Horseback Riding on the Beach
Location: Adventure Land at Bavaro Beach
Cost: $ 110 for 4 people for a 1 hour ride
This was the one excursion we HAD to do. Having a horseloving teen, she couldn’t wait to try this! What was surprising was how enthusiastic Jared was about it and how when we left, he was asking could he also start taking horseback lessons. Oops-perhaps this activity was far more expensive than I first realized!
Everyone got helmets (something Taylor insisted that we should have if we were going to participate in this activity), we were matched up with a horse, and we were off! Fortunately, the horses knew the routine and stayed together. Taylor ended up way out in front with the guide because of her experience. The rest of us let our horses do the walking and soaked up the amazing vantage point of astride a horse on a gorgeous beach on a Caribbean island. I kept telling myself, “It may not get any better than this!”
Naturally, we had to buy the photos although it is a bit disappointing we didn’t get a group photo together. We were all spread out during the ride (with Taylor WAY in front) so it would have been tough to accomplish anyway. And I didn’t realize just how goofy I would look riding a horse!
One additional souvenir Clay and I brought back with us were our sore bums. Yowza when the horses took off at the end of the ride, we were definitely cantering pretty fast, which meant lots of jostling in the saddle. It’s a small price to pay for a family adventure that captured our senses, pushed us outside our comfort zones, and gave us a better understanding of why Taylor loves all things equestrian so much.
So my advice when traveling to the Dominican Republic (or any other vacation spot for that matter) is to incorporate in some fun activities and adventures. You will see and learn more, interact with natives, and get a greater sense of what the island/city/country is all about. I enjoyed chatting with one of our guides who lives in Santo Domingo and spoke French. Quite a change from all the Spanish we heard!
Thanks for following along! I’ve got one more post in me about the Dominican Republic, which will highlight our resort, the Melia Caribe Tropical.
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