Horseback Riding with Vista Paraiso Tours & Activities

Wednesday afternoon the sun was shining and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. I was at Vista Paraiso's ranch in Higuera Blanca, just a short distance from Sayulita, to go horseback riding. I sat atop my horse, Dorado, who is gentle and gorgeous, with his brown coat and flowing black mane. As our tour guide, Pedro, set off on his mule, my horse, and the horses of Andrea Krusch and Vitaly Motuz from Alberta, Canada, and Camilla Fuchs from Sayulita, followed suit. Camilla’s horse, Rey, a spunky, white horse with brown spots, grabbed a banana leaf in his mouth as he started to walk and when the leaf sprung back and hit Camilla, we both exploded in laughter.

We turned out of the ranch and headed down a dirt and gravel path. It was quiet and peaceful, with only the sound of the horses’ hooves hitting the ground, birds chirping in the distance, leaves rustling in the breeze, and the occasional outburst of Camilla and my laughter, as our horses would pick up the pace and we would bounce up and down. We could see the mountains in the distance, which made a beautiful backdrop for the big, white butterflies that were fluttering in front of us. While the lack of rain has left some of the vegetation brown, it is still a sight to behold, and we would occasionally go by an area with bright pink flowers, adding a wonderful splash of color.

We rode through the town of Higuera Blanca onto a jungle trail, and then onto another gravel and dirt road that led us to Litibu beach. This white sand beach was nearly deserted as we made our way towards the blue water, lapping against the shore. I asked Pedro if my horse could go in the water and as he held onto the lead, we made our way into the ocean. The water splashed up on me as Dorado walked through the water, which felt nice and refreshing as the hot sun beat down on us.

Vista Paraiso has an open-air restaurant on the beach, and we stopped for ceviche and beer, which was a nice reprieve from the heat. As we sat under the palapa, we could feel a nice ocean breeze. Pedro and the horses waited patiently and not once did I feel rushed to get back to the ranch.

We took a different route, which was much shorter, back to the Vista Paraiso ranch. The horses were excited to be heading home and picked up their pace. Again, I made note of the beauty and solitude that surrounded us. And let me tell you, if you have never drank a michelada and then bounced up and down on a horse, you’re missing out.

As we headed back to Sayulita on the open-air bus transportation provided by Vista Paraiso, “nature’s air conditioning” cooled us off as the breeze hit us, and already, Camilla and I were reminiscing about what an incredible time we had. 

If you would like to experience this horseback riding tour for yourself or do one of their other activities, such as a canopy tour, ATV ride, or take a horseback riding lesson, contact Vista Paraiso.