Costa Rica is an ideal place to explore on horseback either relaxing at Maravilla or joining the Riding Odyssey. It's a lush tropical landscape famous for spectacular tropical birds such as scarlet macaws and toucans.

Our Riding Odyssey itinerary includes the highlights of the country. You ride on two different sets of horses and are transferred by vehicle between three key regions. The ride starts at the rustic Maravilla hacienda from where you explore the coastal rain forest, mango plantations and mountain trails. Then you travel to the Arenal volcano and the cloud forest area and finish the trail riding over the rolling grasslands of coastal Guanacaste.

For the first three nights you stay at Maravilla Lodge which is a former holiday home of the owner of the riding operation in Costa Rica. It is a small house set in pretty lawns with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The comfortable bedrooms have twin beds and ceiling fans. There is a dining area and sitting area, and after dinner or during the heat of the afternoon, you can relax in a hammock on the veranda and listen to the sounds of the tropics. Please note at peak times (especially Christmas and New Year) groups do not always stay at Maravilla.

Because there are only four rooms at Maravilla you do need to be prepared to share, however it is possible to request a single room for the other nights (there is a single supplement payable) for the nights spent in hotels at Arenal, Monteverde and at La Ensenada.

You are accompanied throughout by a professional guide who will help you identify the monkeys you might see or hear and also the spectacular tropical birds such as trogons, parakeets, scarlet macaws and toucans; maybe also coatimundis, iguanas, anteaters or crocodiles.

If you do not have time for the nine night trail or feel that your riding experience is not up to the standard required you might like to consider a lodge stay at Maravilla. Here the riding can be tailored to your requirements and so is also a good option for families.