HORSE RIDING Ollie's Adventures — Local services in Cóbano

I booked Ollie’s Adventures Horse Riding experience through my hotel after seeing the glowing reviews online. While the scenery was absolutely breathtaking — riding along the beach and through the jungle was stunning! — the overall experience felt disorganized and, at times, stressful.

There was a long wait before we started, and communication was a challenge. Most of the staff didn’t speak English — which I understand isn’t a requirement — but it made it difficult to follow instructions as a beginner. I mentioned that I had only ridden once as a child, but there was no introduction to the horses or basic guidance provided. Perhaps some instructions were given in Spanish, but nothing was translated for me.

Once we got going, the “tour” mainly involved following the guide at a distance, with little to no interaction or check-ins. My horse frequently stopped to eat and lagged behind, and at times I couldn’t even see the guide ahead. At one point, trying to catch up, my horse suddenly galloped down the beach, which was terrifying as a beginner. I really would have appreciated more support or instruction throughout.

I think this experience could be great for confident riders or Spanish speakers, but I wouldn’t recommend it for beginners looking for a guided or supportive horseback experience. The setting is undeniably beautiful, but I spent much of the ride feeling anxious rather...

This was such a pure Costa Rica experience. My whole family, my wife, children 7 and 9 and myself did the ride. I have never ridden a horse and was a little apprehensive about going. The bilingual guide, Rosa and the local Beto were absolutely fantastic. They made me feel comfortable, gave me just enough information to feel comfortable with the reins, and off we went. The first part of the trip was in a bit of jungle and we were serenaded by Howler monkeys. Then, we popped out onto the coast of Mal Pais and rode along past some rocky outcroppings with crashing waves and a light onshore breeze which kept us relatively cool. Rosa led my daughter out front, and Beto led my son in the back. The whole experience was tranquil and somewhat primordial. Just some people on horseback making fresh tracks on the beach while waves pounded the reefs as if we had been transported back in time. It was quite moving for me, as I had never been on horseback in any real sense, and I had certainly never seen the millennial aged combat of waves shaping the coast with not another sole in sight. It was very humbling. I highly...

This was truly a beautiful experience! I did the 2 hour jungle and beach tour. My horse, Bruno, was pretty big and I had never ridden a horse before, but the instructors were good company.

They seem to operate from a small farm, which was super cute and more of an authentic experience compared to other horseback tours, I looked into in the area. Also, I love the fact that they only use one horse per day as they don’t want to...