Rio Celeste Horseback Riding: Swim in Natural Pools Unavailable in National Parks

Experience a personalized horseback riding tour in Rio Celeste, where you can swim in natural pools not found in national parks. Avoid waiting lines and crowded tourist destinations.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Rio Celeste - Tour starts in the local town El Pilon with panoramic views of the Arenal Volcano and Caño Negro then we will take the horse trail through farm land and primary forest where we will stop in the Tarzan swing and the hanging bridge before we get to beautiful natural swimming pool in the river Celeste
What's Included
  • Expert local guide
Additional Information

Visitors are offered the unique opportunity to swim in the beautiful natural pools of the Celeste River, an activity that is not allowed and unavailable in the national park. Without the hassle of waiting lines or overcrowded tourist spots, this isn’t a standard commercial tour. Tourists will enjoy a personally-crafted tour led by a local guide and proprietor.

Location
Calle Asentamiento el Pilón
1/2 Mile Northwest from Station El Pilon Tenorio National Park (waterfall entrance) in the Guatuso direction, then turn left in the grave road continue 1/2 mile turn left in front of the local School and continue 1/2 mile on left side before the La Posada Rest and Hotel
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(190 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Jenny_t
Jul 29, 2025
Fun, Beautiful Adventure, Even for ~2 y/o! - An amazing, worthwhile experience! David was a very kind, helpful, and fun guide. Our 23 month old son had a blast. The horses are so impressively strong and very tame. There are some steep uphill and downhill moments and some very rocky and muddy. The horses transported us safely through it all. The river is stunning and having it all to ourselves was really special. Definitely recommend to those seeking a bit of adventure! Thank you, David, Caramelo, and Dorado! :)
Review provided by Viator
Laura
Jul 26, 2025
A fantastic tour! - Would highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for something fun and relatively quick to do in the Bijagua area! David is a kind a funny tour guide, and his horses are sweet and well cared for. We were able to see some wildlife with David’s trained eye, (sloths and monkeys) on our way to a beautiful section of the Tabacon River, where we got to swim in part of the river with some mild rapids. It was like a natural waterslide! Afterward, we decided to stay for lunch at the restaurant on the property. It was such a great tour and a great way to kick start our vacation!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kelly_s
Jul 24, 2025
Excellent Tour - We had a wonderful experience with David. He took extra time showing us all there is to see along with many surprises along the way. I highly recommend David’s horseback tour.
Review provided by Viator
Michelle_c
Jul 16, 2025
The staff was very... - The staff was very welcoming and helpful. The horses you could see were treated like family, very well cared for. The staff was patient with those of us that haven't much experience with riding. The ride through the forest was beautiful and peaceful. The swing through the trees was an added bonus. The Rio Celeste River was a gorgeous shade of blue and very refreshing!
Review provided by Viator
Rebecca_n
Jul 14, 2025
David was patient and... - David was patient and well prepared. He made our journey fun despite poor weather. I highly recommend
Review provided by Viator
Kenta
Jul 7, 2025
10/10 recommend! Horse ride, swing, beautiful river! - 5/5 experience!! I never rode a horse before and was super nervous but David chose a very gentle and kind horse for me to ride. The horse was very responsive and it was enjoyable to ride. The swing was super fun. The river was absolutely beautiful. We did a mud skin mask and it was so much fun too. David was a very kind and responsive tour guide. Muchas gracias pura Vida!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_r
Jul 1, 2025
Fun in the rainy season - David was an excellent guide! We LOVED the swing he built and appreciated that he pointed things out even though we couldn’t see them due to the cloud cover. It was still such a fun adventure and we were even able to gallop a bit vs just the walking with the horses!! We would do this again and hope to in the non-rainy season!!
Review provided by Viator
Madiha_a
Jun 30, 2025
Awesome - So fun! Kids had a blast riding the horses. We went with our 9 and 7 year olds. Tarzan swing was lots of fun and guide was professional.
Review provided by Viator
Kohsamui_9
Jun 19, 2025
Our 6 year old daughter and our family had a great experience! - Highly recommended with our 6 year old daughter who had so much fun. We went to check out the place one day before and could tell the horses were well cared for and loved. This was important to us as we had heard about places who don’t take care of the horses. We went up and down beautiful exotic paths, saw monkeys and sloths, swam in a beautiful river, went on a really fun swing that David built, and by the end of the tour our daughter almost refused to get off the horse. David is kind and knowledgeable and he took very good care of us and our daughter. Highly recommend this tour. We went on a rainy day which made it even more thrilling and truly authentic experience. If possible, book direct with David to avoid paying additional commission to third parties!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marion_p
Jun 7, 2025
Rio Celeste adventure - Totaly crazy but so amazing and unforgatable! Not for all people especialy children they can not good swimm. Thanks a lot to David our great horseguide
Review provided by Viator
From $58
up to 12 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).