Rio Celeste Horseback Riding Tour

We had an amazing experience with David on the Horseback tour of Rio Celeste. His horses are very well trained, ok even if you have no experience riding, my 7 year old daughter did great and David was very helpful to make her feel comfortable with her horse. I absolutely loved the Tarzan Swing!! It was so much fun swinging out over the forest canopy! The river is beautiful - it felt great to jump into the cool water after the riding and cool off. There is an inner tube that you can get in and ride down the river - it’s tied off to a tree so you won’t drift off as the current is quite strong. Definitely plan to eat at the restaurant either before or after the tour- the food was delicious- the best meal we had in all of Costa Rica!

David was an excellent host. I highly recommend this trip. It was so beautiful. I felt like I was in an episode of lord of the rings at the meet-up spot. Rio Celeste was magical. David has a fun surprise for you. We saw sloths in their natural habitat. The water at Rio Celeste was mesmerizing. The place he took us to swim was not crowded. Only a family of Four and us.

David is great. The kids were afraid of the horses as they hadn't ridden much but David was very kind and patient. We enjoyed swimming in the Rio Celeste and my daughter and I both dived off the little cliff into the water. Thanks for being such a kind person David!

Such a fun day! Riding to an awesome swimming hole was such a cool experience. David was a great guide!

David made everything about this experience incredible. Rio celeste was a beautiful experience beyond what we expected. He made sure we all felt comfortable with the horses who were extremely well trained. Even for someone who has never experienced horse back riding. Would definitely recommend it for an amazing local experience away from Your typical tourist filled adventure.

Our daughter loves horses and Rio Celeste was a place we wanted to see, so this combo was perfect. David, the outfitter, was very kind and his customer service was exceptional. We had a little bit of difficulty finding the place and passed it- tip: follow the GPS, but when you see the blue sign that says David’s Horseback Rides at the Tilapiria- stop, even though the GPS says you have another 1.6 miles. Viator lists the tour provider as Rio Celeste Horseback Riding, but the provider is actually David’s Horseback Riding. David got us helmets, put us each on a horse and gave some basic instructions. We set off for Rio Celeste. It poured rain (which is common and to be expected). David had large raincoats tied behind each saddle that were large enough for everyone and fit over a backpack. Our first stop was a Tarzan swing in the middle of the jungle/rain forrest. The swing was fun and felt like being a kid! We rode the horses further down until the beautiful river was visible. We dismounted and walked across a little hanging bridge maybe 200m to the river. Some went off into the wood and changed into swim suits; we had worn ours under our clothes. The river was stunningly beautiful in a milky turqouis color. The water was quite cool, but not as cold as La Fortuna waterfall. The section of the river David took us too was on private land he has access to and not the national park, so it was just us and a local family which was really nice. The current was strong and the water is deep. David climbed up the hillside and dove in from about 10m. I followed and cannon-balled off the hillside- it was a blast! After an hour or so swimming and hanging out, we dried off some (others changed clothes) and walked back toward the horses. David stopped to show us a little red frog. The horses trotted/galloped toward the end of the ride after climbing back up the very steep, rocky and muddy path. There is a restaurant (Tilapiria) at the start and end with a restroom. We changed there and stayed for a good lunch. They will catch a fish on the spot and go cook it (chicken options are also available). This was way off the beaten path and very local/authentic. David did a great job all the way through and seemed very trustworthy. I recommend this for those seeking a unique experience- be ready for rough roads driving the last ten min and the horse riding is quite off road.

Pasamos una mañana estupenda con David y con sus caballos Popeye y Moro que saben perfectamente lo que tienen que hacer y por donde ir. A medio camino David tiene una sorpresa preparada para los valientes que quieran soltar adrenalina. El paseo es muy agradable incluso para los que no somos expertos montando, y río celeste es un regalo para todos los sentidos. Después del bañito por el camino fuimos viendo diferentes animales. Nos reímos mucho, se nota que David es un gran experto en lo que hace y que le gusta. Un placer!

Precioso paseo. Muy fácil coordinar con David y Hector el guía excelente !! Nos enseñó un montón de cosas de la naturaleza y estuvo atento para que disfrutáramos el paseo al maximo. Gracias !!