Desert Trails

Very disappointed.
We went in March. The booking process was fine but when we got there, the location was kind of sad looking. The horses are in small pens and the cops were there dealing with a neighbor who was complaining about Glenn and Chrystal’s dog.
It didn’t take long to get ready and we set out with two guides and Chrystal, which seemed great. However, Chrystal was on her phone the entire time and one of the guides was taking photos the whole time so one guide was leading two horses on two leads, one with each child. At one point the horses got annoyed being so close to the other and bucked back kicking the other horse. One of the guides grabbed my son so he didn’t fall off. He was shaken but kept going.
After the ride we went back for lunch. It was fine but there were lots of flies everywhere and the kitchen is filthy so that hurt the experience.
Then, they promised to send photos and never did after multiple emails. Finally, two months later, I asked for a credit and Chrystal told me it was my responsibility to bring a camera. You get what you pay for. Cheap prices for a low-​quality experience

My boyfriend and I just got back from our weekend getaway to Ensenada and riding with Desert Trails was such a good choice! I’m a bit of a control freak so I wanted to have a set plan for our on land excursion since we only had like 9 hours in Mexico, my bf on the other hand was leaning more towards just «winging it» once the ship would pull up to the port. Luckily we found great reviews for Desert Trails and they would be able to accommodate us at 1:30 on Sunday. This worked out PERFECTLY! We had a few hours to explore downtown on our own and buy little touristy things for friends/​family and then we waited for glen at the meeting spot which was supppppeeerr easy to find! He showed up right on time and we were off! I loved getting away from the busy downtown area and getting to see the «real» mexcio I hadn’t seen in years. Glen and Chrystal were super chill and let us say hi to their adorable pups and horses and then we got to ride. We only did the hour long ride since I’m a bit of a chicken but for us it was the perfect amount of time. I asked for an old and slow horse which meant the poor girl kind of huffed and puffed a little going up one of the hills but it was all a part of the experience and I thanked the horse kindly haha.
If you’re on the fence about booking with Desert Trails… do it! We did our small deposit via paypal and paid the remainder cash. This was certainly one of the highlights of our trip!
Gracias!

Glenn met us by the hotel steps not far from where ship docks and drove us to La Bufadora, answering questions and giving us his views Ensenada living. It was a pleasurable and informative trip culminating with watching marine geyser splashing us with water droplets and rainbows.
Then back to their ranch for horseback riding. Chrystal matched us perfectly to horses based on individual riding experiences. The ride was great. She took pictures and explained ranch business.
The only negative thing I need to mention is the fact that photos should have been e-​mailed to us shortly after the visit to their ranch — they were not. After multiple e-​mail requests for the pictures she replied once with the promise that photos will be e-​mailed. Three weeks later and still no pictures.
Would I recommend them to my family and friends? — Yes, but I would suggest getting pictures right then and there before leaving the ranch.
Are we getting the pictures?

Wow! My boyfriend and I cruised into Ensenada on the Carnival Imagination and were so excited to have Glen patiently awaiting us for our trail ride in the Ensenada countryside. Glen and Crystal felt like old friends– we had such a sweet time getting to know the couple and hearing about their life in Ensenada. I’ve grown up with horses and was keen to have a laid back trail ride without an overbearing trail guide– Elio was just what we needed he stayed right by my boyfriend’s side the entire time making the inexperienced rider feel safe and secure while I was free to have a little more «rein” — excuse the pun– to enjoy riding Halo as i pleased. The horses are safe, experienced on the trails and so sweet to spend time with. I would highly recommend this ranch as a place to rent horses from as well as to make some new friends at! Enjoy!

Both Glen and Chrystal are super nice. The 1.5 hour horseback riding is amazing. The view of the peak of the mountain is super awesome. It’s very safe for kids (4 years old riding w/​Mom) to ride. Depending on your preference, they will either use a rope to lead horse or let you control the horse on your own. The price is far more than reasonable. We pay 50% tips and it’s still cost only ¹⁄₃ comparing to the cruise excursion. We’re going to visit them again next month. Highly recommended!

Riding in the hills behind Ensenada was the best part of my trip. Chrystal, Glenn and the two men who work with them are fantastic — and there were burritos after our ride! They’re changing locations soon to a spot between Ensenada and Ojos Negros, which is out in the Guadalupe Valley. It’s a beautiful spot. I’ll definitely hit them up again the next time my partner and I are in Ensenada.

Was there 9÷23÷15 and had great riding experience. My wife and I went with our two adult children and our two granddaughters aged 2 and 5. First of all they picked us up at a convenient location in town aprox 10 minute walk from our cruise ship. Later returned us to same point, which seemed like a safe tourist location.
Small riding operation run by Chrystal & Glen who are two Americans from Oregon who came to Ensenada 20+ yrs ago & started this riding business. Our concern was to have a safe ride & have fun at the same. They delivered on both. Our little girls rode with their parents and Chrystal and Glen even walked along side of the horses that the children were on to make certain we were comfortable. It’s scenic from the hilltops and we felt safe in that none of us are experienced riders. Also thought it was fairly priced. If you are into polo type setting this is not for you. They clearly like their animals and they seem well cared for. For us it was well worth the listed price.

Such an awesome time. I’ve always wanted to go horseback riding and couldn’t have asked for a better first time. Glenn and Chrystal are very personable, genuine, honest people and just a joy to be around. My girlfriend and I were in town labor weekend and were able to book with them the weekend of. The trail and horses were all beautiful. Loved how all the horses had their own personalities. I recommend everyone to stop by if you are ever in the Ensenada area, if not for the horses, but for Glenn’s tour guide expertise: D Will definitely be back next year, hopefully you guys will be settled in to your new property.
Thanks!
–John and Angie

Do THIS instead of any excursion booked on the ship!
The value and personal touch are exceptional. Had such a great time with my two boys. The horses are well-​loved and have great personality. The trail ride is fun and the views are breathtaking. Just a wonderful experience. My kids haven’t stopped talking about it, and this trumped parasailing!
I purposely avoid the onboard excursions because a lot of your $$ goes toward things other than the experience you’re paying for. In this case, not only was the value higher, but I felt great about contributing to the upkeep of these animals!
My kids are already asking if we can go back and see the horses again.

I left a lengthy review on Trip Advisor, I’m going to keep this one a bit shorter but I will say that this experience was one of the highlights of our trip. We booked about 3 weeks in advance which I highly recommend. Came on a cruise with my boyfriend and 7 year old son. It was the first time for all 3 of us and we all had an amazing time. My son went on his own horse after a lot of convincing I might add, but he was guided by Glenn walking with the horse for the entire (uphill) ride, meanwhile Glenn was snapping pics of all the riders and giving a running commentary on everything around us. Chrystal and Glenn are very dedicated and friendly people and they know what they’re doing! This was an amazing experience and when I come into the area again I will definitely go for another ride with them!

We had a family of 5 and Crystal and Glen were the perfect hosts. They picked us up right on time. On our way to La Bufadora, Glen was our personal guide for the drive which was about 45 minutes. Glen walked down to the Bufadora with us and let us know where to get the pineapple drinks and taught us how to bargain to get the best deals.
Where we arrived at their home the horses were saddled and ready to go. I was very impressed with how much they love their horses. My kids were so excited to see their baby colt. The colt was so used to getting so much hands on love by Crystal and Glen that it just walked up to my kids to pet.
Our tour lasted a little longer then expected and Crystal had a lunch ready for us when we returned from our ride. She was so thoughtful of my children. They dropped us off at our boat with plenty of time to spare.
Their horses are very much taken care and loved. Their hospitality went above and beyond. I am so glad that we booked the with them. I would highly recommend them to all of my friends and family.

Had an Awesome time with Chrystal and Glenn! As a first time horseback rider me and my wife had a great time with the 1 ½ hour ride. the horses are awesome and have very very funny personalities. Overall had a great time!

We came to Ensenada on a short cruise from L.A. — we only had one day in Ensenada and I am SO glad that we found Desert Trails. Our family of four — including a 7 year old and 12 year old with no riding experience — all had a wonderful time.
Glenn met us at a hotel that’s a short walk (¹⁄₃ mile?) from the dock, and drove us to their place. The horses are well cared for and humanely trained. We took a shorter ride, 1.5 hours, and they walked my 7 year old’s horse the whole way, so that she felt very safe. (They also provided riding helmets.) We got beautiful views of the bay with balmy weather and wild flowers growing every where. It was fascinating going through the residential area, greeting the neighbors, and hearing about life in Ensenada.
When we got back, Chrystal had made us sack lunches, with some of the best sandwiches I’ve ever tasted! Glenn and Chrystal are both lovely people, so friendly. Hanging out with them — and their dogs! — was one of the best parts of a great experience. My family doesn’t speak Spanish, so it was nice to be able to see the non-​tourist part of Ensenada, but not worry about communication problems.
Later my son and I walked over to the city’s malecon and beach — there are some sad, mistreated horses there for hire — we were SO glad that we had done the ride with Desert Trails instead.

My boyfriend and I had a great time riding with Chyrstal! She was so friendly and Glenn was great as well. Their horses are loved and cared for. We went on a beautiful ride through the hills and over looking the ocean. I would highly recommend riding here. What a great experience. We will definitely be back!

I booked a carnival cruise from long beach to Ensenada and was a tad nervous about booking a horse back ride with a company that didn’t advertise with the cruise ship but I trusted the reviews from Unilocal and TripAdvisor and through emailing Crystal a ton of questions I felt secure with my decision. It was indeed the BEST decision I could have made.
Besides the fact that they are not selfish, extremely inexpensive, and the price they charge is just enough to take care of themselves and the animals, they are really beautiful genuine people. The horses are loved and well taken care of. Great experience all together for myself and everyone in my group as first time horse riders. They are better then any tour guide you will find in Ensenada. We can’t wait to go back! :D

My family and I had a wonderful experience with the horseback riding tour. We took the Carnival Cruise to Ensenada and I had looked up activities to do and found them on Unilocal.Originally I saw the tour that was offered from the cruise which was very expensive and found this to be very affordable. Liz took us on the tour and she was very accommodating as none of us had ridden horses before. The hike took us to the top of the mountain with incredible views of the ocean.
Chrystal picked us up near the dock and also dropped us off in town. I would definitely recommend this riding excursion.

I visited Ensenada as part of a port day with princess cruises and wanted to do horseback riding on the beach. I reached out to Glenn and Chrystal and asked if they would be willing to do a special trip for us. After a few weeks of planning, they gave me the green light to do the horseback trip as I had requested. They picked us up near the ship terminal and took us to a nearby beach with nice sand, waves, and sand dunes. In my opinion, the pricing was very fair for this customized trip. After we were done they gave us cold water and took us anywhere we wanted. My family and I wanted a massage so they dropped us off and gave us tips on how to get around town and where to eat. These guys are a must visit attraction if you’re visiting Ensenada.

A ride we will never forget. I cant wait to ride Halo again, such an amazing beast. We were looking for a non-​tourist experience and we got it. Thank you for the REAL Mexican ride!
Cant wait to see the pix!

Like everyone says, the prices and service can’t be beat. This is not a mainstream, corporate, sterile option; you’re riding spirited horses in a very small group on narrow trails up a mountainside. The views are incredible, and you commune with the horse in a much more direct and organic fashion than if you were to ride in a long nose-​to-​tail caravan on the beach.
My family and I were with Liz, Chrystal and Glenn’s associate, and she was warm, welcoming and knowledgable. Our 7-​year-​old and 9-​year-​old very much want to go again!

Looked on tripadvisor for activities in Ensenada during our Carnival Cruise.
The testimonies won me over to Desert Trails as they sounded too good to be true.
I began to email Chrystal and Glenn months prior to our trip inquiring about their rates and ride hours. I had to look twice when I saw that their rates were less than half of what Carnival’s horseback riding excursion.
Chrystal accommodated to our cruise times arranging where we would meet and when when we docked in Ensenada.
We met with her husband Glenn and their driver/​assistant Liz, and my wife and I immediately warmed up to them.
When we got to their stables, we saw the horses (which are horses they own and raise) have grazing space and are pretty much a part of their family as a dog or cat would be.
The benefits of going with Desert Trails are:
1) Personal riding and attention from Glenn and Chrystal as opposed to a large group. This is especially important for beginner riders with little experience, needing more attention to go at a slower pace.
2) Price: Carnival charges $ 71+ …I cancelled my Carnival excursion as soon we began contacting Chrystal and Glenn, knowing it was going to be better.
3) Healthy Horses: We drove by the Carnival horseback excursion to find that all of the horses were tied to a wall/​fence and were not grazing. Also, Glenn and Chrystal know their horses, and the horses are eager to go on the trail as they are very familiar with the route.
4) Photos: Glenn and Chrystal take photos while you are riding so that’s one less thing you have to worry about as you enjoy the trail and manage such an amazing animal.
5) Lunch: For $ 10 per person, Glen and Chrystal cooked homemade BBQ (fajitas and pie) for us, and we got to dine with them on their porch totally family style. This added a great personal touch to the Ensenada vibe. This was a highlight of the tour.
6) La Boufadora: We ended up paying them for a trip to La Boufadora as well, getting two excursions in one day with ample time to make it back to the ship. While on the drive, we got to hear lots of insights about Ensenada and their experiences in the city.
If you have a small group or are a couple, I recommend, contacting Chrystal and Glenn right away and start making reservations. Their expertise and hospitality will put you at ease right away and make you feel welcome in unfamiliar land.