Rancho Baaxal
Rancho Baaxal
5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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  • daniclipp
    Troy, Michigan49 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Horseback Jungle Adventure
    Our family of five greatly enjoyed our afternoon at Rancho Baxaal.. Our guides made sure we were safe and well prepared for our ride. We enjoyed the scenery and the conversation during our ride. Highly recommend!
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 December 2023
  • yukonfoodservice
    Vernon, Canada62 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Most amazing experience
    This is a horse rescue operation. All the horses have been rescued from severe neglect conditions and rehabbed here. They are all very gentle. The people who run the centre, Lisa and Thimmiah have done an amazing job with these animals. There are also rescue dogs on site that are characters of their own. Experienced or not this is an adventure everyone should support. Amazing trip through the jungle and stories to be told along the way. Was a great adventure for my granddaughter and I. Highly recommend.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 9 January 2024
  • Nancy D
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Highly Recommended
    So much fun! The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable about the horses and sights along the trail. Also the horses are so well taken care of, and you learn the personality of each one. Also they match your skill level to the horse
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 16 January 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles637 reviews
Excellent
590
Very good
35
Average
8
Poor
2
Terrible
2

ERayLeary
66 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020 • Solo
I had an absolutely wonderful time at this place. We rode through the gorgeous jungle, had a lovely warm welcome from Marie and Cécile was a brilliant guide. Super knowledgeable and very friendly. You can also book yourself a private ride as well which I would recommend if you're a well experienced rider and want a little more speed. The horses are so well loved and it was lovely to see them living their best lives, as they are all rescues and giving a second chance.

Thank you so much, Rancho Baaxal!
Written 28 December 2020
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.

Mocbagraj
Las Vegas, NV20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2021 • Couples
I’m not sure enough words exist to describe how amazing this place is! From the kind, FUNNY, welcoming, and knowledgeable owner and guides, to the stars of the ranch (horses of course!) everything and everyone was outstanding! The big bonus for us on top of the 5 star treatment was the fact all the animals were rescues!!! Adorable rescue dogs too! We will 100% be returning when we make it back to Mexico.
Also, make sure to check out the gift shop area. They have adorable handmade jewelry with bits of the horses hair! It’s super cute and supporting rescue animals. What could be better?!
Thank you so much for making our anniversary unforgettable and treating us like royalty!
Written 28 February 2021
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.

daniclipp
Troy, MI49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
Our family of five greatly enjoyed our afternoon at Rancho Baxaal.. Our guides made sure we were safe and well prepared for our ride. We enjoyed the scenery and the conversation during our ride. Highly recommend!
Written 24 December 2023
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.

Nancy D
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
So much fun! The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable about the horses and sights along the trail. Also the horses are so well taken care of, and you learn the personality of each one. Also they match your skill level to the horse
Written 16 January 2024
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.

yukonfoodservice
Vernon, Canada62 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
This is a horse rescue operation. All the horses have been rescued from severe neglect conditions and rehabbed here. They are all very gentle. The people who run the centre, Lisa and Thimmiah have done an amazing job with these animals. There are also rescue dogs on site that are characters of their own. Experienced or not this is an adventure everyone should support. Amazing trip through the jungle and stories to be told along the way. Was a great adventure for my granddaughter and I. Highly recommend.
Written 9 January 2024
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.

Brian_D_Goff_77
Johnstown, CO4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2014 • Couples
Let me start from the end: IF YOU ARE IN THE PLAYA AREA, GO TO RANCHO BAAXAL!

We were visiting the Playa area in May of 2014 for our anniversary and had the thought that a beach horseback ride would be fun. I have a decent amount of riding experience in my background, and my wife has very little. While researching potential vendors for such a thing, my wife found many red flags concerning most "trail ride" stables and how they treat their animals, and it immediately turned us off from the idea; while any one ranch we might have visited may or may not be treating their animals poorly, we didn't want to be party to it if they were.

Then, somewhat randomly, she stumbled upon a blog post about someone's visit to Rancho, and what we read there intrigued us. Further research revealed that they are a horses-first operation and that the trail rides they offer are secondary to their main mission: rescuing mis-used horses! They schedule their rides such that no one horse gives more than 2 rides in a day, and they avoid the hot mid-day weather during the summer. Even when it's cool enough to ride mid-day, they still only offer a maximum of 3 rides, and no more than 6 riders per ride. And if it's too hot on any one day or the horses are starting to look fatigued, your ride will be canceled. Period.

We read as many reviews we could find and booked a ride as fast as we could.

On the day of our ride, we took a taxi from our resort (only about 5 miles down the road, as it turns out), which was ridiculously expensive. Related piece of advice: bring extra cash for taxis if that's how you're going to get about, they aren't cheap and rates are determined by zones, not actual mileage. Anyway, we tuned off the highway onto a resort drive... then off that and through a guarded gate into the jungle... and then off THAT onto a dirt road heading into... nowhere, it seemed. I could swear I heard banjos at one point. But then, suddenly in the jungle, the two-track widened slightly into a small parking area next to a tack-house and corrals, and we were there.

Rancho's facilities are rustic, at best (their restrooms are "the jungle over there, here's some TP, just walk down that path and find a spot," so ye be warned), but the staff (all 3 of them) are happy and exude an air of competence. They asked us some brief questions about riding experience and then matched us with horses. Disclaimers were signed, final payments made, etc. Helmets were offered but not required (something my wife ad I greatly appreciated; we like having the choice, and we chose none for this ride, and felt perfectly safe the whole time). There were four of us for the ride (me, my wife, and another young couple), plus Stefi and one ranch-hand (a young local man whose name I regrettably no longer remember). I was told that my horse, Rey, didn't take easily to strangers and so I should wait for one of them to bring him to me. More on this later, but he and I were a perfect fit and got along swimmingly. All mounted, we set off into the jungle.

The next 90 minutes or so were a total joy. The jungle was quiet and comfortable, warm that day with a slight breeze. We wandered past old ruins and out onto the beach, chatting with our guides and getting to know our horses. Some of the horror stories of from where these animals came are simply mind-blowing! For example, Rey had been regularly tied up with wire around his neck, and he still has the scars. No wonder he doesn't trust easily! Some of the horses had been part of other trail-ride operations where they had been systematically worked to near-death. I've seen how these places operate, even here in Colorado, where the life of such a horse is to stand around all day with a saddle on, and then make numerous rides follow the tail of the horse in front of it, day in and day out. They are perpetually foot-sore, saddle-sore, and barn-weary. Other stories were similarly heart-breaking. Lisa (the owner) and Stefi have made it their passion to rehabilitate these horses, and they've done an amazing job! All of their horses are amazingly FULL OF LIFE and the ride was an actual RIDE, not just sitting on a broken beast that automatically followed the tail in front of it.

About mid-way through the ride, out on the beach, there is a 100-yard+ stretch of sand that works great as a sort of running track. Those of us with sufficient riding experience (me and the gal from the other couple) were given the opportunity to gallop our horses up and down the beach. From just the riding perspective alone, THIS IS A UNIQUE FEATURE I'VE NEVER HEARD OF. They just said, "If you feel like it, GO!" and we did! This sort of trust by a guide to a customer they only met an hour ago is unheard-of, not to mention using rescue-horses with widely-varying quirks and personalities! I attribute this to Stefi's ability to read each rider, our demeanor and experience, and pair us with the mount best suited for us as individuals. Truly, it was uncanny. I hadn't actually ridden in about 8 years, but Rey and I cantered down the beach, turned about in a spray of sand, and bolted back to the group! It was probably no more than about 30 seconds, but it was definitely the high-point of the ride!

After the beach run, we back-tracked a bit to a shaded spot on the beach where they had stashed a cooler with water and Gatorade and light snacks. We tired the horses to trees and took a relaxing sit. Also, again thinking of the horses (4 of which had just galloped - the guides each ran down the lane with us as a measure of safety), they got a good 20-minute mid-ride break. Then it was mount-up and back through the jungle to the ranch.

We dismounted and Stefi and the other guide started removing saddles. The four of us guests were getting pictures and such, all having thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Stefi was unsaddling Rey, just a few yards from me, and he was "ground-tied" (just standing there of his own accord, reins on the ground in front of him). As soon as she pulled the saddle off his back he walked away from her and toward me... and stuck his nose into my hand for a nuzzle! This was the horse that didn't trust new people easily. Stefi was rather amazed and said he's never done that to a guest before. Again, she has a knack for matching personalities! My only regret is that it happened so fast that no one got a picture of it!

I repeat: IF YOU ARE IN THE PLAYA AREA, GO TO RANCHO BAAXAL!!! You will love the ride and the experience will touch your heart. It's MORE than worth the cost of the ride and the taxi/transport to and from. The experience is phenomenal, and the horses and people and CAUSE you are supporting are second to none. BOOK YOUR RIDE NOW!!!
Written 18 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.

Marie-knows-best
Stratford, Canada248 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2016 • Couples
I actually wanted to take my time to review this place as I think they are wonderful people.

First off the drive to the ranch is not far but the drive into the jungle to reach them is a little scary .. don't worry you'll make it and be glad you did.

The horses are extremely well taken care of and the dogs there are little gentlemen.

The staff were so real. Just real people doing what they love to do.
No hyper sales people , everyone is chill. Like they have been your friend before.

The guys who took us out for the ride were great ! They chatted with us the entire time.

We did the privet group of 4 people with a beautiful snack in the jungle ( I'll post pics )

I'm sorry I don't remember the names of the staff .. but the girl with the blonde dreads decorated our cheese table and was really cool, super nice !

They provide bug spray btw ...

All there horses are rescued from terrible conditions and they are so lucky to have found there new home
Written 14 December 2016
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.

smactexas
Fort Worth, TX6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2016 • Couples
Rancho Baaxal where each and every animal has been rescued. Such a beautiful concept and the kind of people I want to support with my business!!

So let me start by saying that I've
been a competitive rider for over 20 years. And with all this experience under my belt, I can tell you that what these women are doing at Rancho Baaxal is truly something tremendous.

What they do here is an absolute labor of love and paid for with blood, sweat, and tears. Anyone who has ever had any rescue animal knows how much can be involved...now imagine rescuing an animal that is 1200lbs with health issues among countless others. Seems daunting, right? I've done it, and it is...so much more than I can express here! Physically, emotionally, and financially it's so hard. But, there is also nothing that warms my heart like hearing the stories of each of these horses, and seeing how healthy, happy, and well cared for and loved they are. The compassion here filled my heart. The lives of these horses have been saved and forever changed...transformed into healthy, dependable riding companions who enjoy their jobs! Give this ranch your business and support what they are doing here!

As a 20 year student of horsemanship and National Reining Horse Association money earning competitor and owner, I can also tell you that even if you've never been on a horse, these ladies will pair you with an amazing mount that will make you feel safe and secure!

Choose Rancho Baaxal for your vacation excursion experience, and you will be so glad you did!!
Written 14 January 2016
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.

Steve O
Blackpool, England, United Kingdom92 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2015 • Couples
If you're looking for a serene hack on a trusty mount over white sands then this is the place for you.

Huge thanks to the girls for a spectacular morning. My girlfriend, who is an experienced rider fell in love with her horse whilst as a beginner, mine was patient, steady and yet I still felt I was in control. (This might sound strange but we do this kind of thing all over the world and I normally get the safe steed who follows the track regardless of what input I try to provide. Nothing wrong with that but this was my first experience were I acutally fell that I was riding a horse, rather than being taken for a ride.

I booked this in advance from the UK and communication from them was spot on. And while the ranch is somewhat secluded it's perfectly situated for a beautiful ride. Directions provided were necessary but detailed so don't forget to take them with you for your taxi driver.

Thank you again and we will definitely be back for the moonlit tour
Written 4 April 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.

Chris M
Belfast, UK14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2014 • Couples
We travelled to the ranch as a couple in June. We went on a beautiful morning ride with Steffi and Lalo, and despite booking a standard tour we ended up being the only two on the ride. We rode Indio and Pantera who were great horses for complete beginners like ourselves. The staff couldn't have been more helpful or friendly and really know their horses abilities to match them to each person. Steffi was great in explaining the local area and it truly is the best way to see the real Mexico. This was a refreshing attraction as you can tell they put the horses welfare first (unlike other attractions whose main focus is the profit!)

The ranch was an hour away from our hotel (The Grand Bahia Principe) but was easily accessible by taxi. Following a quick tour of the ranch and a safety briefing, we began the tour which lasts around 2 hours in total, with a refreshments break on the beach in the middle. We even had the chance to gallop along the beach which was a new and amazing experience for us both!

Once again, we cannot recommend this enough for anyone with an interest in nature or horses as the staff are so caring towards their rescue animals. It was also great to meet the ranch dogs when we were missing our own back home! Yetzca particularly took a shine to us!

A must see if you are in the area and we cannot wait to visit again when we return to Mexico!
Written 6 August 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.

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