We just got back from our vacation, which included a horseback riding trip at Loma Bonita Ranch. We had an amazing time. We were picked up at the Kulkulcan Plaza and taken to the ranch in a bus where we were met by our guide, Ray. We waited for the rest of our group to arrive (there were about 25 people in our group, which I thought was a lot for two guides, but it went very smoothly). After explaining what was going to happen, we were brought over to the corral where everyone was assigned a horse according to experience. Be honest when doing this ... some of the horses for the experienced riders are a bit rambunctious ... my horse almost got kicked by another horse shortly after I got on and I had to hold on pretty tightly so I wouldn't fall off. After everyone was settled in their saddles, we headed out to the trail. Ray and another guide made sure everyone was doing ok during the whole ride there. They stopped the group before we got to the beach and explained again that the horses do like to roll when they hit the sand, as it cools them off. We made our way to the beach and only two horses decided they wanted to roll. Mine was one of them. It was no big deal to hop off. They come right over and help you back on.
After we arrived at the corral and the horses were settled on the beach they explained that not all the horses like the water and that they do make a lot of noise when they're in the water. Whoever wanted to ride in the water was able to do so. We went in two separate groups so we could take pictures, but were able to ride the same horse. Being in the water with the horse was amazing. Much harder to hold on than I thought, but well worth the effort. They had soda, beer, water and chips for sale on the beach. After everyone had finished their swim with the horses we rode back to the ranch. Once there, they had lunch which consisted of quesidillas, beans, rice and soda. Drinks and water were available for purchase. They also have a little gift shop if you might be interested in purchasing a gift or shirt or something. Lockers are available for $1.00 and they do have a pool if you decide you'd like to take a swim and cool off.
I would recommend this trip and may make it a yearly adventure. I would suggest wearing sneakers rather than flip flops ... they're much more stable in the event you need to jump off a horse who wants to roll in the sand.
Well worth this trip! Good job Loma Bonita!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.