Arenal Horse Tours — Attraction in Monterrey

Arenal Horse Tours was hands down the best horseback riding experience my partner and I have ever had! When searching for horse riding activities in Costa Rica, I came across the usual tourism operators, but Arenal Horse Tours stood out—especially because Enrique, the owner and operator, treats his horses like family, which immediately caught my attention. From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by Enrique and his guides. On the day of our tour, we were the only ones booked for the waterfall ride, which made it feel like a private, personalized experience. Enrique introduced us to all nine of his horses, and we had the chance to feed the four horses we would be riding before heading to a corral. For about an hour, we learned how to guide and communicate with the horses using verbal and physical cues. This session also allowed us to get to know the horses’ unique personalities and temperaments. While this might sound a bit unconventional at first, it made a huge difference! We felt more confident, connected, and in control during the ride. There was no rush at all, and the experience was both fun and insightful—definitely something not to skip. Once we were comfortable, we saddled up and hit the trail. The ride lasted about 90 minutes, followed by a short 300-meter hike to a stunning waterfall, where we stopped for lunch. Normally, you can swim at the waterhole, but due to heavy rain, it wasn’t safe during our visit. Along the way, we spotted various birds and even a sloth, which added to the adventure. After returning from the ride, Enrique asked if I wanted to drive an ATV to help guide the horses to another paddock for grazing. It was such a fun and unexpected bonus to do some off-roading! However, this isn’t guaranteed for every guest—it depends on factors like whether the horses need to be moved, group size, and individual suitability (e.g., young children or medical conditions). If you’re considering this experience, I highly recommend messaging Enrique on WhatsApp. He offers a variety of tours, including rides to the beach and river cruises, so you might be able to join a planned adventure that fits your interests. This was our favorite experience in Costa Rica and easily the best horseback riding tour we’ve ever done. A huge thank you to Enrique and Arenal Horse Tours—this is an...

I wish I could give 10 stars. Enrique, his son Stephen, and his wife were so warm, caring, kind, and gracious. Before we started my son (12) was scared of horses. At the end of the trip, he said he wanted to do more. My daughter (11) was excited to go, and ended up loving it more than she imagined. Enrique spent quite some time with us in the beginning helping us learn about horses, match us with a horse, and develop the relationship with our horses. By the time we got up on the horses we felt so comfortable and connected.

And then…the walk. Oh my gosh. We did the private waterfall. We walked through gorgeous fields and trails, and ended up at this beautiful waterfall where we got to swim all by ourselves. We were served a delicious lunch, and then took our time playing in the water. When we were ready we headed back and took a slightly different route so we could really experience the rainforest. Enrique and Stephen found a “blue jeans” frog and showed us—so cute!! They also pointed out a sloth(!!) and we saw a white hawk and several howler monkeys.

And oh did we love the little sweet Blanca pup who came along with us!

Tip for others—bring plenty of water, wear loose but long pants, and put on plenty of sunscreen!!

We have been having an amazing trip — and this ride with Enrique really set the bar high. So thankful we...

I have ridden in many countries with many outfitters but this ride was by far the best outfitter I have ever ridden with. He took his time to get to know us and for us to get to know the horses. He treated us like family. Because we have our own horses and we trail ride across the USA on seasoned mounts, few “borrowed” animals compare to our own. But these were exceptional horses. They responded well and seemed to enjoy our experience as much as we enjoyed them. We explored the back country of Costa Rica and enjoyed it in a way that only an experienced guide can share. We saw three toed sloths, howler monkeys, azule pantaloons frogs, tucans, and many other specimens of local wildlife. We enjoyed a swim in a private water falls with just our family and Enrique’s. And a wonderful home cooked picnic half way through while enjoying the music of the falls. We slid down steep slopes through creeks and scrambled up hills. It is more of a technical ride and the horses were fit surefooted and very in tune to their riders. Our horses were confident to ride at our choice of speed and direction without question (the mark of a very well trained confident horse) He took time and wasn’t watching the clock for the next group but dedicated the day for our family. We loved...