Black Stallion Eco Ranch — Attraction in Tamarindo

On the outside Black Stallion looks like a legit establishment, but once you're in, the facility lacks professionalism one would expect as a customer.

First of all, when we drove up to make arrangements to go horse back riding we didn't know where to go to find any kind of office. Once the kept dogs started barking, Alex showed up from his 2nd Floor pad and spoke to us form the balcony without bothering to come down from his tower.

Once we showed up the following day, even with reservations, the local "cow boys" weren't expecting us but still accommodated me and my 5 and 7 year old. The 7 year old had her own horse while the 5 year old rode with me.

Mostly a boring ride UNTIL, my saddle came loose and my son and I slid off the horse and went straight down. The tiko (local Costa Rican) tried to blame the horse but it was clearly the handlers that did a horrible job and securing the saddle on the horse. Long story short, we were super lucky and I didn't hit any rocks, which were inches away, but I did fracture my my tailbone.

Alex doesn't let the tikos take the money and Alex wasn't in his tower so we didn't have to pay on the spot and were asked to come back later. We didn't.

Please go to a more professional establishment and like Diamante eco Adventure or any where else.

Alex, you need to fire or retrain your guys before someone is really hurt or dies! Talk to your guy in the attached image and reach out to me if it helps answer some of your questions.

P.S. I've decide to never go horse back...

AWESOME! Horseback Riding, Zip Lining, Barbecue

You arrive at a wonderfully private estate in the jungle of Tamarindo with beautiful imported black stallion statues decorating the property. Then you arrive at an outside property with a pool, bar, and very welcoming "staff". The "staff" made us feel like we were being hosted by a friend as soon as week got there.

We were geared up for zip lining with was a very cool outdoor truck that brought us up to a stunning view point where our first zip line platform was. It was the coolest feeling with flying through the jungle from mountain to mountain. We got amazing footage since their helmets had a fixture that fit my GoPro camera. The guides made us feel very safe and were a ton of fun to be around.

Next we went horseback riding. Definitely bring some long pants if you have sensitive skin. The trailers and view points were breathtaking. The horses were very calm but also cantered well. Get Jessie if you can. He was my horse and rode very well.

Once we got back we were greeted by a perfect pool, ice cold water, some mixed drink and snacks. Alex, the owner, has become part of our group and would recommend this place in a heart beat!

After the evening we came back for the best barbecue on planet earth! (sorry mom). The ribs, the potatoes, the chorizo, and the ICE CREAM COOKIES!!!! SOOOOOO GOOD!!!! And the place has the cutest dogs and cats that we refused to stay away from!

THIS....

1 adult & 3 teenagers; we had a great time doing the zip line course followed by the BBQ dinner. This was our first visit to Black Stallion.

Our zip line tour started on time and the 3 guides were helpful and patient. The ride to the top was shorter than expected (10-15 minutes) with a 5 minute walk to the first platform at the very top. We rode up the mountain in the back of a truck, seated on wooden benches - it was fun. The instructions for the zip lining were clear and concise. It did seem a bit rushed at the top, we would have liked a bit more time to look around, take pics, etc. Once you get going on the 9 stop zip line course it moves quite fast ... you land on one platform and immediately get going on the next line. Again, it seemed so rushed but it was still fun.

We did use the pool, it was clean and felt great.

The BBQ dinner with live music was a lot of fun and the food was very good. Very relaxed environment and the service was fantastic. Plenty of variety and enough that we could go back for seconds if wanted. Comfortable indoor environment with open windows, fans moving air, no mosquitoes and we could hear monkeys throughout.

The only downside is that the Black Stallion facility itself is pretty rundown. One of the pool lights was dangling loose at the bottom of the pool; quite a bit of trash laying around ... just overall not a clean, nice-looking place, it's needs some TLC. But the activities, food and...