Amazing 3-Hour Horseback Riding at Puerto Plata with Pickup

If you want to have a horrible day this is absolutely the excursion for you. It started when there was no direction on where to go, on who to look for, nothing. We pretty much just guessed that it would be outside the port area and then were asked by every single person who was out there where we were going who we were looking for etc… eventually we found the guy who picked us up in an suv, the guy was nice from the little english he spoke his driving was a little nerve wrecking but it is what it is. He then proceeds to pull over on the side of the road about 15 minutes from the port and says this is where we were going. About 15 minutes after that 4 men and a small child come from across the street with horses. They proceed to speak very minimal english proceeding to speak in their language and i could tell one of them made a comment about my size. I am a bigger person, but have gone horseback riding in the past and have had no trouble they typically match the horse to the person. however with them coming over with horses rather than us being at the farm or stables or whatever they seemed to be a little stumped about what to do with me. however they get me and friends on horses and we start the ride. I later come to find that these horses are trained completely differently then any horse i’ve been on. to my understanding it’s typically pull back to slow/stop pull on the right to go right and pull tot he left to go left. however my horse deciding he didn’t like that and any time i would make the slightest tug on the rein and it would shake his head and the people conducting the tour would tell me not the pull. So now im in a position where im on a random horse i have no idea how to control it i try just steering but he doesn’t like that either. eventually we get on the beach and the guys seem to think we’re behind on time or just want to get the ride over with so they start having the horses run. not a full sprint but a speed that was far out of my comfort level. So at this point i’m on a horse i can’t control, on a foreign sketchy beach, and the horse is running. eventually we get to the turn around point the guy takes a couple photos that he wanted $60 for and we head to this area on that beach that has a restaurant, a couple houses and some people. we get off the horses they tell us we can sit anywhere the horses are just gonna take a break. So we sit, as we sit about 5 people come up to us trying to sell jewelry, drinks, braids etc… we declined them everytime, but they would continue to come over. The cherry on top of this portion was when this man came over with his parrot insisting on putting it on us. We all said no no no especially my friend who is scared of birds but the guys contained the put the bird on us even after we declined respectfully. Eventually after about half an hour they say it’s time to go back. They put us on our horses under this big tree which i didn’t really think twice about until my horse started moving and because i still had no control over him at this point my entire chest gets scrapped up by this tree. So to recap I’m on a horse that the tour guides don’t seem to think is a good fit for me, one that i can’t control, just had a random bird put on my head, and now i have huge scrapes across my chest. We begin the ride back down the beach at this point my horse is jsut fully in control it doesn’t seem to follow any sort of directions i make taking me off path and eventually attempted to bite my friend on her horse. the people then excuse this behavior by saying he likes to be in the front. wether or not this is true this so something they could’ve told me at the begging so i can ensure the safety of my friends. i no longer feel even remotely safe on my horse anymore. just counting down the seconds until this entire thing is over. the horses also didn’t look healthy very visible hip bones and dry dirty coats. i guess that’s it i wouldn’t recommend this excursion to my worst enemy so good luck if you book.

Great experience! Would go as earliest as permitted. The 3/4 hour time frame is accurate. The horses were very trained! I loved Hans our tour guide and my horse name was Solomon. Finding the tour taxi was a little confusing (not a big deal) when they say walk out the gate completely and its a slight hike. Give yourself time to walk like 30 min prior to agreed meet up, so you're not rushed. Once the taxi takes you to the horses. The young men were polite but I would have liked them to talk with the tourist more and maybe even give facts about country. Or even some music,it was very quiet following eachother in silence however it made you enjoy earth's scenery. Also I would say leave as much as you can back on boat no where to put extra things. They did take a break and was able to get a refreshing pina colada for $10 at a local restaurant. Food was offered but didn't partake. Also pictures are provided at a small fee.

Great guides and beautiful beaches. Perfect family outing!

Was a nice outing for my Bday!!

This was definitely an “interesting experience” from start to finish. It seems sketchy from the pick up to drop off but all of it works out in the end. The pickup is slightly unclear and outside the port which can be a walk. Make sure you have WhatsApp or a way to contact the driver. The van takes you to a spot about 10 mins from the port. It was very muddy when we went (rains days prior) so dress accordingly and be prepared to possibly get a little wet. They ask $60 for photos that you can take better on your phone (honestly). You can negotiate the price though. Overall, it was a nice ride and you do go along the beach and get to take pictures. Worth it only if you actually enjoy horseback riding and it is about 3 hours.

Our family of six had a wonderful experience with Anthony’s Info Tours on the Horseback Riding Adventure from Jungle to Beach. My husband and I traveled with our four kids (ages 11, 9, 7, and 6), and it ended up being one of the highlights of our stop on the island. After walking off our cruise ship and exiting the port area, we easily met a member of Anthony’s team just outside the cruise entrance. Everything was well organized from there. Pepo picked us up and drove us into the jungle where the horses were waiting. The team was ready for us when we arrived, helmets were provided and they helped everyone get comfortably settled on their horses, which was especially reassuring with younger kids. They even had 2 younger helpers that rode with our 2 youngest kids which brought us a lot of comfort. The ride through the jungle and down to the beach was beautiful and felt like a really immersive way to experience the island. Our kids absolutely loved it. Once we reached the beach, we stopped for lunch. The snapper fish was fantastic, definitely a highlight of the meal. The piña coladas weren’t our favorite, but the overall experience and setting more than made up for it. One of the guides also took photos during the ride and offered them for purchase afterward. We didn’t end up buying them, but it was nice to have the option. Communication with Anthony before and during the excursion was excellent. On the way back, Pepo even stopped at an ATM so we could get cash to tip the team, which we appreciated. If I had one suggestion, it would be to plan ahead for tips or possibly include them in the booking price. We paid $450 through TripAdvisor for the excursion and tipped $100 in cash. Photos were available for $60. Lunch was $60 cash, no credit cards were accepted. Overall, this was a fantastic family-friendly adventure. Our kids had a blast, the team was kind and helpful, and it was a memorable way to explore the island beyond the cruise port. We’d absolutely recommend it to other families looking for a unique and active shore excursion.

Lovely riding tour in both rainforest and beach. The horses were nice and the saddles comfortable 😅. Helmets didn't exist, which might be good to know.

This was a great experience. Super fun! I'm usually not a big fan of horses, but the guides made it a very awesome tour

Had lots of fun, we were riding through beaches, ranches, a fantastic short trip. The path was muggy, suggest to wear dark pants.

He was beautiful tour day with horses how do like it what missing just snuck and water thank you for the tour. will come back