rancho buena vista

We had a wonderful time on this trail ride down to (and including) the beach. The horses were well behaved, and our guide was friendly and engaging. The location was hard to find, but worth the extra effort! Our kids said it was the highlight of our trip to Puerto Rico.

Our future daughter in law and granddaughters (ages 10 and 16) went on a ride 2 weeks ago. They absolutely loved it! The tour was well done, safe and scenic. They already knew how to ride , were well matched to thei horses and enjoyed every minute. This was definitely one of the highlights of their trip!

Imagine riding horses through groves of tropical trees and flowers, on a golf course and on the beach. It was not just a dream, but a reality at Palmas del Mar! My daughter and I had a wonderful 1.5 hour trail ride thanks to Yoeanna at Rancho Buena Vista. Yoeanna is very knowledgeable about the area and we learned a lot about the resort, the scenery and of course the horses during our ride. We hope to return to Palmas and go on another wonderful, picturesque ride in the future. Thanks Yoeanna!

Joanna takes your personal safety seriously. We both being experienced riders, opted to fore go the safety helmets. Our horses were matched to us, and we were off. We chose the shorter ride, as we had dinner plans with friends. The local fauna and Joanna's informative banter made the ride very memorable. There were several opportunities for pictures, and the views were spectacular...the stretch along the beach was amazing. Having ridden there before, I knew what to expect, but this was no "canned trail ride". Thank you Joanna, we'll definitely be back!

This was my first time riding a horse and I loved it. Before getting on the horse Joanna was telling us the personality of each horse. I decided to pick Napoleon because he always wanted to take the lead. She gave us instructions on how to steer the horses. Rody who was our tour guide was very nice. Even though I fell off the horse by accidentally giving Napolean the signal to run. Rody was very concerned for my well-being. Once I got back to the stables Joanna heard about it and immediately asked me if I was fine as well. I loved how they were genuinely concerned about me. I'll definitely do this activity again. I enjoyed the part when we were riding on the beach. Falling off a horse isn't as bad as everyone makes it seem.

The is such a wonderful dinner spot on Lagos dos Boca! We were met at the ferry dock by our coordinator who got us on the right ferry boat right away. Our reservation was for 3:30 p.m. It was a beautiful, short ride to the restaurant. The atmosphere at the restaurant was amazing. The sun was going down and it was absolutely beautiful!! We were greeted right away, by name, as we got off the boat and taken directly to our table overlooking the water. We all were intrigued by the house special, Rancho Sauce. We had a great variety, fish, chicken, pork and beef, between the four of us. The flavor is very asian inspired. It is good, but it was a bit over whelming. I wish we would have thought ahead and ordered a bit of variety so that not all of our dishes had the sauce on it. I think the other dishes would have been cooked well as well. Other than the Rancho Sauce, most everything else looked like more traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. We would definitely go back again . . . mostly for the experience and atmosphere!!!

On Wed. November 25th, our 3 pm group ride was well instructed, excellent debriefing, and fitted properly gear with our horses by very conscientious and caring staff manager Johanna. I was asked did I want a helmet and agreed to size medium. I rode Robin nice little 9 yr. old bay and my friend rode Pinto well mannered paint horse in the lead. All calm rode 3 times per week horses very responsive, well mannered, and I easily settled in within 15-20 mins. into our ride being able to see how sweet Robin responded with simple single reining. Before we began we were informed due high waves are ride time on the beach would be brief which was for our safety and the horses. Going over water on trails not one horse balked same on golf courses and Johanna's instruction on narrow beach due to high water absolutely no problems occurred. In fact, I was told by Johanna to ride closer to water shoreline vs. deep sand easier on Robin's steps not sinking which I greatly appreciated being an average rider. Fantastic views, fair price paid and no regrets. As far as this biting on the trail listed on 11/23/14 review never saw any except 2 horses Bambi and another wanted to munch along the way only if passive inexperienced riders let them. Johanna does not ignore her group nor take your last dollar is a bunch of horse pucky. No one was in any danger and her staff assistants made sure saddles were secure before we mounted. For this person to write what they did obviously didn't specify exactly what they wanted prior to beginning their ride. Shame on them for writing such hogwash as NONE of what she wrote happened nor true. I would return again for the 2-hour ride in a heartbeat! In a word: SPECTACULAR!! Take a bow Johanna. Submitted by Nancie Baker from northern California.

I have some experience in horse riding, but for my friend it was the first time trying (and yes, we said that a few times before starting our ride). Let me say, there is absolutely no introduction how to handle a horse from the guide, because I refuse to describe "pull left if you want to ride left" and "he (horse) knows where to go" as an introduction... No one explained how to behave safely on a horse, general impression was that after they took your money they couldn't care less if you died. The worst part was that my friend's pony was constantly trying to bite and kick my pony, which I could handle if I was following him but at least during the first part of the trip I was made to lead, so instead of enjoying my ride I was sitting scared if the crazy pony was going to bite my horse again. I have some experience in trail riding and THIS IS NOT HOW A TRAIL HORSE FOR BEGINNERS SHOULD EVER BEHAVE. Even after a few crazy situations like that we were not allowed to stop to catch our breaths. The only good thing about this trip was that that my pony remained calm and was mostly ignoring the bad pony (otherwise it would be extremely dangerous). To sum up... If you are an experienced rider, this is not any fun for you, if you are a newbie, this is definitely not a good way to start your adventure with horse riding.

My wife and I were looking for a place to ride paso fino horses while on vacation in Puerto Rico. We researched several ranches and decided to ride at Rancho Buena Vista because of the way the horses were being taken care of, the facilities and the staff which I would say were excellent. My wife and I were greeted with respect and were paired with a horse compared with our riding ability. We have both ridden horses our whole lives and own horses in Colorado. We had the opportunity to ride with Jo Anna and a ranch hand and just my wife and I. We had a fabulous ride through the resort, down to the beach and back on a different trail to the corral. We had the freedom to gait the horses and we did get to gallop along the beach. I would say it was the best trail ride at a resort owned stable I have ever had. It was not like some trail ride with a horses nose in the horses butt in line the whole time. The horses were beautiful and well behaved. Fabulous staff and experience overall.

I am an experienced rider, and they offer trail rides that are for beginners up to very experienced. I went on the two hour ride, that included some GORGEOUS views you can't get any other way than from the back of a wonderful horse. The ride on the beach was like out of a dream, and the guide let me "go a litte faster" because I asked. We also saw a group that was beginners, and they were on the beach enjoying themselves as well. I HIGHLY recommend this stop when you are in PR if you love horses and beautiful scenic views. The two ranch hands i interacted with were wonderful and knowledgeable. visit them :)

well. i love to go horseback riding and as pr is a beautiful place, i thought riding here would be beyond memorable. i feared for my life most of the ride as my horse was either trying to gallop away or was nearly collapsing with every step he took. it was a very hot day and to be honest i dont think my horse liked me, but i dont think he was cut out for his current job. but my husband had a good horse except for its gas problem.

The tour guide was very informative. She shared the history and pointed out things to make the ride more exciting.

I read the reviews for Rancho Buena Vista a month in advance of my vacation in Puerto Rico. I contacted Yoeanna via the email link to their site http://ranchobuenavistapr.com/site/ and she booked me for an hour and a half ride at a great price. She was very pleasant and made sure to confirm the correct date and time. It was very important to me to have a memorable experience, since I was celebrating my 5th year breast cancer free the very day I booked. I arrived early on August 13th to the Palmas Del Mar Resort (be sure to give yourself extra time before your ride to stop at the gate to get a pass to enter this gated community). I met Yoeanna who I liked immediately. After the group formed up and signed our waivers, we were all saddled up on our horses individually and provided helmets. Yoeanna and Rudy were great guides and both were very courteous, caring and professional. The horses were very well cared for and we were given instructions on how to ride the horses, since all of us were novice riders. The trail ride itself was very beautiful and the pace was perfect to take in all the sights. Pictures are allowed on the ride and Yoeanna even took a few of me riding since I was there solo. The other group booked the hour tour, so Yoeanna took me on the longer trail. I really enjoyed talking with her as we went along. The beach portion was pure magic…I’ll never forget it, but all of it was great really. I give 5 out of 5 stars to Rancho Buena Vista for Yoeanna’s above and beyond customer service and professionalism, Rudy’s reassuring and professional manner, and my horse “Andy” (who I nicknamed Andy because I couldn’t pronounce or remember his real name…sorry Andy). He knows the trail (as do all the horses) and you really only hold the reins for safety. They recommend long pants and covered shoes (the guides wear boots). You’ll be using the stirrups quite a bit as there are short hills along the trail and your feet will thank you. I highly recommend anyone traveling to Puerto Rico to check them out and book a tour. You’ll have great memories to last for years to come.

Rancho Buena Vista is a very well maintained place and its animals are in excellent physical condition. The equipment (saddles, bridles, helmets, etc.) are in a very good condition also. The care and attention by the staff were excellent. We were a group of 11 and even with such a large group of people Yohanna and the guide made us feel safe and comfortable throughout the entired ride (for 10 of the 11 this was the first time riding horses). The scenery is unmatched and the cruise through the beach is unique. Highly recommended for the whole family. They also have rides for children ages 3 and up with the help of a chaperone. For those who have never ridden a horse before I recommend trying the one hour tour first.

We called last minute to schedule a ride for 6. We were very easily accommodated by Johanna . We are all non- riders and I had 2 small girls (10 year old) and my parents (in their 60s). We went out for a 10am ride to try to beat the heat but it was HOT! Even with sunscreen our arms burned. The ride itself was gorgeous, the guides super attentive and it was an amazing experience . Towards the end of the ride one of my daughters "overheated". We had to take her off the horse and then be driven back to the ranch. Yohanna stayed with us the entire time- once back at the ranch- she gave my daughter something to eat and drink . Despite the not so great ending , we would 200% do it again. Lesson: Bring water!!!! But the staff was amazing and it was a great ride! Well worth the money