Horseback Riding in the Caribbean
Who could have imagined that the perfect way to spend a Caribbean holiday would revolve around horses? I had heard of the horseback tours along Aruba’s rugged terrain but never imagined that it would be quite so popular and exciting. I would recommend first-timers give it a try as well as the horses were really gentle and made the whole experience not as terrifying as I, a first-timer myself had imagined.
The rugged terrain of Aruba is filled with interesting cacti and flower fields, which grow alongside beaches. For our tour, my friend and I were picked up from our luxury Caribbean hotel and another rider was picked up from the adjacent hotel. We assumed that eventually we would be picking up more people but were surprised to know that the tour group was just the three of us and the tour guide himself. What a small group indeed.
We were quickly saddled up. The guide insisted on making us as comfortable as possible because he knew that we were first-timers. The other rider apparently had prior riding experience. As we slowly got used to our horses, the guide indicated that it was time to begin the tour. The horses seemed to follow their own pace leaving us with almost nothing to do. I was thankful for that but my friend insisted on making his horse obey his commands! The guide was very patient and explained the right horse-riding techniques to us while simultaneously conducting the tour. As we trotted along the Caribbean beach, the guide also helped us move along the surf, which was a lot of fun.
As the Caribbean sun became more and more harsh, the tour was almost at an end. As we returned to the cruise terminal I couldn’t believe how much fun it really was. There is definitely more to Aruba than just sun and sand.
