centro ecuestre bellavista

My husband and I went on a two hour ride with Sebastian - actually it ended up being more like 2.5 hours, so we felt like we got more than our money's worth. We climbed up up and up to the most amazing vistas. The horses were lovely and well cared for, and easy to ride. I'm a little nervous about horseback riding, as I've only done it a few times in my life, but it was great. Sebastian gave me the horse his 5 year old son rides. My husband loved his horse, and said it was the best horse he had ever ridden. At times the climb was a little hair-raising for me - being close to pretty steep drop-offs - but I had absolute confidence in the horse and the views were worth it. All in all it was a very special experience. I felt very lucky to be there with Sebastian as our guide.

A great way to start your morning!All the good comments are absolutely true!The horseback rides are around the country side of Tarqui, which is 20 minutes away from Cuenca.The horses are beautiful, well taken care of, well mannered and have personalities of their own, which if you wish you can learn all about. The views you see are extraordinary. 2 hours of great ride with a breathtaking scenery.2 hours of ride is $40 per person which is a pretty decent price as the guide is the owner of the farm and experienced rider. The ride is personalized and you can have a great conversation along the way with him, learning about horses and the area.My husband and I went there because of the great comments on tripadvisor ... I think everyone should try this activity when visiting Cuenca.

We picked this horseriding centre as a direct result of other Trip Advisor Reviews, and we were not disappointed. Two middle aged novices were made very welcome, given very patient and mild mannered horses and guided for two hours around some stunning hills and farmland. Sebastian made us very welcome ( the setting of the centre is beautiful ) and the trip out from Cuenca is interesting in itself. We would thoroughly recommend the experience, but if you are taking a taxi out ( which was easy and cheap to do ) just make sure the taxi driver know where he/she is going, and that you have the telephone number of the centre available, as the sign from the main road is easy to miss.

We both didn't had any experience with horse riding. So we didn't know what to expect. The horses were gentle, the owner was really nice and the views were amazing. It was definitely one of our best experience!

Wow! So glad my neice set this trip up to go horseback riding. She came from the States, and this was the top pick on her list of activities. We rode for two hours through the beautiful countryside. Sebastian, the owner, sent by email a taxi driver's name and number to use for transport to and from Gringolandia close to Feria Libre where we live. It was a very good ride for two of us who hadn't been on a horse in 40+ years. My neice couldn't take enogh photos of the flora and fauna. Sebastian has a wonderful place and gave us great value for the money.

Today I rode a horse for the first time. It was awesome!! Sebastián made sure that I had the right horse for my first ride. Constantina was perfect. The facilities are very clean and well maintained. The horses are healthy and appear to be happy. Never ridden a horse? Make sure you visit Centro Ecuestre Bellavista. Now I'm hooked. Looking forward to riding there again in the near future.

Went on a two hour trail ride with 8 other friends today. It was perfect fun! Sebastian was our guide. A sweetheart of a guy that speaks perfect English if you need that. The horses were not like some you may find in a trail facility. These horses were all healthy, clean and with pleasant personalities. Sebastian will give you a helmet an match a horse to your experience - - even if that experience is Zero.The 2-hour ride was leisurely for our group and the vistas were better than spectacular.I would highly recommend this as a side trip from the city - only about 20 minutes out of town on the road to Giron in the area of Tarqui. Make reservations a few days out. Sebastian says he prefers a group of 3-5 but our group of 8 today worked out perfectly.

I contacted Sabastian about taking a 1 hour ride for myself and my husband on a Jan. 5. I advised Sabastian that I had some experience riding and my husband had never been on a horse before. He picked excellent horses for both of us. He picked the lazy horse for my husband and a slightly spirited horse for me. It's funny, because I didn't think my husband's horse was lazy as he was very cooperative except when a tractor was trying to pass us on the road. My husband's horse wanted to turn around but Sabastian went back and connected the lead rope to guide him along past the tractor that was now turned off. We rode on a dirt road for the whole ride with spectacular views. I especially loved getting out of Cuenca into the fresh air as we love the country. There were lots of Eucalyptus trees along the ride also. Sabastian said we could trot if we wanted to but I declined to make sure that my husband would have a great first experience riding.Sabastian offers between 1 and 6 hour rides and also offers horseback riding lessons at a very reasonable price and we just may take him up on the offer while we are still in the area. Sabastian gave us helmets to ride for safety and that is perfectly fine with us. Some people don't like to wear a helmet but do that with your own horses on your own property. When you are riding at someone else's establishment, it is their responsibility to keep you safe, just wear the helmet and don't complain.To get there, we took a taxi from Cuenca $7 (from the Ferria Libra area) and the driver had trouble finding the place. He stopped a couple times for directions. It's not necessary to take a taxi as you can take a city bus #18 to Tarqui and get off at the restaurant on the right hand side (just about at the end of the bus route). The restaurant (with a wooden exterior) is set back a little from the road. You get off the bus by the restaurant and then walk on the same side of the road about 100 yards or so and you will see a dirt road. That is the road you take. You will then see the sign for Centro Ecuestre Bellavista set back from the main road about 20 yards. It would help if the sign was closer to the main road.If you are walking, this road is about 1/4 mile and you would take the first right off this road to go to the ranch and continue down the long driveway. You will see the house and arena and horses there. If you are driving or taking a taxi, make sure you go slow as there are potholes.Sabastian was very gracious and personable and spoke English very well. I am very happy to report that my husband and I had a wonderful time on his first horseback ride. We are looking forward to returning for another ride.

This is a great, safe, fun time to have after you have done some sight seeing in the city of Cuenca. Here you will find very well looked after horses and Sebastian, the owner and guide, will ensure you have the right horse for your riding skills. The hills and views are great. And the horses are well mannered.

I found this place on trip advisor with rave reciews and it definitely lived up to then. The ride had stunning scenery.

We are 2 beginners, and 2 riders with a little experience. We shared a most special day out in the countryside, about 30 minutes from Cuenca. Sebastian, owner of this special place, speaks English and paired us up with the perfect horses for a 2 hour ride thru rolling countryside, complete with stunning vistas, indigenous people farming their land, animals of all kinds including pigs, cows, sheep, etc. Sebastian rode with us, taking good care and advising us on techniques, pointing out places of interest. He really loves what he does and also loves his 40 some horses. He knows each one's personalities, likes, dislikes and is the nicest guy ever! He sent a taxi for us, it was $8.00 each way. The 2 hours horse back ride was $40.00 a piece. We rode mostly on dirt roads but also went off road, up and down hills, etc. It was just the 4 of us so it was very nice. What a special day!

My in-laws live in Cuenca, so that's how we heard about this place, but they had never been! I have always dreamed of going horseback riding, but never had the chance before. Friends had warned me of places they had been where the horses were not treated well, or that all the horses were tied together (that's terrible) but thats not the case here!!! This place has acreages for the horses! When we went there are 48 horses who live here and they were all gorgeous and so, so beautiful! Sebastian was our guide/owner. Speaks perfect English, is incredibly personable and friendly and you can tell that he really knows his horses' personalities. When we arrived he had already saddled up the horses, he picked good ones that are good for beginners. (Side note, I had the pleasure of riding "forty-four", she was lovely, and apparently the kids who come for horse back riding lessons constantly want to ride her because of her calm demeanor, but she also likes to ride)We went for an hour long ride which was incredible! We went on this nice long trail through the country side that was so scenic it took your breath away! There's also 2 hour trails, or an all-day 7 hour trail. The horses love it! I got to lead my own horse. Sebastian teaches you what to do and you're off! I don't think I could have had a more perfect experience!!! I was thrilled to see such a fine place, where the horses are well cared for and enjoyed the ride too! Make sure to book your experince here! You won't regret it! Booking directly with him as opposed to through a travel agent.

I’m a horse lover since I was a little kid, may be because my family loves the west movies and always was a horse in the movie.Look like the genes have passed to my 3 year old daughter, she love horses since she was 2 months old. Every month we take a trip looking for a safe horseback riding place where my daughter can have fun.We had tried in different places between Cuenca and Guayaquil and to be honest CENTRO ECUESTRE BELLAVISTA has fulfill our need, first we are looking for my daughter to have fun and enjoy an activity that she wants to do, my wife can sit and relax riding one of her books and looking at my daughter having fun not just riding the horse but also running around on the open field of the ranch.The tour guide name is Sebastian, and he puts lots of efforts in SAFETY FIRST.He analyze the skills of each one of the person that was visiting the place with me and based on that he select what horse is good for that person.To be honest the horses are very calm, in some occasion’s motorcycles was passing by and the horses just keep going without extressHe took us to the horse stable and shows us some very high class stallion’s horses that they use for competitions.Over all we all enjoy that day, and I'm very pleased with the whole trip at BellaVista.

We went there, two adults and one seven year old kid. Everybody was very friendly and though we are beginners we went out for a really nice trip in the beautiful surroundings. Helmets included. A nice dog to play with was joining us while we waited for our turn.

My husband and I had a great time! The positive reviews on this site were all correct. The horses were exceptionally well-trained and even-tempered. They responded to both us and the guide/owner, Sebastian. The people in the area who we encountered on the trail were warm and welcoming. The trail allowed for exceptional views and just enough challenge to be easy but exciting. We highly recommend Centro Ecuestre Bellavista!