Jungle Hike | Mexico Travel

There are so many ways to explore Puerto Vallarta and the Banderas Bay. There are hikes, whale watching cruises, snorkeling trips, water sports, and plenty more, but my daughter and I were most excited for a jungle hike!

I ended up booking our jungle excursion through Viator 4 days in advance for just $35USD per person.

Full-Day Trail to 6 hidden Beaches, Colomitos and Snorkel

“The coast near Puerto Vallarta is home to marvelous hidden beaches and snorkeling spots that would complete any picture-perfect vacation—if you can find them. This full-day hiking tour does the legwork for you, taking small groups through the jungle and coast on foot to find snorkeling spots and hidden beaches such as Colomitos Beach and Playa las Animas.”

Google Maps was not behaving very well during our walk to the bus stop. That ended up being the only stressful part of our day! We arrived a few minutes late, but our guide, Juan, picked us out of a crowd and got us on the right bus.

I contemplated naming this blog post “Johnny Jungle“, which is the name that Juan will be using for his independent hiking business. I 100% recommend Johnny Jungle!

We left Puerto Vallarta en route to Boca de Tomatlan, a small fishing village about 18km SW of the Romantic District of PV. The bus ride took about 30 minutes and there was a short walk to some bathrooms. Last call! Don’t forget your 10 pesos for the potty. You can also pick up snacks here if you need them, but save some pesos for the fruit stand later in the trip.

Our group of about 10 people then set off on our jungle hike journey.

Juan did an excellent job explaining our surroundings, telling stories, and educating us in both English and Spanish. He led us along a mostly rugged trail, while bounding back and forth to help us over difficult spots. He did a fantastic job taking care of a member in our group who wasn’t feeling well, and offered to take pictures of anyone who wanted the posed memento in addition to their selfies. Johnny Jungle was everywhere!

The weather was perfect, the people were friendly and fun, and the scenery was what dreams are made of.

Juan shared endless facts about the people, the land, the plants, and each critter we came by.

Everywhere you looked was pure paradise. Even the abandoned prison in the jungle had an ocean view!

I was very glad to have good walking shoes on, but Juan went barefoot. He explained that the locals teased him for wearing shoes. As a Cross Fit coach, the added difficulty of being such an active guide didn’t seem to phase him at all.

This was a rugged and difficult hike in areas, so come prepared! You’ll want some good shoes, water, snacks, and a camera for the amazing views.

Ocean side property, anyone?

location-location-location — Location, location, location!

Juan explained that we’d be covering about 3 miles on our journey between Boca de Tomatlan to Las Animas Beach. He had us stay to the left of the path anywhere we stopped so that he could easily move around the group as needed, as well as to let other hikers pass.

We stopped for three snacks. First, a large Chicle Tree (this is where gum comes from!).

Next, a quick snack of live termites. My daughter partook of this crunchy munchy, but I held out for the third stop.

Between, Playa Iguana and Playa Caballo, there was a delightful fruit stand where we could buy fresh tropical fruit and drinks. We couldn’t pass up on the coconut filled with sweetness!

But, I’m getting ahead of myself! Along the jungle hike, we popped out of the jungle at 6 “hidden” beaches. These beaches are accessible only by boat or on the rugged trail we took, so there really weren’t many people around.

First up was the smallest beach in Mexico, Playa Colomitos.

We were given the opportunity to snorkel at Colomitos Beach. Juan gathered the snorkeling gear and took us out, but for safety and visibility reasons, that was a short trip.

After 15-20 minutes, we put our shoes back on and headed to Playa Madagascar.

We passed Playa Hacamiya, and stopped in front of La Troza Resort for more pictures.

We then enjoyed Playa Iguana, views from Casitas Maraika, then on to Playa Caballo.

The shoreline was obviously all connected, so I am not 100% confident that my beach pictures are all under the correct names. One thing I am certain of is how amazing it would be to spend a night at one of those beachside hotels!

The last leg of our jungle hike was partly paved as we passed some homes and tiny businesses. We arrived at Playa Las Animas about 4 hours after leaving Boca de Tomatlan. It was a slow, but gorgeous 3 mile hike!

Juan led his tired travelers past a busy beach and up to Abelardos Restaurant. We were welcomed with cool, wet wash cloths, water, and menus. We had an amazing view of the ocean as we watched the beach goers, boats, and parasailers. And the food was delicious!

We boarded the water taxi that took us back to Boca de Tomatlan around 6pm. From there, we walked back to the bus stop and enjoyed a thirty minute ride back to Puerto Vallarta.