Rancho Daimari
Rancho Daimari
4.5
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
"Rancho Daimari" facilities are family oriented ... Something for everybody ... So come on down, saddle up and be ready for the best ride of your life!A little private beach located at the north east side of the Island it's very popular with the local surfers. It's breathtaking views are amazing!!!... Is is one of the most remote places on the Island an experience you can't miss...Free Round Trip Transportation 2-hour guided tour into the most spectacular scenery in Aruba (Natural Pool, Arikok National Park,Andicuri Beach, Sand Dunes & more)Swimming at the Natural Pool!Refreshment all skill levels and Children welcome. Also featuring Private Tours. Come and enjoy Aruba at its best, amazing beaches and panoramas and .... Lots of hidden treasures. You are Welcome!!
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles279 reviews
Excellent
202
Very good
41
Average
11
Poor
10
Terrible
15

ah117
Chicago, IL28 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We cruised with Royal Caribbean the first week of October and had booked an excusion on our own at Rancho Daimari. We saved about 40.00 total, paid $64.00 pp as advertised on the ranch's website. Overall, this excursion was the highlight of our entire trip- the scenery was just breathtaking, the horses were well-mannered, the ranch was very picturesque, and we had a great experience with the staff.

After a week of sending out e-mails to Rancho Del Campo and Rancho Notorius and not receiving replies, we tried Rancho Daimari. I was a bit wary because the website didn't have much to say about their tours, horses, options, etc.... So after checking out the few other reviews, we chanced it.

We got off the ship around 8, heading to meet the van at an ATM near the Carlos and Charlie's restaurant-- Easy, we thought, as we saw the HUGE logo from our ship's balcony... not so easy, as we walked there. Turns out it was the wrong restaurant, which was closed, and we had to ask 4 different shopkeepers how to get to the "other" Carlos and Charlies. We were the last two on the bus... thank goodness.... It really didn't end up being that hard- it was straight up the pier-- but just don't head towards that large sign you see from the ship.

We were in the van with a family of four (two parents and two middle school kids) and an older gentleman. With my husband and I, that made just 7 in our group. It was a tumultuous and very speedy ride to the ranch. It's about 30 minutes, and at one point, the driver actually stopped and asked everyone to put on their seatbelts, as we literally slid-braked down a steep hill. it could have been an excursion in itself.

We arrived at the ranch, which was much prettier than I imagined. The horses seemed to be well-cared for, for Aruban standards, though I never saw them offered water, either before or after the ride. I had taken about 7 cumulative years of riding lessons (I'm 27) and my husband took lessons for 1 summer. We asked for an advanced/intermediate horse, respectively. I was told I'd be riding El Diablo, and when I joked that his name was "Devil" and that I didn't want to be ran away with (I often find they put "bad" horses with "good" riders...) I was re-assigned to "El Tio." We were not offered helmets, and when I started to take one (which turned out to be for the ATVs) I was told those weren't for the riders. In all my years of riding, getting on without a helmet has been a cardinal sin, so I strapped on my straw hat and hoped for the best. The ride started off over very rocky terrain, towards the Natural Pool. The quick riding instruction given by Brian, our leader, was to lean forward as we went uphill and lean back as we head downwards. He also gave what I thought to be odd advice, to lean backwards and put your feet out forward as the horses galloped (the gallops were apparently not an option during the tour, as the horses hit the white sand, it's their cue to run.) In the end, this turned out to be the absolute best part of the ride, and we had options to do it three times. One of the young kids was completely uncomfortable with this, and the assistant leader stayed back and walked with him.

After about a 40 minute ride, we headed up to the natural pool, which was absolutely stunning. We had swim suits under our clothes, and thank god we brought aquasocks, as the pool is very rocky. The water was gorgeous, warm, and you could see to the bottom. Lots of very cool, beautiful blue fish... Just gorgeous. Some of the others chose to hike around, drink water/lemonade that was brought, and wait for us swimmers. We headed back to the fenced holding pen and remounted. We headed back to the ranch, which took about 1/2 hour. Two more options to gallop, one on the beach next to the water and the other back to the ranch. It was just amazing.

Overall, a completely wonderful experience- the absolute best part of our entire trip (especially for horse people like me.) I was afraid the riding tour would end up 1 of two ways- a head-to-tail drudge in the sweltering desert or an uncontrollable disaster, where my fingers would be rubbed raw trying to control my horse... It turned out to be neither and gave us the perfect amount of relaxing, gorgeous windswept scenery, and some excitement, as well.

A few pointers for those who are planning on going....

- the website doesn't have a secure credit card option. You have to email or fax it.
- bring aquasocks if you plan on swimming in the natural pool.
- we wouldn't recommend this ride for VERY novice riders (aka, never ridden / have poor balance / afraid of more than walking.) The ride was physical, and at times, overwhelming for the younger riders. All riders, even the beginners, were included in the beach gallop.
-There is a comment card at the end of the tour, and of course, they ask for tips.
Written 8 October 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lori12309
Niskayuna, NY5,474 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
I've wanted to ride horseback on the beach for as long as I can remember, so I researched my options in Aruba pretty thoroughly before booking with Daimari by e-mail. On their end, they were fairly persistent in getting me to commit, which made me a little uncomfortable, but it was all good.
We arrived at the Tamarijn on July 28 at 4 pm and I met the Daimari's representative Erik in the hotel lobby at 6. I had passed him several times, not knowing why this forlorn-looking man was perched in a chair, until I figured out that maybe he was waiting for me and my cash deposit. I felt kind of stupid for making him wait, but a sign might have been helpful to avoid confusion.
We opted to ride on Friday morning--my husband and I (50 and 48 respectively) and our two teenagers. I took lessons for years when I was young but hadn't ridden in ages. My kids are naturally athletic and our son is game for anything, so he and I assessed our skill level at intermediate. My husband and our daughter have less skill, but opted for intermediate also, so as not be be mounted on four-legged Barcaloungers.
We were told to be waiting at 8:10 for pick-up and the Daimari van showed up at about 8:30, with two honeymoon couples and a pair of young Dutch women. Our driver, Brian, had a certain je ne sais quoi behind the wheel and the ride to the ranch eliminated the need for a separate 4WD excursion.
The ranch is located in a small valley in the Arikok Park. It is one of the most desolate-looking areas on Aruba, but the stable was as clean as it could be with a dozen pooping horses within. We were checked in by Isabel and issued a cold bottle of water each. We also paid the balance of our bill with VISA. I was a little taken aback that hardhats were not offered to riders, but I come from a litigious world. Still, we had two rank beginners among us who might have felt less apprehensive with head protection.
The horses at Daimari are Paso Finos. I was concerned because it is a smaller breed and my son is 6'3" tall (but skinny) and my husband is 220 pounds (but not tall!) I had been assured by e-mail that the size of neither would present a problem and this proved to be true.
The horses were in fine condition and were not the hacks one might expect to rent in the US. A few were quite fresh, but manageable.
Javier, our guide, and Brian (who rides with the same abandon with which he drives) were mounted on Tennessee Walkers and they led us out into the cunucu. The horses are very sure-footed and had no trouble navigating among the rocks, much to the relief of the rank beginners.
At one point, we were invited to group ourselves and pose for photos, which we appreciated. We then rode to an enclosure (took about half an hour) near the Natural Pool and were instructed to dismount and rest the animals. Eighty-five steps down to the Natural Pool. I am not nearly as sure-footed as a Paso Fino, so I was grateful that I had worn water shoes. Some of the riders opted to swim--we did not and passed the time chatting with Brian who had accompanied us to the Pool. (I can't think of much that is more distasteful than putting jeans on over a wet swimsuit in the Aruba heat and trying to remount a rested-and-raring-to-go horse. But that's just me. The younger members of our group seemed to love their swims, although one of the Dutch girls got bashed against the rock wall by the rough surf.)
After trudging back to the horses (going up is much easier than going down), we set off back for the ranch along a different route. We grouped in a sandy cove for a minute so Javier could tell us what to expect on the next leg of our journey, and the Dutch girl who had gotten Maytagged at the Natural Pool's horse started sinking into the wet sand. Naturally, this made the horse nervous, so he jettisoned his rider and took off. Javier seemed to be more concerned about the horse than its hapless rider, but she was a good sport about it. If anyone had scolded me for being thrown from a horse, I don't think I would have accepted it with such good grace...
The ride back included a lot of higher-speed travel, to the dismay of one of the newlywed wives. We had a blast, though. Upon our return we were encouraged to fill out an evaluation (I still don't know why they asked for my work number, but if they call, I'll be happy to speak with them!) and shown a large box where we could deposit tokens of our appreciation if we so desired. I think everyone left a gratuity except maybe the Dutch girl who got tossed--her scrapes were bleeding. One of the honeymoon hubbies (the one married to the slowpoke) was allergic to horses and he looked like h*ll, poor guy. The previous day he had tossed his cookies on the Jeep tour, his wife told me. I don't think he thinks Aruba is a very happy island.
But we got back in the van and were delivered without incident to our respective hotels. Brian sang all the way and the rest of us wondered if we would ever be able to walk normally again.

A couple of tips: Do not bring a lot of extraneous stuff to this ride. You won't need it and it is a pain to haul. If you must bring stuff, use a small backpack to carry it. Bring an apple for your horse. Wear watershoes. Don't forget to use sunscreen and forget about a hat unless you can staple it to your scalp.
A final note: as we were waiting for our taxi back to the airport on Tuesday, the Daimari van was picking up new passengers from the Tam and Javier recognized us and hugged me good-bye. Nice touch.
Written 7 August 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hooper33
Atlanta, GA103 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Went to Rancho Daimari on July 17, 2004. This was our first time ever on a horse. This Ranch is located in the National Park. It is a crazy ride to get there but once there absoulutely amazing. The horses were very friendly and well kept. Javier and Manuelo were our tour guides and they were amazing. Never being on a horse I was very scared. However they hand select your horse according to your skill level. The terrain is rough since you are going up and down the mountains and hills. The view is the best i have ever seen. The natural pool was really neat also. During the ride Javier and Manuelo were right there to help and assist you if there was a problem or you were uncomfortable. I left this excursion with an awesome experience, pictures to last a lifetime, and two new friends (Javier and Manuelo). If you want to try horseback riding I would say Rancho Daimari is the place to go.
Written 19 July 2004
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

nitajane76
Winchester, IL U.S.A.3 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Let me first say, this was a beautiful ride, the scenery was great, the natural pool definitely worth seeing. Now, that said, I had a few issues with my experience. I called the ranch from my hotel to book a ride for my daughter and me. I asked if they had spaces available for either of their tours for that afternoon. They said they had 2 spots left on the Natural pool tour (which was $10 dollars higher than the other). I said ok, book us. Javier picked us up at our hotel(10 minutes late). When we got there..we were the only ones..for either tour...which was very nice to have a private tour, but we realized we had been lied to. We paid Javier in cash eighty dollars each(we did not have correct change)..it was supposed to cost $75. He said he did not have change and would give it to us when we got back. Javier kept his riding instructions simple, which was great because I was very inexperienced on a horse. I had no problems on the hills. The natural pool was wonderful, we had it all to ourselves, until 30 Brazilian soccer players showed up on ATVs :-)viva Brasil! When we got back to the top of the hill to get on the horses, we were quite thirsty and expected there to be something to drink since a beverage was promised with the tour, but Javier said no, not until we got back to the ranch. Then Javier said we would go down to the beach and gallop on the sand. I said that I did not want to gallop and Javier said it's ok, I would be fine. Uh, well, as soon as we got to the sand the horses started running. My horse would not slow down no matter what I did and Javier was behind yelling "Andele!"(thanks a lot!) I managed to stay on the horse, but I got a large red saddlesore on my a** from the galloping, which after a week is now finally scabbing over. My horse wanted to trot on the rocks after we got back on the hills which was slightly terrifying to me, not being experienced. When we made it back to the ranch, we got our warm water and reminded Javier about our change. He laughed and said don't worry about it, we get it next time! You know, it wasn't that big of a deal, taking $5 from each of us, but it was the way he did it that p*ssed us off. We scrimped, saved, and were on a tight budget for this trip..didn't like being lied to and forcibly made to tip. My advise is go on the tour, but have exact change and be advised these horses will run on the beach no matter what you do. We did love the tour..just not the way Javier handled things with us.
P.S. also, he is a pretty crazy driver and the roads are really bad!
Written 8 November 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MKDesiree
Lancaster, PA29 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2011 • Couples
Javier picked us up form the hotel, drove fast and stopped to get gas on the way to the ranch. The horses were not in the greatest of shape. Skinny and lots of cuts on their legs. The horses started leaving the stable, I tried to stop mine but was yelled at to let him go ahead. We were half way up the hill before our guide ever joined us. He came cantering up the hill behind us as I was yelling...Hello!!!! The scenery was gorgeous. There was lack of communication the whole way through the ride. The horses galloped on the beach. I have a horse but my husband does not ride and Javier kep saying we make you cowboy. This ranch is unprofessional. We were back at the ranch within 1 hour and 15 minutes when it was suppose to be a 2 hour ride. I do not recomend this ranch. And the other things that happened. We were told a drink was included but he didn't have a key to get us a drink out of the cooler. The other thing was he made us buy hats for sun protection even though I asked for a helmet. HE claimed we HAD to have a hat for sun protection.
Written 16 December 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jason S
Ellington, CT324 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2011 • Couples
My wife and I were on our honeymoon in Aruba last week and decided NOT to go through the Divi resort's horseback riding but through Rancho Daimari. I spoke with Martha about a month before I went there and Javier when we showed up. Since we had a private tour Javier had to take another group so we got Franco. Franco was AWESOME he was such a nice guy took a ton of pictures of my wife and I and really went above and beyond a guide. I got a slow / lazy horse so Franco made me switch horses with him and it was SO much better. We were able to swim in the Natuaral pool for about 30-40 minutes while Franco took more pictures of my wife and I. The horses wanted to just run on the beach and in the ocean it was a great time. We are very happy with this place and being the only ranch in the Natural Park it was def a good experience. A+++
Written 11 August 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

caribbeanjunkie12
Knoxville, TN1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2010
My family and I took this horseback tour in December 2010. We were excited about riding the horses on the beach and to the natural pool. The entire trip to and from the natural pool is about 2 hours, but less than half of this is actually riding. The rest of the time is spent at the crowded natural pool. The scenery on the trail is beautiful and the natural pool is worth seeing once while you're on the island. The poor part of our trip was the horses. The horses they use are in terrible condition. One had an ulcer on its eye, 9 of the 10 riders in our group had lame horses, several of the horses had oozing lacerations on their legs, and all appeared to be malnourished. On the ride, most of the horses were huffing and puffing to breathe, indicating poor conditioning. Several of the horses had very little muscling over the rump and most were simply underweight. Also, nearly all the horses had at least one laceration that had not been properly treated. The horses do not listen to the rider or react to the rider's attempts to control the horse. After seeing the condition of the horses and figuring out they do not respond to the rider, I was very concerned about the safety of the ride. One misstep by any horse is dangerous enough, but when a horse is lame and hesitates every few steps, that only increases the chance of that horse making a misstep. It is dangerous, but it's also sad to see the pain these horses go through for what should be an enjoyable ride for both the rider and the horse. I do realize veterinary care is not the top priority for most people on the island, but, to me, a company charging $75 for each rider owes it to their horses to give them the best possible care by providing proper nutrition, care for injuries, and fixing the lameness the horses suffer through. And to echo what a previous user commented, Javier drives CRAZY! I hope you don't get carsick at all.
Written 13 January 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AlicesAdventures13
Los Angeles, CA108 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2014 • Couples
Rancho Daimari saved our last day in Aruba. I had wanted to go to the Natural Pools our entire trip but did not want to take a tour. After calling around to some other ranches that were sold out, Rancho Daimari came through with not only availability, but an opportunity to go on our own private ride straight to the Natural Pools and no where else. It was completely customized for what I wanted. The price was also great and was competitive to a group price for our private tour.
RD picked us up at our hotel in a brand new van and we set off for the 45 minute drive to the other side of Aruba. Their ranch is located down a dirt road close to the edge of the sea on the Eastern shores of the national park. Our guide did not speak much English, but both myself and my boyfriend have been around horses many times, so for us this was not a drawback. We enjoyed a great ride to the natural pool and the magnificent scenery along the way. We even got to cantor through the sand along one of the beaches. I love when ranches allow you to exercise their horses and not just plod along.
The horses knew their way and didn't need much controlling at all, they were easy to ride and didn't try to eat anything along the way. We had about 45 minutes to relax and enjoy the natural pools, once we arrived there and then we headed back the way we had come along the edge of the sea.
It was one of my favorite things to do in Aruba and I would definitely go back and ride with Rancho Daimari again if I had the chance.
Written 9 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

txwanderer
Tyler, TX236 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2013 • Family
I made a reservation with this ranch the night before for a one-hour tour that they had advertised on a flyer for $39 per person. After they picked me up and took me all the way to the ranch they told me that in order to have a one-hour tour my daughter and I would have to wait in the barn for 2 hours!! He then proceeded to tell me that I could go along with the others and pay $85 per person. Well, I was then stuck and went ahead and payed the money so as not to disappoint my daughter. He also gave us hats that later he told us would cost us $10. They did not use helmets. The horses did not respond well and the trail they took us on was very treacherous. We have ridden before. My daughter takes lessons and she almost fell off her horse. This trail is not for beginners. You will be walking up and down rocky cliffs and running with horses on the beach. Javier also took my comment card which he knew would not be favorable and kept it out of the comment box. I assume so his boss wouldn't see it. I would not recommend this ranch. In my opinion they are dishonest and unsafe!!
Written 18 March 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Isabel S
Isabel S
I had just read your comment on Trip TripAdvisor and I'm really sorry to hear that. I will be very glad if you can write me the details what happened on your tour. Please contact us at this e-mail so we can follow up with you Kind regards
Written 22 March 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

SageRunner
Hockessin, DE4 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2013 • Family
The horseback ride to the natural pool was a highlight of our trip until we were chased out of a food store for passing a counterfeit $50 bill that I was given by the lead guide when he asked me to "make change". I naively assumed the bill he asked me to change was from another patron on the ride. Now I am out $50 and feel like a chump. Don't make change!
Written 2 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Isabel S
Isabel S
Thank you for your comment!! Thanks again, and we hope to see you again soon. Kind regards Online Rancho Daimari :-)
Written 19 February 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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