Aruba: Sunset Horseback Ride & Countryside Tour with Pickup

4.67

(131 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Ever wondered what Aruba smells like when you’re far from the hotels? Turns out, it’s dry grass, dust, and something sharp I couldn’t name — maybe cactus flowers? We got picked up near Palm Beach (I was almost late, classic) and drove just a few minutes before landing at this ranch that felt more like someone’s backyard than a tourist spot. Our guide, Miguel, handed me a helmet and grinned when I admitted I hadn’t been on a horse since summer camp. “No galloping,” he said. “Just relax.” So I tried.

The horses seemed half-asleep but knew exactly where to go — winding through the cunucu, past these low stone fences and flashes of green where parakeets zipped by. The sun was already dropping, turning everything gold. Miguel pointed out an iguana perched on a rock; I swear it looked like it was posing for us. There were these tiny moments of silence except for the horses’ hooves crunching dry earth and someone behind me laughing because their horse kept stopping to snack on bushes.

We climbed up this gentle hill (my thighs noticed), and suddenly the whole north coast opened up — blue sea on one side, wild scrubland on the other. The wind picked up right then, salty and cool against my face. We all just sat there for a bit without talking much, watching that orange-pink sky melt into the ocean. I didn’t expect to feel so calm about it all — sometimes you forget how big the world is until you see it from a horse’s back at sunset in Aruba.

Back at the ranch, they had cold drinks waiting (I went for iced tea but those Dutch grilled sandwiches smelled way too good). People hung around swapping stories while Miguel teased me about my “expert” riding skills. It wasn’t fancy or anything — just honest and warm in that way you hope travel can be.