We offer horseback rides every day and are open for business year round. Depending on the time of year, your horseback riding excursion can begin as early as 9am or as late as 6pm.

All of our horseback-riding adventures are suitable for children. Kids 2 years old and older can ride their own horse as the horses are very tame and small in stature.  Children younger than 3can ride with parents or the cowboys. Another option is for your child to ride in his/her own saddle (equipped with a special harness). There will be a cowboy assigned to your younger child who will hold his lead rope and stay with him/her throughout the horseback-riding adventure and if the rest of the group chooses to gallop.

Our youngest client to go horseback-riding has been 1&1/2 years old, and was a participant in an overnight horseback excursion.  Our youngest client to rappel has been 2 years of age. In short, our horseback riding excursions are suitable for most anyone except infants and the very elderly. Our eldest client to go horseback riding was 83 years old.

The approx. riding time in a half day horseback riding excursion is 2 hrs but the schedule is extremely flexible based on the groups needs. Usually parents get tired before the kids do. You can privatize your horseback riding trip, giving you the most flexibility- riding as much as you'd like, taking frequent breaks if you need.

All of our horseback riding excursions are perfectly suited for children, however for those with young children I recommend the full day and overnight horseback riding packages. The ranch activities such as milking and collecting eggs are great photo ops for you as well as giving the children a chance to interact with animals such as baby chicks and lambs. The full day and overnight horseback adventures also include cheese making, swimming, hiking, looking for geodes, cattle herding, roping lessons, a moonlit ride, and an evening bonfire among other activities.

The women at the ranch are wonderful cooks and your lesson will be lead by the woman of the house, Dona Beatriz.  Instruction consists of authentic ranch-style dishes. Many ingredients are grown organically right on the ranch. You can learn everything from making corn tortillas, preparing cacti, to learning how to make fresh home-made cheese. You can even try your hand at milking a cow! Four to five hours to and from SMA, transportation included.

Horseback adventures are our specialty.  There are other horseback riding companies in town, however, Coyote Canyon offers the most personal and professional service. Some our horseback riding competitors take groups out off- road, close to San Miguel where your horseback riding experience may be interrupted by pedestrians and traffic. Coyote Canyon transports their horseback riding guests outside of the city, across three private ranches, where you have the opportunity to experience ranch life, see a pyramid not open to the public and be surrounded by breathtaking views of the Mexican countryside in total immersion.

Other trail ride operators may take you in the same general vicinity as the place where we ride but will not be able to take you down into "Coyote Canyon" as seen in our photos. This is due to the fact that Coyote Canyon (being the main canyon for this region) runs through private property and access is strictly limited to our clients. There are other trail ride operators who sometimes use our name or claim to give you the same experience, but be assured that our horseback riding adventures are second to none. To date we have had thousands of extremely satisfied customers. If you would like an objective referral you can call the San Miguel municipal office of tourism. They will tell you that the best horseback riding adventure outfitter in San Miguel de Allende is Coyote Canyon Adventures. As Rodrigo says, “Everything else is just a trail ride.”

We would be very happy to help accommodate you in any way possible. Normally the half day horseback excursion is approximately five hours in duration (to and from SMA), however we can reduce or increase this time to fit your particular groups’ itinerary.  We can also combine a group of horseback riders with hikers or those who want cooking lessons as all of these activities take place at the same area, and can be timed to coincide perfectly. 

Our horseback rides are definitely not nose-to-tail, unless you choose so. Our motto is " We don't do trail rides. We do Horseback Adventures." We have diverse horseback riding routes established for exploring almost all parts of the canyon, both suitable for beginners, and challenging for experienced riders. It is also important to note that the horses we use on our horseback rides are not your typical trail horses. They are the same horses that the cowboys use to cut and rope the cattle on the ranch and they are all very well-trained. Our horseback riding guests frequently tell us that ours are the best trained horses that they have ridden. You will be able to ride them either as slow or as fast as you would like. In fact we have had extremely experienced riders tell us that they had never raced so fast in all their years of horseback riding. I am certain that experienced riders will be very pleased, and even surprised with the rugged and action-packed ride which we will be offering you.

Horseback rides are not ability grouped, but everyone is allowed to ride as fast or as slow as they like. We accomplish this by taking one guide for every two or three guests in attendance. Therefore allowing us to break up any given group into several parts; those who wish to gallop fastest form the first part of the group, and those who don't wish to gallop at all stay at the very back of the group and catch up with the others at the various rest stops.

If you prefer an ATV adventure to horseback riding, we offer 1½ - 3 hour rides. The four-wheeler excursion takes us just outside of San Miguel along various dirt and cobblestone roads. Our four-wheeler adventures are also very exciting and can be as rugged or as smooth as you desire. The areas we visit on our ATV adventures are Old San Miguel and the shores and hillsides surrounding the lake named Presa Allende. During these adventures you will have the opportunity to visit Chapels and colonial ruins as old as four-hundred and fifty years.

There are several factors to consider when riding four-wheelers or ATV’s.  You are not required to have experience in order to participate in a four-wheeler excursion; however we do have a minimum age limit of 14 years old to drive your own vehicle.  Certainly the more athletic participants of the group will probably have a greater ability to maneuver and control their ATV, as will participants with a larger, stronger build.  However, each rider can ride at his own pace. It’s a question of not taking on more than you are sure you can handle. The faster you go, the more difficult it becomes to control your ATV, or any other vehicle for that matter. We can prepare up to ten ATVs which can hold up to two people per vehicle but given notice we may be able to prepare more. We can depart anytime from 10am to 4pm.

If your group consists of younger aged children or older folks then the horseback riding tours are more suitable.

Of the activities that we manage, the one that kids tend to enjoy the most is the full day horseback riding excursion. Our full day horseback riding excursion is approximately 8 hours long and departs from San Miguel at 9am. It includes 4-5 hours of horseback riding time + transportation, breakfast, cow milking, cheese-making, visiting with the various farm animals (goats, sheep, pigs, chicks, bunnies, turkeys, calves, etc),  hiking, swimming, roping lessons, cattle-herding, a campfire meal  and rappelling(optional. This is a great family oriented adventure that I'm sure will be a very special experience for everyone. Or better yet if you have time to do an overnight horseback riding adventure then that would certainly be the most fun of all.

My recommendation is to take a full day or overnight horseback riding excursion if it fits into your budget and itinerary as these are much more involved and interesting adventures for families. On either our full day or our overnight horseback riding excursion you would have the opportunity to explore a neighboring village at which is located at the mouth of the canyon. In fact many families that do half day horseback riding excursions later return to do overnight excursions, and others wish that they would have thought to do it in the first place.

Our half-day horseback riding excursion is approximately 5hrs in length, from pick-up to drop-off.  The cost of our half-day horseback riding excursion includes transportation, horses, guides and a traditional ranch-style meal. It consists of 2 to 3 hours riding, a 30-40 minute break in the canyon and a ranch style meal at the end of the ride.

If you or someone in your group has special health problems or restrictions, we would be very happy to tailor a private excursion to suit your particular needs. Contact us to discuss your various options.

The hiking excursions include transportation, guides, a traditional ranch-style meal, and a 3 to 4 hour hike down into the main canyon of this region. Recommended for intermediate to advanced hikers. 5-8 kilometers. Same trails as ones used for horseback adventures. Moderately rugged, very dramatic scenery. Can include alternate bouldering route (second half of hike) for more intrepid hikers.

The full day or overnight horseback riding excursions are my recommendations if it fits into your budget and itinerary because these are much more involved and interesting adventures for families. You will save time and money by combining the activities, horseback riding and hiking, into one action-packed day. We can also combine a group of riders with hikers, as both of these activities take place at the same ranch and canyon, and can be timed to coincide perfectly. 

It is also important to note that the horses we use on our rides are not your typical trail horses. They are the same horses that the cowboys use to cut and rope the cattle on the ranch and they are all very well trained. Our horseback riding guests frequently tell us that ours are the best trained horses that they have ridden.  You will be able to ride them either as slow or as fast as you would like. In fact we have had extremely experienced riders tell us that they had never raced so fast in all their years of riding.

We offer horseback riding lessons with Western tack. The cost of a horseback riding lesson is the same as the cost of a private half-day horseback riding excursion.

Perhaps the most unique way to see San Miguel is from the air and taking a sunrise flight on a hot air balloon makes a great gift for special romantic occasions. Flights are available any day of the week and have a 2 person minimum.  The hot air balloon adventures consist of a flight approximately  1 hour long.  We typically fly directly over San Miguel and attempt to come as close to the main downtown square (El Jardin) as possible.  At times we may find ourselves flying just a few feet from the ground, and at other times we will fly clear above the clouds. The flight will also take you out over the San Miguel countryside for your landing and apart from the flight itself, clients also participate in the preparation of the balloon, which is also quite interesting. The meeting time for departure is 6:00am at the Real de Minas Hotel.  The cost for the hot air balloon flight goes from 160usd per person. We cannot offer you any discount at this time. 

The horseback riding /Hot springs package is a half-day horseback riding excursion + a 3 hour visit to Escondido Place (hot springs) after the ride. This makes a very memorable combination of adventure and relaxation. You can even opt for a massage at the very end of the day if you really want to pamper yourself.

Check out our Hotels section to find the best option for any occasion.

For our summer ‘Spanish Immersion Cowboy Intern Program’ we would recommend a minimum stay of two weeks.  Two of our previous summer interns have stayed as many as six weeks. If you do attend, basically you will become the right hand to one of the cowboys on the ranch. You will be assisting in and handling all sorts of activities like feeding horses, milking cows, plowing fields, driving cattle, as well as helping as a guide on our horseback riding excursions, just to name a few. This visit is a great opportunity for you to learn or improve your fluency in conversational Spanish. Also you would learn a great deal about basic horsemanship, and greatly improve your riding skills, but more importantly, you will have the rare opportunity to experience a very special way of life and culture that has almost been long forgotten in our modern world. Contact us for more information.

Coyote Canyon Adventures operates out of San Miguel de Allende.  The area we explore on horseback is a series of very traditional, family owned, working cattle ranches located west of San Miguel. The main canyon of the whole region runs directly through these ranches. Coyote Canyon does not have an office open to the public in SMA and all reservations are taken by phone or email.

A meal is served along with the half, full and overnight horseback riding excursions consists of traditional Mexican dishes and fresh organic ingredients grown and collected right on the ranch. A typical meal might be a plate of potatoes & eggs, accompanied by a serving of rice & baked beans, plus quesadillas made with the home-made cheese which is produced on the ranch fresh every day, just like the corn tortillas. You may also be served fresh salsas, cactus salad, guacamole, and fruit with your meal. Vegetarian friendly. The half day horseback riding excursion includes one meal, the full day two, and the overnight four.

The most complete way to experience the canyon both by day and night is to do an overnight horseback riding excursion.  On the day of the horseback excursion, we pick you up in downtown SMA and transport you to the ranch. There we will ride for two and a half to three hours on horseback to the canyon and to our campsite. The following morning we ride back to the ranch and from there you will be transported back into San Miguel.

Our camping riding excursions include all camping gear (tents, sleeping bags, folding chairs etc), +4 campfire meals (complete with ice cold beers for the adults and marshmallows and hotdogs for the kids), night-riding, a long evening bonfire, and clear skies, permitting, fantastic stargazing. Overnight Horseback Riding Excursions are approximately 30 hours from pick-up to drop-off.  My recommendation is to take an overnight or full day horseback riding excursion if it fits into your budget and itinerary as these are much more involved and interesting adventures for families. In fact many families that do half day trail riding excursions later return to do overnight horseback riding excursions, and others wish that they would have thought to do it in the first place. The overnight horseback riding excursion includes 4 meals. There is only one charge for the riding/overnight combo and the price is based on our four person minimum.

This horseback trail riding excursion gives us enough time to take a midnight ride all the way to a neighboring village, where you can stock up on some essentials, or pick up a good tequila to help keep the stories flowing around the campfire. For the more extreme riders, this horseback trail riding excursion also includes a section where you can gallop or even race full speed through the darkness! Of course that part is optional and not recommended for the faint of heart. If there is a full moon, then we can see our surroundings quite clearly. And if there is no moon, then our night ride is in almost total darkness. This makes for a very intense and somewhat eerie experience, where the challenge is that you must put all of your trust in both your horse and your guides.  It is actually very safe as horses have excellent night vision, and both the horses and your guides know by heart every twist and turn of the trails we ride on.

Cash, credit or bank transfers are accepted.

The horseback riding excursions have a four person minimum for the standard cost. The prices stated for horseback riding excursions are based on parties of 4 or more. When we have less than four riders the cost is slightly higher.  We can try to match you up with another group so that you do not pay that extra premium for a private horseback ride, however I cannot be certain that another group will be available for the particular date in question. Alternatively, you send us a local phone number and can have us to contact you, as soon as we get a group close to your desired riding date.  For example: if two clients decide to ride privately  they will pay for three, if they're 3 they'll pay for four.

At the end of our horseback riding adventure you have the option of rappelling (up to 3 descents) from a 120 ft sheer cliff. The time it takes to descend is entirely up to the person rappelling; you can drop down very slowly and really take the time to enjoy the spectacular view, or you could fly down with five or six big leaps. Duration may vary from 3-10 minutes.

A couple of days advance notice for your reservation is fine.  If you reserve weeks in advance please give us a call a few days your excursion to re-confirm the size of your group and address for pick-up. 

Our trail rides are suitable for most anyone except infants and the very elderly. Our eldest client to go horseback riding with us has been 83 years old.

Coyote Canyon Adventures proudly brings to you its  annual Adventure Camp! This summer camp is designed to be an exciting and empowering adventure for your child, as well as a cultural exchange program that educates through adventures. Spanish lessons will be integrated throughout your child’s daily activities, making learning Spanish as simple as having fun. Most of your child’s adventures will in effect double as cultural field trips. Some activities included are camping, horseback riding & basic horsemanship, archery, hiking, rock climbing, rappelling, ranch and rodeo excursions, martial arts, mountain biking, team paintball games, swimming,   roping lessons, ecological workshops and more.  In the meantime, parents can take advantage of our San Miguel Getaway vacation packages. Packages can range from simply booking your travel arrangements and accommodations, to an all-inclusive romantic retreat in old San Miguel. You can even share an overnight horseback riding adventure with your child.

We use western tack for all of our horseback riding tours. Mexican saddles are the same basic design as American western saddles, but do have several variations like the size of the pommel or horn, as the Mexican roping technique is somewhat different form the American.  Stirrups are more easily accessible in the Mexican design as they hang perpendicularly to your horse, thus avoiding the need to have to turn your foot inwards in order to fish for them.

Depending on the time of year our half day horseback rides can begin as early as 9am or as late as 3pm. Our half-day horseback riding excursion is approximately 5hrs in length, the full day 9 hours and the overnight approx 30hrs.

Transportation to and from the downtown is included in the cost of our horseback riding excursions.  We pick up our guests at downtown San Miguel, on the corner of Hernández Macías and Canal St. on the Iron Bull Statue outside Bellas Artes. 

Coyote Canyon Adventures would be happy to provide a comprehensive vacation package for your group. We can prepare everything from your airport transfer, hotel accommodations, tours and activities.  The benefit of using Coyote Canyon to book your vacation is that when you arrive in San Miguel, you can already have a well planned itinerary which will help you make the most of your valuable vacation time. We know from experience which hotels and providers will give you the best service available so that you don't have to worry about having disappointing experiences, or sub-standard services provided to you. If you would like for us to prepare hotel and activities package for you, then please send us your general and specific preferences and interests, so that we can begin to tailor an itinerary which will be perfect for your group.

Though San Miguel days are usually pretty warm, with only a light jacket needed, it can get pretty cold at night in November and December. January is the coldest month. The rainy season begins at the end of May.  June and July are the heaviest months; September is the end of the rainy season. During this time of year if you have rain coats - bring them, otherwise we will have rain ponchos ready.

Coyote Canyon can also book special events for weddings. These events can range from a private traditional Mexican rodeo and fiesta, to a privatized evening at one of San Miguel's outlying hot spring thermal baths, complete with catered dinner, live music, African drummers, fire dancers, acrobats, and fireworks display. Or perhaps you might just want to book a romantic moonlight horseback ride in downtown San Miguel or in the canyon; or camping trip, complete with candlelit dinner, three-dozen beautiful roses, and a live mariachi serenade. We also can provide horses to incorporate into your ceremony or exit.

If you have a wedding planner or someone in San Miguel that is helping you with the wedding plans, we would be happy to take them riding with us as a familiarization trip.  Secondly, if you would like for us to send you a photo/video CD presentation, just e-mail us back with your address.

Our weeklong horseback trail riding adventure is a hundred times as exciting as what we get to experience on our daily rides. It is actually five nights of camping, and six days of riding. If you would like a more extensive description of the horseback trail riding excursion, it will be much easier to me to explain it to you over the phone. If you e-mail me your number I would be happy to call you whenever it is convenient for you, otherwise you can reach me anytime at 011-52-415-153-5005. I can also mail you a photo CD with photos from one of these excursions. To watch a video of a recent week-long horseback riding excursion click here.

As far as your footwear is concerned for horseback riding, any closed-toe shoes are fine. Sneakers or tennis shoes are great. Whatever is the slimmest is the best, to avoid getting a foot stuck in your stirrups. Do not wear crocs, clogs, sandals/flip-flops or anything that will fall off easily. If you do not have access to suitable shoes we would gladly loan you a pair. As for your horseback riding apparel, any long pants and jeans are ideal. We do provide riding helmets if requested, as well as rappelling helmets. 

No, you will not see any zebras roaming the plains of Coyote Canyon. You may however see eagles, raven, hawks, vultures, crows, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, armadillos, jackrabbits, roadrunners, frogs, snakes, toads, lizards and a really interesting assortment of insects.  If you look closely enough you may even spot a coyote.  Apart from the birds aforementioned, you can find a great variety of other bird species- a bird watcher’s paradise!