Today my girlfriend and I went horseback riding in San Salvador. I’ve been wanting to plan this for some time. I wanted it to be a surprise for my girlfriend, so I did all of the research online in order to find a farm that offers riding horses. My girlfriend is a veterinarian here in El Salvador, so she has a love for animals. And she’s never been horseback riding! So I had a strong desire to take her.
I found the Equestrian Center of Finca San Luis, which is located at the south-western tip of San Salvador. Surprisingly, two of their local staff spoke english well. The cost was $15 per person, plus we gave an extra $5 to our guide as a tip to show our appreciation.
Finding the farm was a little tricky. We fount it at the end of a long dirt road that was mostly hidden from the highway. There were no signs for the farm, so I had to rely on my phone’s map to pinpoint where the road connected to the highway. Needless to say, the GPS couldn’t located it.
When we arrived at the farm, it was a beautiful and well maintained place with well kept landscaping and ample space for the horses.
Before we went riding, we were offered a tour of the farm. We learned that there were approximately 30 horses on the farm and that the horses are maintained with a high level of care. I have no doubt about that because their facility was well organized. Below you can see one of the young guides teaching us about the farm.
Eventually they presented us with our horses. Honestly, I can’t remember the horses names. However, this was Stephanie’s horse. Her horse was very pleasant, although in this photo she looks like she just woke up from a nap.
They gave me a horse that was a little taller and had more muscle. He was very tall. I haven’t been horseback riding in ages, so I knew getting on top would be a challenge. However, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. They gave us step-stools to stand up higher and more easily mount the horses.
Stephanie did very well while riding. She handled her horse very well. Mine seemed to want to go off the trail and eat every plant in sight. It was interesting to see how much horses have differing personalities. Stephanie’s horse was calm, relaxed and easy to manage. My horse was more stubborn, impatient and relentless. However, we still managed.
The trails were beautiful, with lush green rainforest as far as the eye could see. The tour lasted about an hour. We were both very satisfied with our adventure and happy to support this local farm.
We highly suggest visiting and supporting the farm if you have the opportunity. You can find their website here: Club Ecuestre San Luis
Thanks for reading!
