Xunantunich Horseback Riding Tour

The horseback riding experience to Xunantunich Temple was simply the perfect combination of everything! The horses were beautiful, healthy, and very well trained. It was my first time ever riding a horse, and the whole experience was surprisingly easy and enjoyable. We had José as our guide, and he was truly the cherry on top! From beginning to end, he was absolutely incredible, probably one of the best guides I've had so far. He shared so much knowledge with us about nature, Mayan history, and even let us taste different plants along the way. We learned so many interesting things throughout the experience. Honestly, a 10/10 experience! Highly recommended!

Carla was absolutely amazing!!!!!! She made the entire experience worth while!! The horses were amazing and me and my fiancee ( which happened on top of el Castillo ) were able to take them for a little run since we were so experienced riding. The knowledge she has of the site made it great. Would absolutely recommend 10000/10.

Jose was an absolutely exceptional guide! As a solo traveler I wanted an experience that felt awe inspiring, like I got to experience Belize in multiple ways and like I walked away feeling incredible and this tour and tour guide was that and more. The horses were so playful and sweet, the Mayan ruins fantastic and the journey getting there was beautiful. I’m so grateful and couldn’t have asked for a better tour guide in Jose. He truly blew me away with his knowledge, level of service and care. Thank you thank you thank you!

The trip was great for the whole family! Jose and Carla were great with our kids who had never ridden a horse. Jose worked very hard to get our kids engaged with both the horse riding and the history. Our daughter was super scared at first, but they were patient and reassuring. Beautiful view from the top and super informative! Would not hesitate to recommend this trip to others. All of the staff for this trip were friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about their work. Thanks!

It was amazing! Our guide Jose explained everything about the maya culture and gave us an amazing experience! The horses are easy to ride, even for beginners and from the start to the end everything was well organised!

As a family of four with two teenagers, St Leonard’s horseback ride was an excellent way to see Xunantunich. We had the knowledgeable Carla and her son Mark as our guides. The horses were amiable and in good shape due to the love they receive from Carla’s family who live on site with them. One of our fellow tourists was a competitive horseback rider who sought out this stable because of good reviews about the conditions for the horses. The 90 minute ride passed through beautiful fields and then along the river through trees. We saw a nesting Tucan peeking out of a tree as well as other birds. During the ride we chatted with Carla about her life growing up visiting the Xunantunich ruins since she was a young child. At the ruins, Carla had an engaging style of drawing attention to aspects of each location by asking tour members to imagine themselves taking a role in events from ancient history. This was very engaging for us and our teenagers who elected to stay listening to Carla instead of breaking off to wander nearby. At the end of the tour we enjoyed some coconuts from Carla’s trees and gave her a hug goodbye. Highly recommend!

This was such a fun experience! The horses were gentle and our guide was great! We saw several birds and monkeys on our horse ride. I definitely recommend this experience!

We had an incredible day out horse riding with Jose. He made it so much fun and was really passionate and knowledgeable about all the local wildlife as well as the Mayan archaeology. We saw some wonderful birds and animals while riding along the river to the temple. We had howler monkeys hanging from the trees above us, we saw toucans nesting and even spotted a Pygmy owl and a grey fox. Jose even managed to coax a tarantula out of its hole for us to see. A truly magical experience. L’ban and Sarah were very gentle horses and Jose ensured we travelled safely together with another lovely couple from America. Could not recommend more!

Jose was very funny, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable! It was around a 5 hour experience with 7 people in your group. The cost included transportation to the stable from the resort/hotel and water for the trip. Riding gear was provided. This was a very informative and adventurous experience where we learned about the Mayan people, their temples, medicines and their culture. There is also plenty of wildlife along the river where you can see beautiful Tuscans and giant iguanas. I would highly recommend!

Mark was a knowledgable, professional, and personable tour guide. He had a breadth of knowledge of all the wildlife and greenery in the area. Really tried to get us to see everything! My first time horseback riding too! Could not have asked for any better.

What a fantastic experience. The guide was super knowledgeable and friendly, the ruins of Xunantunich are magnificent, and riding by a river to get there just makes the experience unique. Thumbs up!

The stables carefully matched riders to horses taking account of experience and comfort levels. As well as the man and horse leading, there was a second staff member (owner and guide) who walked with us, giving advice and checking on us. The ride is mostly along the river and we saw a huge iguana a d a howler monkey! The guide was very knowledgeable at the ruin and we learned a lot.

Super fun riding the horses, beautiful trail, and very informational about Xunantunich. Jose was a great guide and made sure we all has a fun safe time

The horses look very well cared for and in great health. They were also calm and not spooked easily. Our guide Carla obviously loved the horses and the Mayan history. She was very friendly and knowledgeable, and I learned a lot from her. The ride is a lovely path next to the river for most of the way, except for a small patch of road, but the horses didn’t mind the cars at all.

This was our daughter's favorite activity! Lots of time riding, along the farm and lovely river, and then exploring Mayan ruins. The guide was knowledgeable and helpful, and the tour group was small. It's a bit pricey but definitely a great activity.

We had such an amazing time on our horseback tour to Xunantunich!! Our guide was so incredibly knowledgeable and so nice!! I would highly recommend and would absolutely do it again! From pickup to drop off, it was the best experience!

Our tour booked directly with St. Leonard's was EXCEPTIONAL. Easy to book, highly responsive - I contacted them 2 days prior and though there was no one else booked to ride to Xunantunich that day, they quickly arranged a private trip for me and my teen daughter. Our guide, Jose, was the absolute BEST. He prioritized safety, and was extremely knowledgeable, personable and engaging. The ride itself was practically a personal safari - we saw two types of monkeys, at least two types of iguanas (both huge), tarantulas, and dozens of birds (including toucans) as well as learning about trees, plants, flowers and fruits. Jose's expertise when it came to the archeological site and all things Mayan history was also fantastic, keeping us both thoroughly interested throughout. And, when at the end of the tour we had car trouble, he went above and beyond to help us get sorted. I cannot say enough good things.

We had an excellent ride to Xunantunich with Carla. First and foremost, Carla provided our group with excellent coaching on the ride (we all had some but not a ton of horseback riding experience) and, as a result, we had a blast. The horses were well cared for. Carla also gave us an excellent and informative tour at the ruins. We learned a ton. Overall, it was a great experience.

Lots of time in the saddle, knowledgeable guide, beautiful route, well trained horses, impressive ruins, kid friendly (my 7 year old loved the horseback riding)

Great experience from start to finish! Easy meet-up in San Ignacio, and we appreciated the round-trip transportation to their stables. We had a great trip with Mark, who talked to us throughout the ride, checking on our comfort and also giving information on local plants, animals, and Mayan history. We had a nice tour through the ruins and never felt rushed, before our 2nd ride back to the stables. Highly recommended to support this family-run operation!

Carla was our guide for a walking tour of Xunantunich. We had planned a horseback ride, but rainy weather and high river conditions did not permit the horses on the ferry. Carla went out of her way to find and make a plan for us when everything was getting cancelled! She even offered to cook us lunch! She stayed in constant touch with us during our 4 day stay in San Ignacio. The walk up to the ruins was a good hike. Carla is friendly, knowledgeable and provided just the right amount of history and information. She made every minute of the tour interesting! Carla knows how to make history come alive. Her extensive knowledge, experience and passion about Mayan history are fabulous! We think the cost of the personal tour for our family of five was very reasonable. We highly recommend Carla and would be thrilled to take another tour with her when we return to Belize! All 5 of us agree that Carla’s tour was the highlight of our vacation!

My husband and I joined the tour on our first day in San Ignancio. We were only there for two days and wanted to see the ruins and the jungle, and this experience did the trick. The slow meander along the river and through the woods was beautiful, and Joseph was a great guide, very attentive. We had some very experienced riders with us, and he allowed them to move a bit faster than the rest of us at times, tailoring the experience for the audience. The horses knew their routes and were great, though each had a bit of a different temperament. We saw a lot of different iguanas on the trip, and heard some monkeys in the distance. Once at Xunantunich, Joseph shared a lot of great information about the site and was very watchful to make sure we were all safe and happy. We stayed at the ruins a little less than an hour, but that seemed like enough time to explore. Though I was a little saddle sore at the end, I felt like this short excursion (3-4 hours) was just about right for our first day in Belize, and got our trip off on the right foot.

What a wonderful experience. There were 5 of us on this all day tour, which included horseback riding, a tour of Mayan ruins, lunch at Benny's, and a chocolate experience at AJAW. Carla and Rod are really great hosts, down to Earth, and fun! Not only did St. Leonard's take care of all the details, which allowed us to focus on enjoying ourselves, but they are great people who added to our experience. If you are on the fence, definitely take advantage of this great service!

Great day discovering the back country and the maya history with Mark. Horseriding is a super alternative to learn more about the country and the people of Belize

We had the BEST time on our guided tour to Xunantunich. Mark led our group and was so kind and courteous to each one of us! He was very knowledgeable about the Mayan culture and history. 10 out of 10 would recommend! Ask personally for Mark to be your guide! Saul was also pretty amazing keeping us in line as he followed our group along the trail.

Rod and Carla are the best guides! We had so much fun on the horses, and we learned so much about Xunantunich. They are truly experts in their field, but they are also kind-hearted and well-humored. Moreover, they made sure each person in our group felt safe throughout the entire journey. They spent time answering all of our questions, didn't rush any part of the tour, and it was a great value for the price! I couldn't give a higher recommendation.

Great experience, Way better than expected. The horseback riding was fun and we walked along the river in the shade, a lot velt walk. And our guide was the best, very knowledgeable about the site and it's history. Loved her. It's a family farm, I highly recommend coming with these guys. Their horses are treated very well.

What a great experience! I highly recommend St. Leonard's. Carla and Miguel went above and beyond to accommodate our schedule and provide us with an amazing tour. Carla's knowledge of Mayan history and culture was outstanding. We learned so much. The horses were beautiful and provided a unique way to tour Xunantunich (Which I now know how to pronounce, thanks to Carla.) Fantastic way to conclude our tour of Belize. Thank you, Carla, Miguel, and St. Leonard's Tours!

We recently went on the horseback riding tour during our trip to Belize. Miguel and Rafe were amazing during the tour! Both me and my partner were beginners at horseback riding but they made us feel very comfortable and safe. We would highly recommend this amazing family owned company

Great experience! About a 30-40 minute drive to the Horse ranch and you ride horses to/from Xunantunich for about an hour each way. The tour was very laid back and everyone was super nice and friendly!! Waters were provided, but I'd suggest bringing some snacks. There are bathrooms at the base of Xunan, which were convenient.

Everyone was nice it was such a great experience I have never rode a horse before but I felt very secured and they were very helpful just inform them if you have never rode a horse before and they will help you and give you a horse that best fits your criteria

I’ve been to lots of horse tours and St. Leonard’s is a step above them all. First of all their horses look well taken care of. They are very healthy,thick, clean and friendly. Great people all around.

We enjoyed it. The horses were matched to each person in or group. The crew were knowledgeable, helpful and friendly with a touch of humor. We traveled a trail and the guides pointed out various sites along the way. All in all a worthwhile adventure. A special "thank you" to the guides... We had a heat exhaustion episode and they responded quickly by providing water and medical support and delivered the individual to safety. The guys were great, thanks for helping us through this adventure.

Very enjoyable, beautiful trail, Jose was fun and knowledgeable! Worth the ride you will love the ruins.

I’ll start by saying Jose was our tour guide & was absolutely awesome. Friendly, knowledgeable & fun!! The riding was through beautiful land & the tour of the site was obviously amazing as well. Miguel guided our horse riding trip & was super friendly & knowledgeable of the land & animals as well. I highly recommend the tour & would put a request in for Jose. I’m sure the others are great as well but he made the tour special.

What a beautiful day! We rode along a river, saw wildlife including howler monkeys and toucan, and enjoyed taking the horses on the hand crank ferry across to Xunantunich. The ruins were beautiful and our guide taught us a lot about Mayan culture and history. This was one of the highlights of our trip!

Jose was a great guide for this tour! We were able to see howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and tarantulas (by choice). Jose was nice, funny and a great guide. The horses were so well trained as I have only ridden once before. There was plenty of time at the site and everything was very well explained

Our guides, José and Miguel made this excursion even better than we hoped. We were picked up from our hotel and taken to the farm where we were matched with horses that suited our abilities. We were in a group of 6. We rode 1.5 hours to Xunantunich then José gave us a personalized tour full of facts about animals, plants and the ruins. We learned a lot in such a memorable and fun way. Then we made our way back. José pointed out everything he noticed and we saw a lot, including tarantulas that he tried to coax out of their dens. Fantastic experience!

What a fantastic horse riding trip to the ruins. The ride was extremely well organised, I felt in great hands. Jose our Guide was excellent, very knowledgeable, passionate about his culture and horses. The helpers were friendly and ensured we had a good time. Such a great day out, it's not to be missed.

Jose was an amazing guide! He was very knowledgeable, caring and fun! We really enjoyed all of the history he shared with us and how he explained it was perfect. We were lucky enough to see toucans, howler monkeys, and tarantulas. My Dad who is 71 and believes this was his last horseride says it couldn’t have been a better memory! Highly recommend this tour, and especially Jose! Thank you for a great experience!

They were wonderful with my 7-yr old, and we had a great time! Riding along the river to the ruins was magical. Would definitely recommend for families.

Really enjoyed the horsebackriding. Good for kids (age 11 and 9). Would have liked some time to explore ruins on our own and / or direct the tour to certain spots—instead our pace and what we were allowed to view was tightly controlled. My only issue was with the teenage son of the owner (won’t use his name as he is a minor), who demanded to have verbal confirmation that I had been drinking enough water; reminded me repeatedly to step into the shade; wanted to to know why I was checking me phone—I found his behavior to be aggregating and verging on rude. Overall, the kids loved the horses. If I was on my own, I would just drive myself to the ruins.

I was interested in visiting Xunantunich, but having a different experience along the way. With St. Leonard's, I found a great combo to explore the countryside, riding through the jungle along the Mopan River and receiving an excellent guided tour of the Mayan ruins. Jose was an excellent wrangler and guide - attentive, knowledgeable and passionate about his country and his role in sharing it with us. The horses were well trained and the whole experience was one of the highlights of my trip to Belize. I couldn't more highly recommend St. Leonard's!

Nice horses, well informed guide and beautiful nature! I really loved it and it was great value for money! I definitely recommend going here.

We did the horse ride thru the jungle to the Xunantunich Myan Historical site, it was a very awesome ride, with fun, incredibly knowledgeable guides. Jose and the other guide were also super helpful and patient with us both, with it being the first time on a horse, and provided extra help to my wife when needed to get on or off the horse. Would definitely recommend the tour! Thank you Jose and to the helper that walked along with us the whole way to manage the horses. This was so much fun! Highly recommend!

Carla and her team did a great job starting with a punctual pick up at the appointed time. They chose the appropriate horses for each of our 6 family members and made sure we made it safely to the ruins. Carla was very knowledgeable about the site, including excavation history and took as much time as needed to answer our questions and explain the history. Would highly recommend this trip.

What a great time we had, despite having visited Tikal the day prior. Xunantunich may be smaller but it is still very impressive and we continued to learn about the Mayan culture. The timing of the tour was more agreeable as well. And the horses - wow! A lovely horseback ride along the river should not be missed nor the opportunity to see wildlife such as iguanas, birds and monkeys. Miguel was our terrific guide but I had the impression they are all good. Jose picked us up from our hotel and he was very knowledgeable as well. The horses were perfect for folks such as ourselves with little riding experience, so don't be afraid to go on this amazing journey!

What an amazing experience! We had Carla for our tour.. what a knowledgeable lady! Wow, did we learn a lot about the culture and ruins! Highly recommend this company if you are in the area, you won't be disappointed!

Me and my son had a terrific horse ride to Xunantunich ruins with a very nice, comitted and well read guide with the name Jose (or was it Felipe 😉 BR Stefan & Fredrik