Rio Celeste Horseback Riding Tour
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Explore the rain forest around Arenal on this horseback riding adventure that takes you to the enchanting, sky-blue waters of the Rio Celeste. Here you are free to swim in a natural river pool and splash into the water on a giant Tarzan swing — things you can't do inside Arenal Volcano National Park. Well-trained horses and a local guide help ensure a safe, one-of-a-kind experience near La Fortuna.
- Explore the jungle on horseback to avoid fatigue
- Swim in the Rio Celeste, made bright blue by a mineral reaction
- No experience necessary; horses are matched with each rider's ability
- Boutique tour operator is locally owned and known for personal service
What's Included
- Local Professional Guide
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Calle Asentamiento el Pilón, Provincia de Alajuela, Costa Rica
1/2 Mile Northwest from Station El Pilon Tenorio National Park (waterfall entrance) in the Guatuso direction, then turn left in the grave road continue 1/2 mile turn left in front of the local School and continue 1/2 mile on left side before the La Posada Rest and Hotel
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Arranged start time
Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.
- 09/13/2019 - 05/01/2027
Monday - Sunday : 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Itinerary
1
Rio Celeste
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Jenny_F
This was an amazing experience. The whole family enjoyed including two teenagers and one 11 year old. The fun stops were a hit, the Tarzan swing and the river swimming. There was even a little curtained off area for changing at the river. The waterfalls and river were Such a magical spot. Our guides were kind and adventurous. They spoke English well and gave us information about fauna, monkeys, frogs, and the beautiful panoramic views that we saw. I would definitely recommend and would
Love to come back!
Reviews
4.9
based on 212 reviews
Breanna_R, Mar 2026
Excellent guide, the most gorgeous river you’ll ever swim in, nice easy horses, and a few fun surprises along the way. I highly recommend it!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hola breanna como estas, muchas gracias por su comentario y puntuacion, para mi es de mucho interés, fue un placer averle atendido espero verle nuevamente por acá cuídense mucho, pura vida.
Mercy_D, Feb 2026
This was a once in a lifetime experience! It exceeded my friends and I’s expectations! David was so kind, hospitable, and funny. It was evident he’d been doing this a while. Two of my friends had never ridden a horse but had no problem since the horses were so well trained. After the horseback riding and swimming, we went back to eat at their restaurant which was great. We would come back in a heartbeat!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you very much for your comment and rating for me it is of great interest, it was a great pleasure to see you attended to I hope to see you here again, take care of yourself pura vida.
Nekima_W, Dec 2025
So much fun! About 1.5hrs from La Fortuna. Horses are well trained and don't go too fast, which we appreciated as novice riders. Rio Celeste is absolutely beautiful! The water is so crystal blue. Our guide was excellent! He even swam with us. We went as a family with our teenager. Beautiful rapids at the lake you visit. Guide provides pineapple slices at the end of your swim and then you hike back on horseback. Multiple times available throughout the day. Guide speaks English and Spanish.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Hi nekima thank you so much for your comment and rating. It was a great pleasure serving you. I hope to see you here again. Take care! Pura vida!
Margaret_R, Dec 2025
This was so much fun! David is a great guide and made it a great experience for everyone! The horses were very sweet and even as inexperienced riders, we felt comfortable. The ride to the river was beautiful.
Thank you David!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Hi Margaret, thank you so much for your comment and rating. It was a great pleasure serving you. I hope to see you here again. Take care, pura vida!
Igor_G, Nov 2025
The horses are really friendly and properly trained! They will get you to the river safely and the ride is awesome (it has some of the best views i’ve seen in Costa Rica, and you can spot monkeys and toucans). Once you are at the gorgeous river celeste, you have free time to swim on its blue waters. David was an outstanding guide and we had a blast. Would recomend!
Ps: if you have the time, you should try out David’s restaurant, we had some really tasty tilapia there :)
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Hola Igor muchas gracias por su comentario y puntuacion, para nosotros fue un gran placer averles atendido, esperamos volverle a ver por acá cuídensen mucho, pura vida.
Avrom_w, Nov 2025
If there ever was a wasteful tour this is it. Totally worthless. The entire tour is literallly about a 10 minute walk on a slow very weak malnourished horse. AVOID AVOID AVOID. To make matters worse the tour operator was rude and impatient. Do not book this.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Hello, I wanted to let you know that my tour involves visiting the Celeste River outside the park, where you can swim. It lasts at least two hours, and my horses are well-fed and energetic. I don't know who I'm running the tour with, but you can check all my reviews, which are 5 stars. We always provide the best service; we are professional guides and have never disrespected anyone. I would like to know the name of the tour operator and the booking number. Thank you.
Moraya_S, Oct 2025
An amazing experience! David was super knowledgeable and we felt very safe on his beautiful well behaved horses. The experience was amazing with views and the chance to swim in the gorgeous powder blue Rio Celeste river
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Hi Moraya, how are you? Thank you so much for your comment and rating. It was a great pleasure to assist you. I hope to see you here again. Take care, pura vida
Ross_D, Oct 2025
Beautiful ride.Stops at a river.Bring swimsuit if you like to go in.Restaurant on premises.Fresh tilapia and other local dishes.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hello, thank you very much for your comment and rating. It was a pleasure serving you. I hope to see you again here. Take care of yourselves.
Pura vida.
Jennifer_I, Oct 2025
This excursion was absolutely incredible from start to finish! The beauty of Río Celeste is something you truly have to see to believe — the vibrant blue water, the peaceful hike through the rainforest, and the breathtaking waterfall made it such a magical experience.
Our tour guide was amazing — knowledgeable, friendly, and full of great energy. He made the experience so much more enjoyable with all the stories, fun facts about the area, and his passion for showing us the best of Costa Rica. He made sure everyone felt comfortable and took the time to help us capture beautiful photos along the way.
If you’re visiting Costa Rica, this tour is a must-do! You’ll leave with incredible memories and a deep appreciation for the country’s natural beauty.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hello Jennifer, thank you so much for taking the time to express your valuable comment and rating. It was a great pleasure serving you. I hope to see you again someday. Take care of yourselves (Pura Vida).
Jenny_F, Aug 2025
This was an amazing experience. The whole family enjoyed including two teenagers and one 11 year old. The fun stops were a hit, the Tarzan swing and the river swimming. There was even a little curtained off area for changing at the river. The waterfalls and river were Such a magical spot. Our guides were kind and adventurous. They spoke English well and gave us information about fauna, monkeys, frogs, and the beautiful panoramic views that we saw. I would definitely recommend and would
Love to come back!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Hello Jenny thank you very much for your comment and rating. It was a pleasure serving you. We hope to see you again. Take care of yourselves, Pura Vida.
Jenny_T, Jul 2025
An amazing, worthwhile experience! David was a very kind, helpful, and fun guide. Our 23 month old son had a blast. The horses are so impressively strong and very tame. There are some steep uphill and downhill moments and some very rocky and muddy. The horses transported us safely through it all. The river is stunning and having it all to ourselves was really special. Definitely recommend to those seeking a bit of adventure! Thank you, David, Caramelo, and Dorado! :)
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you very much for your comment and rating. It was a great pleasure to serve you. I hope to see you again here. Take care of yourselves, Pura Vida.
Kelly_S, Jul 2025
We had a wonderful experience with David. He took extra time showing us all there is to see along with many surprises along the way. I highly recommend David’s horseback tour.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Hello Kelly, thank you very much for your comment and rating. It was a great pleasure serving you. I hope to see you again here. Take care of yourselves, Pura Vida.
Michelle_C, Jul 2025
The staff was very welcoming and helpful. The horses you could see were treated like family, very well cared for. The staff was patient with those of us that haven't much experience with riding. The ride through the forest was beautiful and peaceful. The swing through the trees was an added bonus. The Rio Celeste River was a gorgeous shade of blue and very refreshing!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Hello Michelle thank you very much for your comment and rating. It is of great interest to us and of course we treat you as part of the family.
Rebecca_N, Jul 2025
David was patient and well prepared. He made our journey fun despite poor weather. I highly recommend
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Hi Rebecca Thank you very much for your comment and rating. It was a pleasure serving you. I hope to see you again here. Take care of yourselves, Pura Vida.
Jennifer_R, Jul 2025
David was an excellent guide! We LOVED the swing he built and appreciated that he pointed things out even though we couldn’t see them due to the cloud cover. It was still such a fun adventure and we were even able to gallop a bit vs just the walking with the horses!! We would do this again and hope to in the non-rainy season!!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Hi Jennifer, Thank you very much for your comment and rating, It was a pleasure serving you. I hope to see you again here. Take care of yourselves, Pura Vida.
Madiha_A, Jun 2025
So fun! Kids had a blast riding the horses. We went with our 9 and 7 year olds. Tarzan swing was lots of fun and guide was professional.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you very much Madiha for your comment and rating. It was a pleasure serving you. I hope to see you again here. Take care of yourselves, Pura Vida.
Marion_P, Jun 2025
Totaly crazy but so amazing and unforgatable!
Not for all people especialy children they can not good swimm.
Thanks a lot to David our great horseguide
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Hello Marion, Thank you very much for your comment and rating,It was a pleasure serving you. I hope to see you again here, Take care of yourselves.
Anthony_G, May 2025
David was awesome. Worth the drive from La Fortuna highly recommend. The horses, swing, and swimming were great. Very special site on the river!! BTW - booking doesn’t show times but the tours are at 8, 11, or 2.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Pura vida,Anthony thank you very much for your comment and rating. It was a pleasure serving you. I hope to see you here again. Take care of yourselves.
Ginary_V, Apr 2025
Very nice
Horseback ride to the river . We spent time swimming in the river. The water was a beautiful blue color. We were given mango to snack on and it was delicious. The ride back was nice and I’d recommend this tour to anyone considering it.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Hello Ginary, thank you very much for your comment and rating. It was a pleasure serving you.
Austin_S, Mar 2025
David was great! It was worth the 3 hour drive from San Jose and there were hidden surprises we didn’t know about. I would recommend this tour to anyone who was interested!
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Hello Austin, thank you very much for your comment and rating. It was a pleasure serving you.
Jennifer_Z, Mar 2025
WOW! My family and I typically aren’t fans of the nose to tail trail rides, but this was INCREDIBLE! First the property where they keep the horses is GORGEOUS! The horses were beautiful and well taken care of. I was impressed! The swing?!? OMG terrifyingly thrilling and so much fun!!! A MUST do. Rio Celeste may be the most beautiful waters I have ever seen. I could have spent every day just here. Gorgeous doesn’t even come close. And PRIVATE. There were 7 total people on our trip and we were the only people there.. So it’s not like you are competing for space or time or views… it’s all yours! Our guides were awesome. They helped us take pictures, drug us around in the tubes and made the experience fantastic. We have fresh cut pineapple as a snack.
We spent about 45 ‘minutes or so in the waters and headed back up the trail with spectacular views. I definitely recommend this excursion. Our family absolutely loved it!
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you very much for your comment and rating. It was a great pleasure to serve you. I hope to see you again here. Take care of yourselves, Pura Vida.
Kim_S, Mar 2025
This was one of the best memories of our trip. The area is beautiful, the horses were amazing, and David and his brother were wonderful guides. There was a lot of mud that the horses had to walk through but you could tell they knew what they were doing. To see the horses grazing in the beautiful field after you could tell they were well taken care of. We ate lunch there as well and the food was very good.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Hello, thank you very much for your comment and rating, it is of great interest to us. It was a pleasure serving you. We hope to see you again here. Take care of yourselves, Pura Vida.
terry_b, Feb 2025
Great experience! The swing and swim were awesome additions to the horse ride!
We also had lunch at the restaurant afterwards and was also great!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you very much for your comment and rating. For us, it was a pleasure to serve you. I hope to see you again here. Take care of yourselves,pura vida.
Kathleen_T, Feb 2025
The excursion was amazing. Scary at times with steep muddy ground, but hands down my favorite thing we did in costa rica!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Hi Thank you very much for your comment and rating, it was a great pleasure to see you served, I hope to see you here again, take good care of yourselves,pura vida.
Michael_C, Dec 2024
Incredible experience with our family, we took our five kids ranging from 10-19 on this trip and we have all said it’s our best experience so far in CR! David and crew were great at guiding us and making sure we were safe, we’re so kind and friendly! The swing was so much fun and we had more than enough time to swim in the water. At the end the pineapple treat was just icing on the cake! Oh, don’t forget to stay for lunch at the in sight restaurant! Best food we have had will on our trip! Will be back for this experience again and again!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you very much for your comment and rating, it was a pleasure to see you, we hope to see you here again, it will be a pleasure to serve you, take good care of yourselves.
Rebecca_S, Dec 2024
We rode horses at Rio Celeste with David Tours. David and Elias were absolutely amazing guides!. The horses were friendly and well kept!. The trails and views were breathtaking. There was a surprise included that I don’t want to ruin for anyone but it was a thrill and very fun!. We swam in the river and rode the current down a little ways. David was in the water with us helping get tubes, making sure everyone stayed safe, and to lend a helping hand if needed. We had pineapple for a snack and fed the outside of the pineapple to the horses as a treat. This was my family’s absolute favorite part of our trip and this is how we spent our Christmas Day!.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
What a great pleasure it was to see you served. Thank you very much for your comment and rating. It is of great interest to me.
Brandon_K, Dec 2024
GO! DO IT! Even in the rain! It was great, David was awesome. Better than the beach! Carpe Diem! The river was blasting with power, so what it wasn’t blue when we saw it. The power of it was awe inspiring enough. Ever swung over trees in a downpour? If you haven’t you should! Don’t let anything keep you from Pura Vidaing this experience!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you very much for your comment and rating. For us, it was a pleasure to serve you. I hope to see you again here. Take care of yourselves,pura vida.
Tahir_H, Nov 2024
Amazing experience specially with my 3 year old son. David was amazing guide and the horses were a gem. Great surprise too! Would definitely recommend it to anyone. The drive was very smooth as well from La Fortuna area. Will be a core memory for my son for sure!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Hello, thank you very much for your comment and rating, it was a great pleasure for me to serve you, I hope to see you here again, take good care of yourself, pura vida.
Steve_P, Nov 2024
David was very professional and friendly. Because of all the rain in the area, the terrain was a bit sloppy, but the horses handled it pretty easily. My wife and I hadn’t ridden in about 40 years and we felt pretty comfortable the whole time.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Hello, thank you very much for your comment and rating, it was a great pleasure for me to serve you, I hope to see you here again, take good care of yourself, pura vida.
Jacklyn_G, Oct 2024
David was so amazing to us! He is very funny, does a good job maintaining saftey, and has overall good hospitality.
Horses were well trained.
Water was crystal blue! Had so much fun. Would definitely recommend! 100%
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Hello, thank you very much for your comment and rating, it was a great pleasure for me to serve you, I hope to see you here again, take good care of yourself, pura vida.
From $57.70
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Rio Celeste Horseback Riding Tour
212
2 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$57.70
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
Attractions in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- Proyecto Asis Wildlife Rescue Center Tours & Tickets
- Sarapiqui Canopy Tours & Tickets
- Arenal Observatory Lodge and Spa Tours & Tickets
- Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park Tours & Tickets
- Lake Arenal Tours & Tickets
- Celeste River (Río Celeste) Tours & Tickets
- Arenal Volcano National Park Tours & Tickets
- Tabacon Hot Springs Tours & Tickets
- Baldi Hot Springs Tours & Tickets
- La Fortuna Waterfall Tours & Tickets
- Venado Caves (Cavernas de Venado) Tours & Tickets
More attractions near La Fortuna, Costa Rica