Horseback ride on the Puerto Viejo coast
Highlights
- A relaxing ride across three of Puerto Viejo's principle beaches
- Local guide with experienced information about Puerto Viejo
Facts
- Location : Puerto Viejo
- Hours : 8 a.m.; 2 p.m.
- Price : $75 per person w/ transportation
Ride along the coast with Raul, a Puerto Viejo local, and his crew of reliable horses. Raul's watched as his town's converted from a quiet, rural beach community to an enticing tropical getaway, a story he's more than happy to share with eager travelers on this relaxing two- to three-hour tour.
read more closeRaul has a stud of eight horses, but can get up to four more horses with advanced notice bringing the maximum number of riders to twelve. Tours depart from downtown Puerto Viejo where you'll trek through back alleys between colorful Caribbean homes. It seems like Raul knows everyone, smiling and waving at friends, pointing out where the grazing pastures used to be and where his friends have since built homes.
Cross through town, over the main street and into the shade of the sea almond trees that hang over the coast of local surf spot Salsa Brava. Golden, red, and coffee-colored leaves crinkle under your horse's hooves as you trek along the coast. The water, only a few feet to your left, curls over fossilized coral and collapses against the shoreline. A thin trail weaves between the shore and the hotels, restaurants and surf camps nestled to the back of the coastal forest. En route, Raul searches for and points out two- and three-toed sloths hiding in the trees as well as birds like common black hawks, perching in the branches.
Emerge from the forest on the cream-colored sands of Playa Cocles and continue along the shoreline, your horse's hooves stamping through the broken waves and soft sand. Beginners can enjoy the tranquility of a relaxing ride along the beach while more experienced riders can use this opportunity to gallop.
Ride past Playa Cocles and onto Playa Chiquita where you'll traverse a more overgrown coastal forest. As the shady sea almond trees give way to the grape trees that give Punta Uva (grape point) its name, it's time to turn around and head back toward town.
*make sure to bring long pants and sunscreen
Departure & Return
- Departure point : Tour departs from all major hotels in Cahuita, Puerto Viejo Limon, Cocles, Punta Uva and Manzanillo
- Departure time : Hotel pickup is between 20 and 50 minutes before tour start time depending on hotel location.
- Return details : Tour returns to original departure point between three and four hours after tour start time