🌋 Arenal Volcano Horseback: My Honest Review & Tips

The iconic Arenal Volcano is among Central America’s most famous volcanoes. Hiking to the summit is prohibited, but you can explore the base. Using a clear rating system, I share my honest review of horseback riding around it, along with firsthand tips.

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🍀 Lukiih’s Verdict

I highly recommend horseback riding around Arenal Volcano’s base. It was one of my trip’s highlights.

• If you take the path owned by Don Tobias (a well-known horse breeder in the area), you’ll pass through beautiful scenery, see wildlife (e.g., spider monkeys, sloths, etc), and learn about the town and volcano’s history. As someone who’s taken several horseback riding tours, I thought the Don Tobias guides exceeded expectations. They were knowledgeable and passionate about horses. The farm lets their horses take one-week breaks at a time where they roam free and saddle-less.
• The horseback riding tour around Arenal Volcano is expensive. At $100 for a 3-hour tour, this is one of the most costly tours I’ve ever booked while traveling.
• Minimal preparation is required. You don’t need experience riding horses, but you should book in advance, and wear long pants and closed-toe shoes in case your horse gets near a branch or tree. The tour operator will take care of the 10-minute transportation from La Fortuna to Don Tobias’s property.

Planning a trip? Here’s what to know about Costa Rica.

🏆 Where Does It Rank?

Horseback riding around Arenal Volcano ranks as the #1 experience I had in Costa Rica. Here’s how it compares to other things I did on my trip:

	Experience	Location	Overall Rating
1	🌋 Arenal Volcano Horseback	La Fortuna	7.3
2	🌊 Whitewater Rafting in Río Sarapiquía	La Fortuna	7.0
3	🌳 Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park	La Fortuna	6.9
4	♨️ La Fortuna Hot Spring	La Fortuna	6.7
5	🍫 Chocolate & Coffee Tour	La Fortuna	6.6
6	🌳 Monteverde Cloud Forest Zipline	Monteverde	6.5
7	💧 La Fortuna Waterfall	La Fortuna	6.5
8	🌴 Manuel Antonio National Park	Manuel Antonio	6.5
9	🍲 La Fortuna Town	La Fortuna	6.5
10	💆‍♀️ Nosara Outdoor Massage	Nosara	6.4
11	🌳 Monteverde Cloud Forest	Monteverde	6.3
12	🦉 Monteverde Wildlife Refuge Night Walk	Monteverde	6.3
13	🦥 Sloth Sanctuary	Monteverde	6.2
14	🦋 Monteverde Butterfly Garden	Monteverde	6.2
15	🧘‍♂️ Nosara Yoga Class	Nosara	5.8
16	🏖️ Playa Espadilla	Manuel Antonio	5.8
17	🤿 Playa Biesanz	Manuel Antonio	5.8
18	🚙 Nosara ATV Ride	Nosara	5.7
19	🚡 Arenal Volcano Sky Tram	La Fortuna	5.6

My Costa Rica itinerary features the above experiences.

For more detailed tips on my experience, check out my trip planner below.

Costa Rica Trip Planner 2025

Download my trip planner to make your travel preparation effortless. It features up-to-date travel information and a well-researched itinerary informed by firsthand experience. Each section is customizable so it can be as lightweight or as hyper-organized as you like.

My trip planners are built on Notion, which I use for all my planning. I genuinely love this tool and creating an account is free.