Jungle Hike and Waterfall Swim Near Puerto Vallarta: One Tour With Real Evidence, and Four Worth Knowing
6 min read
For most people the answer is the 4-hour jungle hike and waterfall swim with a nature expert: €27.62 per person, 4.8 stars from 200 reviews. No other tour in this comparison comes close on evidence, and it is the cheapest tour in the comparison below. The catch is on the booking page, not in the title: it lists a minimum age of 10 and a maximum age of 60.
See dates and prices for the 4-hour jungle hike and waterfall swim
Five tours compared
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Hour Jungle Hike and Waterfall Swim with Nature Expert | 4 hours | €27.62 | 4.8 from 200 reviews | Most people: river, waterfall, swim, low price |
| Mountain Tour by Electric Bike | 4 hours | €75.73 | 4.9 from 14 reviews | Riding rather than walking, with river pools at the end |
| Hiking to Secret Mountain Hot Springs | 5 hours | €53.85 | 5 from 4 reviews | A short hike and a soak, in a group of at most six |
| Hiking Tour to Glass ViewPoint Jorullo | 5 hours | €122.57 | 5 from 4 reviews | A viewpoint walk rather than a swim |
| Full-Day Hike to the Mismaloya Waterfalls | 8 hours | €98.56 | 5 from 1 review | Fit hikers; the guide speaks Spanish |
Be careful with the bottom four: they have between 1 and 14 reviews each, so their ratings tell you almost nothing yet.
The 4-hour jungle hike
The operator is Vallarta Nature Trips. The group meets in the old centre, at Calle Constitución 363 in the Zona Romántica, and takes the public bus south, just as locals do; the bus fare is included, and after a drive of about 15 minutes you get off and start walking. The page describes about an hour of hiking to the first waterfall, along a rough path that crosses the river several times and changes with the amount of rain. At the waterfall you rest, with water and fruit, and swim in a small lake between the rocks. If you want more, you can take another path to a second set of waterfalls and finish at a lookout over the jungle and the bay.
What to bring, according to the page: water, sports shoes with closed toes, a towel. It also says to eat breakfast first. Under “not suitable for” it lists people with mobility impairments, people over 60 and children under 10, and it states a minimum age of 10 and a maximum age of 60. Those are the operator’s conditions; if you are close to either limit, ask before you pay.
The electric bike alternative
Los Veranos Canopy Tour runs a four-hour electric bike tour that starts at an address in the Hotel Zone. According to the page you ride along the Malecón and through the old town, then up into the mountains to Rancho Mi Abuelo, where there are natural river pools, optional food, a tequila tasting and tortilla making. A reviewer says some riders found the rough mountain roads difficult on the electric bikes and that previous experience helps but is not required. The group is limited to ten. At €75.73 and 14 reviews it is worth considering if walking is not what you want, and it is a different day from the hike.
Check availability for the Mountain Tour by Electric Bike
The hot springs hike
Vallarta Bionature Tours takes a group of at most six by air-conditioned transport from a meeting point in Puerto Vallarta to a rural village, with a stop for hot chocolate or coffee and cookies. The hike to the thermal springs is described as about 30 minutes, crossing the river three times at a depth the page puts at 2 feet. A reviewer says the walk is only 25 minutes. The booking page lists children under 12, pregnant women, people with back or heart problems, people with mobility impairments, people over 80 and people with recent surgeries as not suitable. It has 5 stars from 4 reviews.
See dates and prices for the Hiking to Secret Mountain Hot Springs tour
The other two
The Jorullo glass platform hike goes through the Sierra Madre to a glass viewing platform with 360-degree views, and includes a welcome drink, fruit and a tequila tasting. It has four meeting points depending on the option you choose, and €135.72 buys the viewpoint, not a swim.
The Mismaloya waterfalls hike is the demanding one: the page describes eight miles through the Sierra Madre to three waterfalls on the Mismaloya River, with breakfast and private transport from the Zona Romántica, in a group of at most six. The guide speaks Spanish. The page lists people with a low level of fitness as not suitable. With one review, treat the details as the operator’s description, not as tested.
Who should skip the cheap one
If you are over 60 or travelling with a child under 10, the page rules the main hike out, and check each alternative’s own page: the booking page for the hot springs lists children under 12 as not suitable as well. For a walk that ends at beaches rather than a waterfall, the hidden beaches hike south of town is the other well-reviewed walking tour, and the jungle hikes and waterfalls category lists the rest.
Our recommendation
Book the 4-hour jungle hike and waterfall swim at €27.62, as long as everyone in your group is between 10 and 60 and can manage a rough, wet path. It is the cheapest and by far the best evidenced. Choose the other four only for what the hike does not offer: the bike for riding, the hot springs for a soak, the glass platform for the view, the Mismaloya trek for a full day of walking, and expect a smaller body of evidence behind each.
