Top Roatan Horseback Riding

It was a great experience. Tevan was our driver who transported us to and from or cruise ship, he also helped us when no one would tell us it was our turn to go on the trail. As we drove to through the town he told us about the Island and the culture. He was wonderful and made us feel very comfortable. Carlos was one of our trail guides. He was fantastic. We had 4 children in our group, 3 of our group members had never been on a horse before and Carlos made sure to pair each member of our group up with a hourse who fit their personality and experience level. 2 of the horses acted up with small gestures toward another horse (my horse) that scared 2 of our kids, but Carlos was quick to help calm both the horse and rider. The experience was fantastic and fun was had by all. The horses did look a little on the skinny side, but you could deffinetly tell by their bond with the guides they are very loved and well taken care of. I would deffinetly book with them again.

Julio was our local guide. He was very flexible and even though our ship arrived late and then had to tender us to the port, he was patiently waiting for us and we were still able to see everything we wanted to. The horseback ride was a fun, short ride. The horses needed no guidance as they were well trained and very tame. My partner did not want to do the horseback riding part so they were able to wait in the air conditioned souvenir shop while I was on the ride. From there, we went to the chocolate factory and then the rum factory. I absolutely loved the chocolate factory and bought chocolate bars, powder, cocoa tea, soap and cocoa butter to take home. We drove through the small town and when I saw an item in a store window that I wanted, Julio parked so that I could run in and get it. He also took us to two different large Roatan signs and took pictures of the two of us. We also stopped in another souvenir shop, at our request, before heading back to the port. Julio did also offer to take us to two different animal preserves for just the cost of the admission fee, as we were passing them and had extra time, but we declined. We rode around in a little Honda Accord, just Julio and the two of us, for the entire tour. It was great to be able to go at our pace and to have a knowledgeable, polite, local guide. For those nervous about going through Viator and not the cruise ship, the directions they give you are super accurate. If it is crowded when you get to the final exit gate and people are just standing there clueless as they were when we went, just say excuse me and walk through the gate. There are guards there directing traffic and people but please do not be alarmed. There will be lots of commotion but the tour guide’s sign is very clear, professionally made and easy to see. Their uniforms also match the tour company name. After getting past that craziness, we felt 100% safe traveling with Julio and he was an excellent driver. We got back to the port with plenty of time to shop at the port if we wanted and to tender back to the ship. We were not rushed at all during any point on the tour. When we spoke to people on our ship who went on a tour through the cruise line to the chocolate factory, rum factory and through the little town as we did, they did not have a good experience and they were shocked when we told them about how well Julio treated us as our personal guide. I was happy to tell them all about Julio and Viator so that when they cruise again, they can book with confidence.

Booked this trip instead of the official cruise line excursions, and wound up with a private adventure for just the two of us which was an amazing bonus. Expected a little more information on Roatan and/or the rainforest or some of the plant/animal life we were seeing (the guides mostly talked among themselves throughout), but the views and experience of riding a horse through the water more than made up for it. Both ATVs and horses were incredible. Highly recommended!