Horseback Riding Around Puerto Vallarta: Beach, River or Jungle, and the Weight Limit Nobody Mentions
6 min read
For most people the answer is the Punta de Mita/Sayulita horseback riding tour: €91.35 per person, 4.8 stars from 63 reviews, about 90 minutes, a ride through jungle and a village that ends on a beach. If you want a whole day in the mountains instead, the answer is the ranch ride with the river and the cooking lunch below. If you want the cheapest ride, it is in Sayulita.
See dates and prices for the Punta de Mita/Sayulita horseback riding tour
The five tours below are not variations on one product. They are different ranches, in different places, with different rules, and the rule that decides who can book is usually not in the title.
Five rides compared
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punta de Mita/Sayulita: Horseback Riding Tour | 1.5 hours | €91.35 | 4.8 from 63 reviews | A beach ride with an option to gallop |
| Horse Riding Tour with optional ATV and zipline | 5 hours | €102.50 | 4.7 from 73 reviews | A full day: river, hanging bridges, a cooking lunch |
| Sayulita: Horseback Riding Tour | 1 or 2 hours | €65.86 | 5 from 48 reviews | The lowest price; beginners; small groups |
| Puerto Vallarta: Tropical Forest Horseback Ride | 3 hours | €86.54 | 5 from 29 reviews | A jungle ride from the city, ending at a waterfall |
| Puerto Vallarta Horseback Riding | 4 hours | €89.09 | 4.4 from 14 reviews | Swimming in the Cuale River with the horse |
Three weight limits, and where they are written
Read the “not suitable for” lines before anything else. Three of the five publish a weight limit, and they differ:
- The Capomo ranch day: people over 264 lbs, which is 120 kg, are listed as not suitable.
- The Punta de Mita/Sayulita beach ride: people over 260 lbs, which is 118 kg.
- The Gray Line ride in the Sierra Madre: people over 220 lbs, which is 100 kg.
The other two list none. That does not mean there is no limit; ask the ranch. The same pages also list pregnant women as not suitable on all five, people with back problems on three, and people with mobility impairments on three. The Gray Line page also lists children under 8, and the Sayulita page babies under 1 year. These are what the booking pages say, and the operator decides on the day, not this page.
The beach ride
The Punta de Mita/Sayulita tour is run by Vista Paraiso Tours and Activities. After a safety briefing at a ranch with donkeys, ponies, macaws and peacocks, you ride through jungle and through the village of Higuera Blanca to Litibú Beach, where the description says there is an option to gallop. Afterwards comes a tequila tasting, and lunch is available to buy at the ranch restaurant. Pickup is included from certain points; the page says to check availability for details. Wear closed shoes: the page lists sandals and flip-flops as not allowed. One parent with a nine-year-old writes that the guides kept the child and her horse close to them.
Check availability for the Punta de Mita/Sayulita horseback riding tour
The full day on the river
Rancho Capomo’s five-hour tour is the longest and the most-reviewed of the five. The itinerary shows a 40-minute van ride and three hours on the horse: along a river, off the horse to climb steep steps and cross rope bridges to a waterfall, a swim, a jog on a sloping hill, then a meal back at the ranch, where you learn to make guacamole, salsa and tortillas. An ATV ride or a zipline circuit can be added as an option.
One reviewer who rode when the river was low reports no waterfall and no swim that day. That is worth knowing: the highlight is weather-dependent, and the operator is the one to ask about water levels before you book. The same reviewer describes boulders and steep ground on the way, and says that, as a beginner, they asked for a gentle horse.
See dates and prices for the horse riding tour with optional ATV and zipline
Sayulita: the lowest price
The Sayulita ride leaves from Rancho Mi Chaparrita and comes in two lengths, one hour or two, with at most nine people. The page says no experience is needed, with basic instructions at the start and horses assigned by age and level, and that private groups are possible. It tells you to arrive 30 minutes before the start and recommends leaving cameras and phones behind. The price shown is the lowest of the five, and it is a “from” price; check which length it applies to when you pick a date.
The two jungle rides
The Tropical Forest Horseback Ride from Rancho el Charro lasts three hours, meets at Biblioteca Los Mangos in Puerto Vallarta, and the page states it is suitable for all levels from beginners to experts. The trail follows a river and ends at a waterfall; alcohol and drugs are not allowed. It has 5 stars from 29 reviews.
The Gray Line ride is four hours with 2.5 of them on the horse, up in the Sierra Madre, ending with a swim in the Cuale River. It is the lowest-rated of the five, 4.4 from 14 reviews, and the one with the tightest weight limit. Its group is capped at ten.
Our recommendation
Book the Punta de Mita/Sayulita beach ride at €91.35 if you want one ride and no complications: 4.8 stars from 63 reviews, 90 minutes, and a beach at the end. It is the wrong choice if you are over 118 kg, have back problems, or want a mountain day rather than a beach.
For a day in the mountains, the Capomo ranch ride at €105.68 is the pick, but go in with the understanding that the waterfall swim depends on the river. For a first ride on a budget, the Sayulita ranch at €67.91. For a jungle ride that starts in the city, the Rancho el Charro ride at €89.23.
If the horse is not essential, the jungle hikes and waterfalls page lists trips on foot, and the Sayulita and San Pancho day trip covers the same stretch of coast without a ranch. For the same terrain at higher speed, the zipline parks guide compares the three big canopy operations.
