Although our group of 4 families did most of our activities together, we had one day in Manuel Antonio where we all split up and booked our own tours. While most did some sort of water-based activity (fishing, snorkeling, boat ride), my younger son and I went horseback riding.
I narrowed down the choices to a ride through the jungle and a ride on a ranch. My son originally jumped at the jungle ride but once he looked at the pictures of the ranch, he quickly changed his mind. I booked the tour for the two of us and we were picked up at our hotel by Randall, the owner and tour operator. He told us we were the only people booked that day so we would have a private tour! We drove through town before heading down a dirt road that took us through a palm oil plantation. Randall gave us tons of information along the way, teaching us about the area’s history, how palm oil is harvested, and the story of how he turned his working ranch into a wildlife refuge and eco-tour.
The road seemed to go on forever but we eventually made it to his family’s ranch. It was an amazing authentic Costa Rican ranch with chickens and turkeys running around, dogs and cats relaxing in the shade, and horses saddled up and ready to go.
Randall helped us onto our horses and then we headed out to explore his family’s land. This was immediately so different from any other horseback ride we have done before. There were no trails, just open land. The horses weren’t just blindly following along in a line. They were forging their own path while following in the general direction of the guide. I was amazed at some of the terrain they had to navigate.
The horses were gentle and in general very easy to ride. We loved when they trotted a few times (although it did make me a little nervous!). And the funniest moment of the ride was when the horses stopped to get a drink of water during one of our creek crossings and my horse decided he really needed a break so he sat down in the water… which meant I was also sitting in the water!
Randall was so knowledgeable about the land, teaching us all about the native flora and fauna. He recognized bird calls, spotted animals and birds in the trees, and taught us all about the different plants around the property. He even heard a toucan and tracked it down so we could see it in the trees! He talked about how the land was previously used as a cattle ranch and how he convinced his family to let nature take it back over. The results are amazing.
We stopped for a quick hike through a rainforest trail where Randall again regaled us with his knowledge of all of the plants and trees surrounding us. And after warning us not to touch a specific plant because it had spikes, he realized he had gotten snagged by it as he walked by and quickly pulled out his pocket knife to remove it from his finger. The highlight of the rainforest hike was the huge Ceiba tree that grew so tall you could barely see the top of it.
And our final stop on the ride was at one of the dozen or so waterfalls on the property. We dipped our feet in (and my son dipped his head in) and just sat and relaxed, listening to the water flowing over the edge and down the stream and reflecting on what an amazing day it had been.
We made our way back to the barn and Randall had one last treat in store for us – a homemade (by his step-mom!) traditional Costa Rican lunch. We sat under the roof of their open air kitchen and enjoyed an amazing meal while looking out on the beautiful land that they have turned into a natural refuge.
We had such a wonderful day at Rancho Tipico Don Juan. Randall was an amazing host, welcoming us into his home and onto his land and teaching us more than we ever could have imagined we’d learn on a horseback riding tour. We were so lucky to have this as a private tour and are so grateful for the fantastic individualized attention we received.
