Puerto Vallarta Vacation and Information Center

If you love all of the wonders that nature has to offer, join our bilingual naturalist guides for a hike into the gorgeous natural environment that surrounds the vacation destination of Puerto Vallarta. While visiting Puerto Vallarta, you do not want to miss the chance to see the marvelous sites outside of the typical tourist areas. Located on the shores of Banderas Bay, Puerto Vallarta also has the benefit of being near the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range. Secluded coves with white crescents of sand dot the coastline of Banderas Bay. Various groupings of rocky islands, including Tres Marietas and Los Arcos, can also be found in the Bay. These federally-protected nature sanctuaries have plenty of granite formations, rocky coastlines, and pristine golden beaches. Rare and endangered birds, like the blue-footed boobies, nest on these splendid isles.

The coastal forests of this region is home to a splendid spectrum of brightly-colored bird species –more than two hundred different species can be discovered by bird-watchers hiking in this area. During the wintertime, you may even see humpback whales breaching the surface of Bahia de Banderas. These humongous cetaceans arrive in the waters near Puerto Vallarta every December and remain in the region through March.

The unmatched beauty of the Vallarta landscape was first popularized in John Huston’s film, Night of the Iguana. Huston’s former estate, Las Caletas, is now one of the fantastic places around Puerto Vallarta where you can enjoy an exhilarating hike. From this picturesque cove, you can hike from a gorgeous cove to a secluded jungle waterfall that spills into an invigorating fresh-water pool.