Rancho La Merced / — Local services in Bahía Ballena

DO NOT BOOK A HORSE TOUR IN THIS RANCH : bad behaviour, bad energy, horses are not in good shape, and Wrong directions given.

Aug 2nd 2024 : With my group of 5 people from France that booked horse riding, I joined them to see if I might as well do the activity.

When arrived, immediately one can recognize there’s absolutely not a « welcoming area », people put their helmets and ride their horse whiteout any specific instructions or safety guidelines shared (!!).

My group was joined as well with an American family, with 2 girls, a boy and their parents. 5 min after, the 2 girls were crying (of course, there’s not a hinch of trust shared with them, trust that could have been gained with instructions and positivity). The group was lead by this guy on the picture shared. After 10 min walk, at a road crossing, I asked the rodeo guide if the beach was at the right. He told me yes without giving further message.

The problem is that to join this beach, it has been a nightmare between mud and the stress of being stuck in it, river to cross. Honestly, it was a difficult 20 min walk throughout the jungle to achieve for a single person, especially in the wet season in Costa Rica. And everybody knows how much I love sensations and trekking!

After enjoying the beach and when back (so 2x20 min of fear) to the Ranch, the guide below in the picture has NOT BEEN EMPATHETIC neither gentle when answering my soft question : « Jeffe, why you gave me the direction of the beach without telling it was dangerous ».

So this « guide » answered that I had eyes. Honestly I wanted to punch 🥊 him, I kept calm and was telling him that If I have eyes, you have a mouth to advise tourist (and customer throughout the group by the way!).

Again, do not go there. Check my messages shared thoughout my visits. I have very positive experiences and I share them, and I also share very bad experiences and this one...

So we booked the sunset tour way in advanced for our trip from July 11-15. Every thing was set for July 14th. A couple days before the trip i get an email asking if we could change the date or change to the 1pm tour. I replied and said no due to other excursions and the time frame of our trip. They didn’t reply. I sent a follow up email asking if we were still good for the sunset tour and they confirmed yes. The day we landed in Costa Rica i get an email from them stating they are cancelling due to “inspection of the horses” and that we would still need to go to the ranch to pick up our refund because apparently it takes long for them to refund through the bank. We went and picked up our refund met the guy and went on our way. I found a local man who was able to accommodate and we did a sunset tour. And who did we see with another group during the sunset timeframe on the beach??? The same man who gave our refund and stated that they were cancelling tours due to inspection for horses when in reality they cancelled for a bigger group to take the tour. This is extremely unprofessional and i will never use this company and only the local man we found. Plus it was a better experience and you got to see more for a cheaper price than what...

As a lifelong equestrian, I carefully observe the animals, handlers, and grounds on any tour. This place and animals are well kept. Edgar, our trail boss, operates with great care for the horses and the riders, assisting all with mounting, dismounting. He demonstrates good trail etiquette by stopping occasionally to ensure are all OK and asking if we're comfortable to continue up the mountain to the waterfall.

We arrived early, and with permission, I "met" each horse. I connected with the blue roan, Benicio Jr. and was allowed him as my ride when I asked.

We saw the blue morpho 🦋, macaw, wild turkey, monkeys. We loved exploring the waterfall and floating in the river, so cool and refreshing!!

I greatly appreciated the ability to jog and lope in the open, safe terrain on the return trip. The horses respond to the riders level, so some stayed at a walk. Please don't be intimidated if you're new to riding. All are sure footed on the rocky and muddy mountainside (see videos).

I'm in love with Benicio. Fantastic horse, smooth jog and lope, and listens well. Edgar also gave me extra time with Benicio when the ride was over, and that means so much to me as all horses, not just my own,...