot set the tone. Low walls of white rock flank the rocky, pothole-ridden path—so bad that you wonder how Marine manages to move her horses along it… “I can drive a double-decker trailer down there with no problem, ” she’ll say later, amused, to my partner.
And now we’re all set to head up. Our group has been assigned two gentle Comtois horses, Sydonie and Toxane, both draft mares. A mother and her daughter round out the group, riding small horses accustomed to the hills of Bonifacio.
So, for two hours, we make our way along paths, roads, through the woods, and along the Genoese Trail, climbing almost continuously over rugged terrain.
The scrubland surrounds us, breaking through the walls of days gone by, while I have to regularly “encourage” Toxane, who isn’t too fond of starting up hills. With a few loud belches, she always manages to make it in the end—that good old beast. We chat and laugh the whole way, in between moments of contemplation or a brisk trot.
Eventually, we catch a glimpse of the open sea, and the coastline of the neighboring island comes into view on a clear day. The Bonifacio Strait opens up before us in a sweeping view; the vista from our saddles is breathtaking. The hikers and early-morning joggers we pass on the Campu Rumanilu don’t know the unique pleasure of looking out over the cliffs from the back of a horse grazing just a stone’s throw from the edge.
But come on. I’m already giving away almost too much, and I wouldn’t want to spoil your next horseback ride along the cliffs of Bonifacio. It speaks for itself!
Book a horseback ride in Bonifacio
No matter when you visit Bonifacio, horseback rides are available year-round—a great reason to visit during the off-season, when you can avoid the summer crowds and enjoy a relaxed, stress-free experience.
Marine says it herself: “In the summer, there are so many people that it’s kind of like a highway, with dozens of boats crisscrossing the estuaries and the trails packed with hikers. I much prefer to go out before summer vacation.” And so do we!
As for the price, expect to pay €80 per person for this 2-hour tour. You’ll pay a deposit to confirm your reservation and settle the balance on-site on the day of the tour.
Here isÉqui’libre’s contact information: Website – 06 13 01 00 61 – Musella Industrial Park, Bonifacio
And Santu Pultru‘s, if you’d still like to give it a try near Cauria: Website – 06 82 33 61 28 – D48, Sartène
