Horseback riding in Santa Teresa, Mal País and Montezuma

The short answer

Yes, you can ride horses here, and it's one of the nicest ways to see the coast without a surfboard or an ATV. The riding scene is small, though. Around Santa Teresa it centers on one big working ranch north of town, and on the Montezuma side there's a tide-timed ride to a waterfall that pours onto the beach.

Here's where we'd start:

Riding at Hacienda Ario, north of Santa Teresa

Hacienda Ario is a family-owned cattle ranch covering roughly 1,925 hectares near the fishing village of Manzanillo, a short drive north of Santa Teresa past Playa Hermosa. Its riding arm is called Ario Tours, and rides go out with a bilingual guide and a sabanero, the Costa Rican word for a cowboy.

The terrain is the draw. The ranch says riders can cover more than 4 miles of beach, then head up through grassland to hilltops with Pacific views, and there's forest and the Ario River on the property too.

What it lists:

• Private ride: about 2 hours, for 2 or more people.
• Group ride: about 2 hours, with a small group of up to 8 to 10 riders.
• Cowboy Experience: a longer morning that includes helping round up cattle and a typical Costa Rican lunch. It needs at least 4 riders and is recommended for ages 10 and up.
• Picnic ride: a ride with a picnic stop in the shade; ask about details.

Ario says its horses are bred and raised on the ranch, and that riders are matched to a horse that suits their experience. Rides run from the morning into the early afternoon.

You don't always have to contact the ranch directly. Zuma Tours, which has offices in Montezuma, sells a horseback ride from Mal País, Santa Teresa and Hermosa that heads north to the Ario River area at Hacienda Ario, which is handy if you're booking several tours in one place.

Booking a ride in town

Pacific Dirt Road Adventures is best known for ATV and motorbike rentals, but it also lists a 2-hour guided horseback ride through beach and jungle scenery near Santa Teresa and Mal País. You send a request with your preferred date, and the team confirms by email or WhatsApp. The page doesn't name the stable that supplies the horses, so ask if you'd like to know.

Some hotels arrange rides too. Casa MarBella, for example, says it can set up 2-hour morning or sunset rides with a local company, timed around the tides, or longer rides at a ranch about 35 minutes out of town. If you're staying somewhere with a front desk or concierge, it's worth asking what they use.

Riding to El Chorro from Montezuma

On the other side of the peninsula, the classic ride heads north from Montezuma along the coast to El Chorro, a waterfall that drops onto the sand at Playa Cocalito. It's a long, hot walk, so a lot of people choose to do it on horseback instead.

Cabo Blanco Traveler, a tour company based in Montezuma, runs this one. Its page describes about 3.5 hours mixing beach riding with trails through coastal forest, with a chance to swim at the beach, river or falls. Departure times follow the tides, so the team confirms your start time for the date you pick. Water and fresh fruit are included, and pickup can be arranged from Santa Teresa, Mal País or Playa Hermosa for 2 or more riders.

Don't confuse El Chorro with the Montezuma waterfall, the falls just outside the village that most people hike to.

Beach rides vs jungle rides

Beach rides are what most people picture: open sand, sea breeze and the odd surfer paddling out. They depend on the tide. At high tide some beaches have little dry sand left and rocky points can be impassable, so operators schedule beach sections around low or falling tide. That's why your start time may move from one day to the next.

Jungle and hill rides go inland on ranch trails and farm tracks. They're shadier, slower and better for spotting wildlife. Cabo Blanco Traveler mentions howler and white-faced monkeys, agoutis and coatis, though sightings are never guaranteed. Hill rides also give you the views you can't get from the beach.

Many rides mix both, which is usually the best of both worlds.

What to expect

• Experience: you don't need any. Guides match horses to riders and set the pace for the group. If you're confident, say so; if you're nervous, say that too.
• Group size: small. Private rides are easy to arrange.
• Length: most rides are about 2 hours. The El Chorro ride and the ranch's cowboy morning are longer.
• Pickup: some operators include transport or offer it for a minimum number of riders. Ario is a short drive north of Santa Teresa on dirt roads.
• Booking: usually by WhatsApp or a request form. Your booking isn't firm until the operator confirms a time.

What to wear and bring

• Long pants or leggings, to save your legs from rubbing on the saddle
• Closed-toe shoes, not flip-flops
• A hat or cap, sunglasses and sunscreen
• Bug spray for forest sections
• A swimsuit under your clothes if the ride includes a swim stop
• A small amount of cash for tips, and water if it isn't provided

Leave anything you'd hate to lose in the sea, or in a river crossing, back at your room.

Horse welfare: how to choose a good ride

Most riders care about the horses, but it's hard to know what to look for. A few simple checks help:

• Look at the horses before you set off. Healthy horses look alert, carry some weight over their ribs and have no open sores, especially under the saddle and girth.
• Notice where they wait. Horses should stand in shade with water nearby, not tied up in the midday sun.
• Skip midday rides. The heat is hard on horses as well as people. Early morning and late afternoon are better for everyone.
• Be honest about your weight and ability. It helps the guide pick the right horse.
• Don't push for speed. A good guide decides when it's safe to canter, based on the horse, the sand and the group.
• Speak up. If a horse seems lame or exhausted, tell the guide, and choose a different operator next time.

Operators that breed and keep their own horses, as Hacienda Ario says it does, can tell you a lot about each animal. Ask questions; a good team will be happy to answer.

When to go

Rides run year-round. In the dry season, roughly December to April, trails are firm and dusty and the beach is at its sunniest. In the green season, May to November, mornings are often clear before afternoon rain, and the countryside is greener; the wettest months are usually September and October, when rivers can rise and some trails get muddy. Our guide to the best time to visit Santa Teresa has more on the seasons.

Whatever the month, the tide matters more than the date for beach riding. Let the operator set the time.

For more ways to spend a day here, see our activities guide and our day trips from Santa Teresa.