horse trek monteverde - horseback riding in costa rica

We did a 3 hour morning tour through Horse Trek Monteverde this past week. We had an amazing time. Marvin and Melvin were our tour guides, they were very sociable and ensured no one on the tour felt uncomfortable. Both have a great sense of humor, my wife and I really enjoyed their company. The horses are very calm, well trained, and well groomed. Over the course of our tour, we stopped for a break at a local store, which has great coffee and pastries. Beautiful scenery throughout the tour as well. To be honest, I was hesitant about taking this tour initially, as I didn't think I really liked horses or riding. However, this was a very pleasant experience, and would definitely do this again if I return to the area. Thanks again for a fantastic time!

My family did a 2 to 3 hours early morning ride and enjoyed every minute of it. Before we started the tour ride, Marvin showed us how to handle the horses and mentioned some safety guidelines. His horses are well trained and beautiful. We were 6 riders and we all had fun .Marvin and Josua did a tremendous job as a tour guide. We rode to some high hills with great views and did a stopover in a small cafe for bathroom break and snacks. Will definitely do it again.

My husband, daughter and I are not experienced riders. We did the four hour tour with Deivis as our guide and could not have enjoyed it more!

I spent 21/2 hours riding with Marvin and saw more wildlife than all day from 7:00am to 4:00 pm at Monteverde reserve. His horses are very well trained, yet if you want to take off and go galloping into the hills and will accomodate you as well. I saw 2 sloths close up, 2 motmots, 6 toucanets in 1 tree, a huge pileated woodpecker, wild turkey, and lots of hummingbirds at the little cafe we stopped at for coffee. The best experience I had at Santa Elena.

We have used Marvin and Horse Trek Monteverde for many years now. We bring groups of college students to the area and always use this company for our horseback rides. We have students from excellent riders to some that have never seen a horse. Marvin treats everyone with patience and respect. He has had success in getting our most fearful students to not only ride, but enjoy it tremendously! His horses are in great condition, no deadhead follow the leader types here. We can't say enough positive things about the rides, the horses and the staff! Just wonderful. From the Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy staff and all our students, thanks for such a great time and outstanding interaction with your horses!

We had the best time on an afternoon ride with our guide, Davis. The ride around Monteverde is beautiful and the guides are great at spotting wildlife. We saw both toucans and sloths! Being a local, Davis was able to tell us a lot about the area and culture. The pit stop in Randall's shop, BelCruz, was another highlight! We learned all about Costa Rican hummingbirds and got an up-close look at all the feeders on his back porch while sipping a beer. Overall, we had a great ride and it was one of our favorite times in Monteverde! Well worth the money.

My husband and I spent our last morning in Monteverde on a 2-3 hour horse trek around the area with Davis. A last minute decision, we really appreciated that Davis picked us up and let us be part of the preparation stage before heading out on our ride. It was a beautiful sunny morning and everything went well. Davis walked us through what we needed to know and we were off! Our horses were very well-behaved, and I felt safe as we trotted along the lanes of the village and surrounding area of Monteverde. We had a coffee and snack at a local coffee place where we could observe hummingbirds and continued back to the ranch. Even saw a sloth along the way. The tour was adapted to our (slow) speed and it was nice to be on a ride wth just us two and Davis. He is friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this group for a horse ride in Monteverde!

I did a two and a half hour morning ride. Marvin picked me up from my lodging and introduced me to his horses before turning our group over to two capable guides for the ride. The horses are very well-trained and responsive and clearly loved and well-cared-for. The route for our ride took us along roads in the area around Santa Elena and several times we had great views of the Pacific over forested hills. The guides encouraged us to take short gallops up the hills which was lots of fun. The guides were very helpful to the children on the tour and everyone seemed to have a great time. We stopped at a coffee/breakfast place along the way that had great food. I would recommend this for any horse lover. I would do this again for a full day ride if I get back there.

We had a brilliant morning on well cared for, well trained horses (my personal favourite being Hercules who I was lucky enough to ride as this is Marvin's horse:))Marvin's is a great guide and will have you riding like a cowboy by the end of the trip. If you love horses and nature do this!

My husband and I, along with another couple spent the afternoon horseback ridding with this company. Our two guides, were always in control of our horses and I felt in security with them as they guided the four of us along the village and surrounding area of Monteverde. They offered to take pictures of us which was quite appreciated and were very friendly. We had a coffee/tea and snack at a local coffee place where we could observe hummingbirds and continued back to the ranch. The tour was adapted to our desired speed and it was nice to be in a small group of 4, which made the ratio of 1 guide per 2 people. After our tour, Mr Anchia, co-owner and horse trainer, took the time to show us some of his horses and brought us to his personal horse stable, at his house, to show us a horse he was currently training. He was very generous with his time, made us feel welcomed and was only too happy to share with us his passion for his horses and for training them. I highly recommend this activity !

It was beautiful and healthy horses, a very nice and professional horse trainer. Awesome nature! This place is about love and care for horses, not the tourist industry which makes it wonderful! :) :) /Therese "Tess", from Danys group

My cousin and I did the waterfall ride and hike tour and had an amazing time! We got picked up by Marvin and were driven to the stable where we were introduced to our guide and horses. It's clear that Marvin is passionate about his horses-- they look very healthy and are incredibly well-trained. At first we didn't know exactly what to expect since we had chosen the full day tour despite our lack of riding experience, but we definitely made the right choice.Our guide Yohaider was patient with us and made sure we knew how to handle the horses and felt safe/comfortable in the saddle before picking up the pace. He had a good sense of humor and was able to answer any questions we had about the area; we all had a great time! We rode through the mountains about 2 hours (the scenery is incredible!!) until we arrived to the place we would start our hike. After hiking down to the waterfall and having lunch, we returned to the horses and went back a different way. On the way back we even stopped for some delicious coffee and cake before arriving at the stable again.After an amazing ride, we were greeted again by Marvin and driven back to our b&b. Shout out to Yohaider and our horses (Whisky and Cosmos) for showing us Monteverde in an unforgettable way. Thank you!! If you are thinking twice about doing a trip with these guys, just do it.

My husband and I set up this tour through our hotel after reading some great reviews. It was better than expected! We had the most amazing views of Monteverde and Lake Arenal the whole time! We did the 4 hour tour and rode with Marvin, our guide. Marvin was great. He had such a good sense of humor and made the trip really personal. He is a good teacher and made the trip really fun. His horses are so well-trained and easy to ride. It is obvious how much he loves his horses and what good care he takes of them. Marvin pointed out interesting plants and animals along the way. After seeing a triple rainbow, we stopped at a nice soda for coffee and snacks. This was by far one of our favorite things we did in Costa Rica, though we were both very sore the next day! If you're considering horseback riding in Costa Rica, Marvin is your guy. His passion really shows and makes your trip unforgettable.

There were 15 of us in our family…some have never been on a horse before & actually it was about 20 years since I have ridden. The ranch hands were wonderful and tour guide was spectacular. He made us feel at home in the saddle…everyone from 2 years to 73 years old. The tour along the river was absolutely the most beautiful I have been on with the conclusion of seeing another gorgeous waterfall. It pour most of the tour but no one seemed to mind and we all loved every minute! Thanks so much!

Our family had a great time. These horses are well loved and cared for, and thus a true joy to ride. We saw a lot of wildlife on the horses.