The Horseback Ride to Arenal Volcano is a great adventure and very cool way to see the magnificent Arenal Volcano. Imagine riding through jungle and forest until you reach an observation point directly across from the iconic volcano. Then to top the day off, you can relax and bathe in the hot springs!
The day starts off when you are picked up from your local area hotel and brought to the Hotel Los Lagos. Los Lagos is located directly in front of the volcano, providing breathtaking views and scenery. Upon arrival, your guide will provide you with a helmet and brief safety and instructional course and then you will be on your way.
The tour starts off with a ride through the hotel owned hacienda and then through rainforest. Howler monkeys, iguanas and many bird species are frequently seen on the trail. Eventually you will reach the volcano observation point which is directly across from the volcano and overlooking Los Juncos Lake. Hopefully it will be a clear day so you can see the volcano in all of its glory. If not, the other scenery is breathtaking. After a little while you will continue to ride another mile through the rainforest to Los Lirios Lake which is a great spot for birdwatching and at time wildlife observation. After spending a little time at the lake you will return to the stable.
It should be mentioned that the horses at Hotel Los Lagos are well cared for and part of the family. They are well-fed and watered. The staff alternates the horses to ensure they receive enough work and rest.
After the horseback riding tour you will be able to stay at the Los Lagos Resort until 16:00 to indulge in the hot spring pools. Guests can stay as late as 22:00, but those staying after 16:00 must provide their own transportation out.
Once the tour is complete you will be returned to your hotel unless you choose to stay on your own. This is a great tour for anybody interested in horseback riding or seeing Arenal in a non-traditional way. Keep in mind that on cloudy days it is not likely to see the volcano and conditions can change rapidly. The expected duration of the tour is approximately four hours. In addition to transportation the tour also includes guide, water and entrance fees.
The Horseback Ride to Arenal Volcano is available from Arenal, and Arenal Zone 2
6 and up
Latitude: N 10° 28' 45.74"
Longitude: W 84° 41' 33.27"
03/10/2023
Enjoyed it a lot - it was a little more advanced than I would have expected but we were good with it. Horses cantered - not just walk/trot
01/10/2023
Favorite horseback tour I've ever done!
10/09/2022
We had so much fun on this! We have never ridden horses and felt safe even though it was kind of scary at times. The horses were not scary but the terrain was at times. But no one fell or anything, it was great and we had incredible views! We were confused once or twice. No one was in the stables when we arrived, but they were just getting the horses, but we weren't sure what to do for 5-10 mins. Afterwards, the use of Los Lagos was a little confusing - it took us a bit to figure out where to get a ride back to Arenal Springs. But overall we loved it.
05/12/2022
Our guide and the horses were fantastic. Unfortunately another rider spooked the horses while we were resting at the top of the trail and they took off all the way back down the mountain, so we were left waiting in the rain for ~45 min while they sorted it all out and got the horses back. Our guide handled it like a champ, tho!
02/19/2022
our guide was sweet and caring
01/16/2020
we did great on the horseback ride better then we expected the scenery was great didn't get the best view of the volcano but it is in the cloud forest the stay at that location was wonderful the hot springs and lunch great
08/21/2019
Better than I had expected with great guide and good pace for our family
07/17/2019
Beautiful view, lovely horses - very well taken care of. Guide (Donny, or Danny?) very knowledgeable and kept the horses in line. Nice long ride.
04/26/2019
Amazing experience. Danny our guide was very kind and knowledgeable. I will recommend this tour!
01/14/2019
I had previous experience riding horses. However, from my perspective, if someone does not have it, it is a bit too much for a first ride. The path was not an easy one and I didn't feel comfortable all the time, in fact, I felt insecure only because of the path we were taking. I believe people should be made aware of the path beforehand. Apart from that, the guide was always paying attention to us and our horses, he was impeccable.
01/03/2019
The horses looked healthy. It was fun to get to gallop them a little. The guide tailored the experience to my daughters strong riding abilities which made it more enjoyable for her.
12/29/2018
Only thing and you can’t control this is the overcast sky . Had no views but guide kept it lively and talked with everyone. He should us pics on his phone of why it looks like with no clouds.
12/24/2018
Assume Guide
09/13/2018
The views were lovely. Hector was a great guide!
04/09/2017
Not as much to see as I had hoped as to wildlife or other sights
03/11/2017
Great tour. The resprt afterwards an good surprise bonus.
12/24/2016
Super fun guides. The ride was a little slow, but that was to be expected.
06/28/2016
I wish the tour had been scheduled for earlier in the day because we were out during the rain. Otherwise, everything else was great! This was my husband's favorite part of the trip :-)
05/29/2016
One of the highlights of our vacation. It was completely perfect.
08/06/2015
The tour was cut short by the heavy rain. Nevertheless the guide spoke/explained almost nothing ( I speak Spanish) of the surroundings. Positives: 1) it was only the two of us 2)the rain cover they provided was perfect and really protected us from the pouring rain
07/20/2015
This was a fun tour. Our guide was fun. I wish we had known in advance that we would have access to a resort for the entire day, we would have packed accordingly.