Horseback Riding in Brazil

The two best places for horseback riding in Brazil sit in completely different landscapes. Lençóis Maranhenses National Park protects about 1,550 km² of white sand dunes and rain-fed lagoons on the Maranhão coast, while the Pantanal—the world’s largest tropical wetland at roughly 150,000 km²—spreads across the center-west. Both destinations reward riders and take complete beginners as readily as experienced ones.

In the Lençóis Maranhenses, the signature trip is a 3-day horseback expedition that crosses the park from east to west. You ride from around 9 AM to 5 PM past blue lagoons, cross the Rio Negro, and sleep two nights in the homes of oasis families at Queimada dos Brito and Baixa Grande. Every activity is on horseback, and the lagoons are fullest from June to September.

In the Pantanal, horseback riding is the traditional Pantaneiro way to move across the floodplain. Rides usually run about 3 hours across open fields and flooded grassland, on docile horses, with guides who settle first-time riders in before you set off. The slow pace turns the saddle into a wildlife hide: capybaras, caimans, marsh deer, and hyacinth macaws often let a horse pass far closer than a vehicle. The dry season, July to October, gives the firmest ground and the best riding.

Which ride fits you depends on time and appetite. Our horseback riding tours range from that single multi-day expedition across the dunes to a half-day in the saddle inside a wider Pantanal wildlife tour, which is easy to combine with safaris and boat trips. The Lençóis crossing asks for several hours of riding a day and rustic homestays—best for travelers who want immersion.