Puerto Vallarta hikes - Las Animas trail (2014)

Last year when we took the bus to Boca, we learned there was a coastal trail that connects Boca and Las Animas. So this year we decided to investigate.

To reach the trail go up the stairs at the far side (western end) of the playa at Boca. That puts you right on the trail. The trail first reaches Playa Los Colomitos, then continues on to Las Animas. From Las Animas you can hike back, or grab a water taxi. (Or take a taxi to one of the beaches and hike back.)

It's a very lovely trail. We took it as far as Los Colomitos. It ascends up to about 500 feet, then descends quickly down to Los Colomitos. It's mostly jungle along the way. It took us about 45 minutes each way - probably a little over a mile. I believe that Los Colomitos is about halfway to Las Animas. Next time we're there we'll probably do the hike all the way to Las Animas.

In terms of technical difficulty, it's moderate. I hiked it in ordinary sandals, and wished I had worn something with more support and traction. There were a few areas where it was slippery due to a bit if loose sand and gravel on hard rock. When wet I imagine it could be muddy. Overall it was pretty similar to many of the trails in the Waimea Canyon area on Kauai.

At this time of year bugs are minimal, though we did use up the last of the bug repellant we picked up the day before at the botanical garden. During wetter times I'm sure they might be fierce. Bring water. There's also a nice little waterfall located right next to the beach where the stream that feeds the beach makes it's last drop to sea level.

Here are some shots I took along the way using my phone:

looking toward Nuevo Vallarta



Playa Los Colomitos



The stairs on the far side of the beach are where the trail continues on to Las Animas.



Ocean entrance to Los Colomitos



Another shot - obviously not mine, but it gives a nice picture of Los Colomitos.



I have previously offered my comments about (not) swimming in all of the popular beaches in and around Puerto Vallarta. I had little reservations about enjoying the water at Los Colomitos. After hiking in with temps in the high 80s and moderate humidity, it was a pleasure to cool off in the ocean.

Ocean Grill Vallarta is also located at Los Colomitos. Apparently it's a very popular place; when we were at the beach they were seating people only by reservation, and some of the people that we talked to on the beach had tried for days to get a reservation before they were successful. You can get a drink at the bar without a reservation, but that's it. People we talked to said it's cash only; no credit cards accepted. Ocean Grill runs a water taxi between the restaurant and Boca.

I found this online. Is this the map of the route that you took? http://vallartainfo.com/beaches.html#boca

Your pictures are lovely. It reminds me of a tropical Cinque Terre.

klpca said:

I found this online. Is this the map of the route that you took? http://vallartainfo.com/beaches.html#boca

Your pictures are lovely. It reminds me of a tropical Cinque Terre.

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Yes, that's the trail.

T_R_Oglodyte said:

Yes, that's the trail.

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Thanks. I'm putting this on the to do list for our next trip.

klpca said:

Thanks. I'm putting this on the to do list for our next trip.

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The bus to Boca leaves from the SE corner of Basilo Badillo and Calle Constitución in the Zona Romantica. Take the bus to the end of the line. Cost is 8 pesos per person, each direction.

To reach the trail you have to cross the mouth of the river. How you do that varies with the course of the river. When we were there last week, the outlet to the ocean ran underneath the pier where the water taxis takeoff. So we were able to easily cross the river on the pier, then take the ramp and stair on the pier to get to the beach on the other side of the river.

Other times, when the river mouth is located away from the pier, the only way to cross the river is by wading.

Nice pictures, Steve. Looks like a very nice trail and beach but a little hot for old fogies so we enjoy your pictures even more. It feels warm today because it is more humid, I guess.

iconnections said:

Nice pictures, Steve. Looks like a very nice trail and beach but a little hot for old fogies so we enjoy your pictures even more. It feels warm today because it is more humid, I guess.

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Hi, Emmy. Sorry you didn't have as good an experience at Sticky Wings as we did. Hearing that RonandJoan had horrendous service again made me think of Ron as the old Joe Btfsplk character. (Probably no one on under 55 will get that cultural reference.)

I opened this thread because after doing the hike I thought it was kind of a Vallarta "hidden gem" that many TUGgers would enjoy. It's cheap, rewarding, and scenic. Unlike trails in Hawaii you can get liquid refreshments along the way. And if you decide you don't want to hike out, you can always water taxi back.

Steve, we enjoyed our food but the service was just as slow as Ron and Joan experienced at the other side of the marina. The difference was that this restaurant was trying to make good and brought free drinks to the table but we sent them back as we had our limit waiting so long so they offered us desert and I asked for a cup of coffee instead. It was too late to take the bus back so had to take a cab.

We have noticed service to be very slow at other places too like the night after at Tulum at the Paradise Village resort as well as other restaurants in our area.

Restaurants seem to be busier this year than last year and the waiters are very busy. They may need more staff. Paradise Village had 91% occupancy some days this week according to our Shuttle driver who we always talk with during our many rides. We meet him again every year and he speaks very good English.

Nice hike. Its on my list for next time as is reservations at the Ocean Grill.

Thanks
Bill

great post - thanks. going to do this hike when we're down in early April

I'm pleased that others have now decided to add this to their PV to-do lists.

A couple of added notes. In the first part of the trail, as you're leavlng Boca, the trail sometimes seems to go right through the front yards of some of the houses. Don't worry; the direction of the path is clear.

The path is very easy to follow. In the event that you are unsure of your direction, along the way the path of often marked by white paint on tree trunks. There are also occasional signs along the way pointing to Colomitos, Ocean Grill, or Las Animas, particularly at forks in the trail, to keep you going in the right direction.

Did the hike yesterday with my wife and 2 kids, 1 and 4. We are experienced hikers and have hiked with the kids in the past, and I wasn't concerned about finding or following the trail, however, I hired a guide as I wanted a bit of security just in case something went awry. In short, it was plain awesome. We carried the 1 year old (she'll be 2 later this month) on our backs in a manduca child carrier, and the 4 year old walked for a large part of it although I did carry him from time to time. It took us about 2 hours as we took a few more breaks than the average person might, and the little guy wasn't all that speedy. There were more steep bits than I expected but they weren't long. The trail is in fairly decent shape but there are of course lots of tree roots and miscellaneous rocks so you need to watch your step. You pass several beautiful beaches on the way to Las Animas.

Our guide, Arturo, was fantastic. We met him outside our building in PV and we all took the bus down to Boca. He explained much of the flora and fauna during the hike and was completely accommodating given our slowish pace. Much to our wonderment, he was also amazing with the kids. He is a part time musician as well and showed up with his flute and 2 huge seed pods from the tabachin tree, both painted in bright colours. When dry you shake them and the seeds rattle - voila, instant musical instrument! 3 times during the hike he played a tune on his flute while my son danced and shook the big tabachin pod. Easily one of the best travel videos we've ever taken. My son kept referring to him as "our friend", which is uncommon for our son as he is typically very stand offish to new people. Arturo took care of all the bus fares and the boat fare back to Boca as part of his fee. So glad that we decided to hire him and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him. PM me if you want to contact him.

I took a dip as soon as we got to Las Animas. Water was perfect.

We had lunch on the beach which was great. I think the restaurant was called Los Conos and it was the northernmost one on the beach. I had fried red snapper, which showed up on my plate head, tail and all. Delish. Beers (Pacifico) were 30P.

Boat ride back to Boca took maybe 10 minutes and was uneventful. We packed kid-sized life jackets along in our pack and the kids both seemed to enjoy the boat.

Easily the best outing of our holiday. Muchos Gracias Steve.

nomadio said:

Did the hike yesterday with my wife and 2 kids, 1 and 4. We are experienced hikers and have hiked with the kids in the past, and I wasn't concerned about finding or following the trail, however, I hired a guide as I wanted a bit of security just in case something went awry. In short, it was plain awesome. We carried the 1 year old (she'll be 2 later this month) on our backs in a manduca child carrier, and the 4 year old walked for a large part of it although I did carry him from time to time. It took us about 2 hours as we took a few more breaks than the average person might, and the little guy wasn't all that speedy. There were more steep bits than I expected but they weren't long. The trail is in fairly decent shape but there are of course lots of tree roots and miscellaneous rocks so you need to watch your step. You pass several beautiful beaches on the way to Las Animas.

Our guide, Arturo, was fantastic. We met him outside our building in PV and we all took the bus down to Boca. He explained much of the flora and fauna during the hike and was completely accommodating given our slowish pace. Much to our wonderment, he was also amazing with the kids. He is a part time musician as well and showed up with his flute and 2 huge seed pods from the tabachin tree, both painted in bright colours. When dry you shake them and the seeds rattle - voila, instant musical instrument! 3 times during the hike he played a tune on his flute while my son danced and shook the big tabachin pod. Easily one of the best travel videos we've ever taken. My son kept referring to him as "our friend", which is uncommon for our son as he is typically very stand offish to new people. Arturo took care of all the bus fares and the boat fare back to Boca as part of his fee. So glad that we decided to hire him and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him. PM me if you want to contact him.

I took a dip as soon as we got to Las Animas. Water was perfect.

We had lunch on the beach which was great. I think the restaurant was called Los Conos and it was the northernmost one on the beach. I had fried red snapper, which showed up on my plate head, tail and all. Delish. Beers (Pacifico) were 30P.

Boat ride back to Boca took maybe 10 minutes and was uneventful. We packed kid-sized life jackets along in our pack and the kids both seemed to enjoy the boat.

Easily the best outing of our holiday. Muchos Gracias Steve.

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I am so glad that you had such a wonderful time, especially with the children. For those who enjoy hikes, isn't this a wonderful trail?? I love hiking on Kaua'i, but when you're on the Kalalau, there isn't a place halfway in where you can kick back and knock down a Pacifico.

Could you share some information about how you connected with Arturo? Based on your description I'm sure that others will be interested in using his services.

Note to forum moderator. I don't want to be presumptuous, but I think that this thread should be linked in the Puerto Vallarta information Sticky so that it doesn't get buried too deeply.

Actually, there is a reference to Arturo on the web page mentioned in post #2 above. Here it is again:

http://vallartainfo.com/beaches.html#boca

Just send an email to tours@vallartainfo.com and put "Hiking with Arturo" in the subject line.

He also told us that he guides a longer hike too. It's about 5 hours and I think follows a river up into the mountains near Nogalito.

T_R_Oglodyte said:

Note to forum moderator. I don't want to be presumptuous, but I think that this thread should be linked in the Puerto Vallarta information Sticky so that it doesn't get buried too deeply.

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That is a great idea so more people can do this very nice hike. Also good to know that there is a guide recommended if someone feels more secure to do the hike that way.

Resurrecting this thread, as I was back on the trail today. Today I hiked to Las Animas, and a bit beyond.

Points to add to what has been posted previously:

1. Beyond a doubt this trail is a hidden gem of Puerto Vallarta. This is a spectacular hike. The views of the bay are wonderful, you pass along spectacular beaches,and the trail isn't difficult (I would rate it at about a 5 on a 0 to 10 scale, which means almost anyone can do it unless they have significant physical limitations. The most physically strenuous portion is the first stretch, from Boca to Playa Los Colomitos. After Los Colomitos it's not difficult at all.

2. Here's the great part. I learned today that the trail doesn't end at Las Animas. It actually goes past Yelapa and all the way to Quimixto. On the trail just outside of Boca I passed a couple who had taken a water taxi to Quimixto yesterday, camped last night on the beach, and today hiked back to Boca from Quimixto. How awesome!!!! So what I'm thinking now is to take a water taxi to Quimixto in the morning and start hiking back to Boca. If we make it to Boca, great. Otherwise, if we tucker out along the way we can just stop someplace that has water taxi service and get back to Boca that way.

3. On the way back a water taxi was sitting around at Las Animas. It was getting late in the day, so I decided to hop on instead of hiking back to Boca (though I did have time to get back to Boca before nightfall). On the way the operator caught site of some humpbacks. Since no one on the taxi was in a hurry, he turned the trip into a whale watching excursion. We spent close to half an hour on the water outside Boca, watching whales before we headed in. When we landed in Boca I asked him how much, and he "Solamente propinas" ("tips only"). That was a little tough for me, since I didn't know what would be a reasonable amount. I gave him 50 pesos, since I figured a regular water taxi fare between Boca and Las Animas would have been about one hundred.

[Correction to my original post: I was confused on my local geography, and I thought that Quimixto was beyond Yelapa. It's not, so the trail doesn't go to Yelapa.]

Neat story, Steve.

Last time in PV, we took a water taxi to Yelapa, but I had no idea there was a trail along that section.

MuranoJo said:

Neat story, Steve.

Last time in PV, we took a water taxi to Yelapa, but I had no idea there was a trail along that section.

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Jo - see my edits above. The trail doesn't reach Yelapa. Quimixto is between Yelapa and Boca; I was confused and thought that Yelapa was between Quimixto and Boca.

T_R_Oglodyte said:

Note to forum moderator. I don't want to be presumptuous, but I think that this thread should be linked in the Puerto Vallarta information Sticky so that it doesn't get buried too deeply.

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I agree. I was looking for this info a few weeks ago.

Bill

easyrider said:

I agree. I was looking for this info a few weeks ago.

Bill

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Thanks, Steve and Bill. I've added a link to this thread in the Mexico sticky pertinent to Puerto Vallarta.

T_R_Oglodyte said:

Jo - see my edits above. The trail doesn't reach Yelapa. Quimixto is between Yelapa and Boca; I was confused and thought that Yelapa was between Quimixto and Boca.

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Haven't been there for some time, so things could have changed for all I knew. Really appreciate your updates, and glad this is included in the Stickies now for future reference.

Bumping some good Puerto Vallarta info - for 2017

We have not yet done the hike
- but reading it in 2015 helped us plan & do a " do it yourself tour to Yelapa .

I believe you can see some of the beaches from the water taxi's that leave from Boca de Tomatlan

We need to go again as we only spent the afternoon in Yelapa .

Thanks T_R_ O / Steve for the original posting .

We also took a bus to a water taxi and had them take us to Yelapa. I remember enjoying lobster tail at a restaurant on the beach at one place we stopped.

Bump - for March 2017 viewing

It goes well with the El Tuito - visit - posted by T_R_O/ Steve Nelson Feb 26 2017