Horseback Riding in Costa Rica – Beach Tours and Jungle

Beate and Hans of Boca Nosara Tours

Riding a horse through crystal clear surf is a dream for many people – and understandably so. The allure of sitting astride a powerful animal while experiencing the best that nature has to offer is the perfect way to let all the stress of everyday life roll off you while you embrace the moment. Nosara’s gorgeous beaches along Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast are dotted with a number of different horseback riding tour companies who let you experience just that.

For guided beach horseback riding tours, try Boca Nosara. Each guided tour is provided by company owners Beate and Hans, who are fluent in English, Spanish and German. Typical beach rides last from two and a half to three and a half hours, though private tours and custom tours are also available. Importantly, all horses are healthy, well taken care of and very easy to ride; making their beach rides a great experience for novice and riding pro alike.

Horse Riding Tours Are Also Available Through Costa Rica Travel

Another company offering well-organized horseback riding tours through Nosara’s jungles and beaches is Costa Rica Travel. Costa Rica Travel offers horseback riding tours throughout Costa Rica with a few different tour options within Nosara. Adventurers can choose from a jungle tour, sunset and beach tour or a Mala Noche waterfall tour, each guided by a professional naturalist for three to four hours.

Ecotourism is defined as visiting a country to explore the untouched natural surroundings while leaving little to no environmental impact. While ecotourism is known for its environmental protection efforts, it also provides a larger benefit to Costa Rica by providing government funding that keeps the country’s national parks beautiful, pristine and well-managed. Costa Rica is a country that encourages sustainability and thrives on ecotourism, providing tax benefits to people who open eco-friendly businesses. Costa Rican ecotourism helps sustain local communities, funds the continued preservation of the national parks, and enables the country to continue its healthy economic development.

Some of the more popular forms of Costa Rica ecotourism travel include stunning nature hikes, rare bird watching and athletic adventures such as kayaking and biking. Costa Rica’s ecotourism also includes unique conservation vacations, a growing trend in Costa Rica thanks to increasing foreign awareness of the troubles faced by the country’s beautiful indigenous wildlife. One species receiving a lot of attention lately is Costa Rica’s leatherback sea turtles, majestic gentle giants who are hovering on the brink of extinction. Since the rich Costa Rican coast offers a safe nesting habitat for the sea turtles, many ecotourism groups have created conservation vacations where eco-minded tourists can play an important role in aiding the preservation of the sea turtle population.

Tourists planning to partake in Costa Rica ecotourism should keep a few rules in mind while traveling. Most importantly, remember that the goal of ecotourism is to avoid impacting the country’s natural beauty and biodiversity. This means avoiding the introduction of any non-native plants, fruits, or food, properly disposing of all trash, and not taking anything with you from your travels (save for your memories and gorgeous pictures to wow your friends and family with back home). Preserving the beauty of Costa Rica through green ecotourism will go a long ways toward maintaining its majestic appearance for future generations.

We recently came across a fascinating article about purchasing real estate in Costa Rica, and wanted to share the exciting information for those interested in owning a gorgeous property there. The article discusses Costa Rica’s rating as the #2 most attractive country in Latin America by Foreign Direct Investment Magazine.

Visitors and expatriates now have another compelling reason to visit Costa Rica: The blissful country ranks #1 on the Happy Planet Index, created by the New Economics Foundation. The Happy Planet Index measures how well a country uses its natural resources to create long and happy lives for its citizens. Costa Rica’s abundant natural resources enable its people to live happily and healthily to the average ripe old age of 79 (National Geographic). Read all about why Costa Rica is such a great place to live in the original article on the Happy Planet Index website.