Waterfalls in Puerto Vallarta offer great freshwater swimming to escape the heat. Most of the waterfalls in Puerto Vallarta are a short bus ride out of the city followed by a small hike to the waterfall.
Luckily, the majority of the hikes are really rather short and follow the water. Oftentimes, offering a refreshing breeze as you hike.
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Things To Know About Waterfalls In Puerto Vallarta
- The water isn’t always very clean, but it’s still safe to swim in.
- Sometimes the river or creeks are dried up, making the waterfall non-existent. Always check recent reviews or ask the locals if there’s water streaming.
- Fresh water in Puerto Vallarta means mosquitos, definitely pack the bug spray!
- You need cash for the buses and boats.
- Pack more water than you think you’ll need. Hiking in Puerto Vallarta is hot, you’ll drink a lot!
Puerto Vallarta Waterfalls Map
Bus + Hike Waterfalls in Puerto Vallarta
Palo Maria Waterfall
Location: 20.54957, -105.25306
Bus Ride: Yes, 10 pesos each way
PV Bus Stop Coordinates: 20.60239, -105.23462
Bus Stop Coordinates (get off): 20.55542, -105.26167
Hiking Distance: 40-60 minutes one way
Difficulty: moderate, some creek crossings and not well marked
Swimmable: Yes
Palo Maria Waterfall is the closest waterfall to the city of Puerto Vallarta and is one of the most popular ones to visit. While you’ll hear over and over again that you should not do this hike without a guide, if you have a good sense of direction and some common hiking sense, you’ll be able to find this Puerto Vallarta waterfall on your own.
The hike to the waterfall crosses a creek a couple of times via a little rock scramble and goes between being well-traversed and not. I think that’s due to people making their own paths in certain areas!
The first waterfall has a great swimming hole at it. You’ll find people jumping off rocks into the clear water below. It’s believed there are up to twelve waterfalls at Palo Maria, all of which increase in difficulty to reach.
Being a short bus ride out of the Zona Romantica in Puerto Vallarta, this is the best of all the waterfall hikes for a quick half-day adventure from PV.
{Travel Tips… Pack lunch and snacks for this hike. You’ll definitely want to hang out by the swimming hole for a bit!}
El Nogalito Waterfall
Location: hike up the road to start at 20.56208, -105.23951
Bus Ride: Yes, 10 pesos one way
PV Bus Stop Coordinates: 20.60239, -105.23462
Bus Stop Coordinates (get off): 20.56266, -105.25433
Hiking Distance: Yes, 1.5 to 2 hours one way
Difficulty: difficult due to rock scrambles, river crossings, and unmarked trail
Swimmable: Yes
We did not hike to El Nogalito Waterfall, as we chose to do Palo Maria this time around instead. However, we’ve read that it is a really nice and secluded hike through the jungle near El Nogalito Ecopark.
This trail can be done without a guide, but it’s not marked, so if you’re not prepared to get lost, we recommend finding a guide for this trail. We’ve read there is a couple in El Nogalito offering guided hikes to the waterfall. Read more about the trail here.
Chico’s Paradise Waterfall
Location: 20.48197, -105.29526
Bus Ride: Yes, 40 pesos one way from Puerto Vallarta
PV Bus Stop Coordinates: 20.6034, -105.234
Bus Stop Coordinates (get off): 20.48288, -105.29523
Hiking Distance: Short walk to the left of the restaurant (bus stop)
Difficulty: Easy. A rather flat terrain, then climbing on large rocks.
Swimmable: Yes
This is really not much of a hike, but more of an adventure climbing over and across large boulders and rocky ground. Chico’s Paradise Waterfall is right at the Chico’s Paradise restaurant, and it’s a fantastic place to spend a day away from the beach in PV.
There are big waterfalls to swim in and around and small ones to lounge in, which was our preferred method of enjoying these waterfalls.
We visited during the rainy season, so the water was super brown… not the most inviting to jump into! However, again the smaller pools were great!
When you arrive at Chico’s Paradise, go to the left of the building. You’ll have about a two minute walk to the water from there. The path will take you right to the water, where you then can climb around on bridges, rocks, and brick trails too.
Los Colomitos Waterfall
Location: 20.51198, -105.32569
Bus Ride: Yes, 10 pesos to Boca one way
PV Bus Stop Coordinates: 20.60239, -105.23462
Bus Stop Coordinates (get off): 20.51287, -105.31412
Hiking Distance: 1 hour one way
Difficulty: Difficult with up and down climbing
Swimmable: No
Playa Colomitos is a beautiful beach you should visit even if the waterfall isn’t running. The waterfall here is very seasonal and is a bush-whacking hike up a semi-made trail to reach.
I attempted to find the waterfall without shoes on, quickly learning this was not a good idea with the broken glass and clay scattered everywhere.
This waterfall is meant to have a tiny swimming hole at it, however, it seems to be non-existent unless visiting during or right after the rainy season in Puerto Vallarta.
The hike to Colomitos Beach and waterfall is beautiful. yet difficult. Instead of hiking, you can grab a water taxi, two ways or just one way, and spend more time relaxing at the beach.
READ MORE | Trail Guide to Colomitos Beach with pictures, duration, and packing list
Cascadas de Mismaloya
Location: 20.48086, -105.29359
Bus Ride: Yes, 40 pesos one way
PV Bus Stop Coordinates: 20.6034, -105.234
Bus Stop Coordinates to Get Off: 20.48086, -105.29359
Hiking Distance: 11 miles out and back
Difficulty: difficult terrain with a rope section
Swimmable: Yes
We did not hike to Cascadas de Mismaloya, however, we met a couple who was from Mexico and very excited to do this hike. They recommended the hike to only be done via guided tour or with someone who has gone before, as it’s actually quite challenging following the path.
This is another waterfall hike in Puerto Vallarta that we’ll likely do when we return to PV. However, with the heat and the distance of this waterfall hike, we opted to not do it the last time we were in Puerto Vallarta.
Read more about the trail and other people’s reviews of the hike here.
Check out guided tours to Mismaloya Waterfall here.
El Eden Waterfall
Location: 20.48086, -105.29359
Bus Ride: Yes, 40 pesos one way
PV Bus Stop Coordinates: 20.6034, -105.234
Bus Stop Coordinates: 20.48086, -105.29359
Hiking Distance: 1 hour from the bus stop, or hitchhike up!
Difficulty: easy
Swimmable: Yes
We did not hike to El Eden Waterfall, however, it seems very similar to Chico’s Paradise, but with an extra hike from the bus stop. It seems this Puerto Vallarta waterfall isn’t anything to write home about, but the eco-park and making an entire day of visiting this area would be.
The El Eden Waterfall sits in the middle of an eco-park with lush jungle hiking trails, multiple swimming holes, mini-waterfalls, ziplining, and more. There is a restaurant (said to be pricey) overlooking the water, and what seems like loads of fun to be had here.
Check out the El Eden Ecopark website to learn more.
Bus, Boat, Then Hike Waterfalls Near Puerto Vallarta
Cascada de Yelapa
Location: 20.48462, -105.44863
Bus Ride: Yes, 10 pesos to Boca one way + 120 peso water taxi ride one way
PV Bus Stop Coordinates: 20.60239, -105.23462
Bus Stop Coordinates: 20.51287, -105.31412
Water Taxi Coordinates: 20.51318, -105.31556
Hiking Distance: 1 hour one way
Difficulty: Easy, mostly flat
Swimmable: Yes
We have a love-hate relationship with Yelapa, you can read all about why here. Don’t get us wrong. The beach and the turquoise water are inviting, especially if you stay away from the crowds. However, there is a very scammy scene in Yelapa, and it makes the area not as enjoyable as it could be.
Getting off the boat in Yelapa, you’ll have to cross over the beach, and wade through the river. If it’s not quite the rainy season, this isn’t a problem, as you can walk in knee-deep water. However, in the peak of the rainy season, you may have to get a boat to get you around the water unless you want to swim.
The waterfall itself is an adventure to find. You’ll walk through the carless village of Yelapa, through tiny “streets” and up a path to the waterfall. Finding the waterfall is half the adventure. And while you can find it pinned on the geotag above, wandering the streets until you start seeing “cascada” signs with arrows is half the fun!
Yelapa Waterfall
Location: 20.47569, -105.41409
Bus Ride: Yes, 10 pesos to Boca one way + 120 peso water taxi ride one way
PV Bus Stop Coordinates: 20.60239, -105.23462
Bus Stop Coordinates: 20.51287, -105.31412
Water Taxi Coordinates: 20.51318, -105.31556
Hiking Distance: 3 miles one way
Difficulty: multiple river crossings,
Swimmable: Yes
Even though “Yelapa Waterfall” is translated to “Cascada de Yelapa” in Spanish, this is actually a completely different waterfall than the one listed above.
We chose not to do this waterfall hike, as we wanted to snorkel and enjoy the Yelapa beach instead of hiking into the jungle. It’s believed this hike has multiple river crossings to get to the waterfall and can be difficult to follow and find the trail. Check out more info on the Yelapa Waterfall trail here. Or, check out tours to this waterfall from Puerto Vallarta here.
Get a better look at what to expect in Yelapa in this video below!
Quimixto Waterfall
Location: 20.49304, -105.36698
Bus Ride: Yes, 10 pesos to Boca one way + 120 peso water taxi ride one way
Bus Stop Coordinates: 20.51287, -105.31412
Water Taxi Coordinates: 20.51318, -105.31556
Hiking Distance: less than two miles
Difficulty: easy, relatively flat
Swimmable: Yes
We did not hike to Quimixto Waterfall in Puerto Vallarta. We chose to do a day trip to Yelapa instead. However, when we return to Puerto Vallarta, we’ll certainly be visiting Quimixto and hiking to the waterfall.
In the meantime, this post is the best we found online for really laying out exactly how to get to the Quimixto Waterfall.
The Best Waterfall Hikes in Puerto Vallarta
In our opinion, the Palo Maria Waterfall hike in Puerto Vallarta takes the cake for the best waterfall hike.
Here’s Why…
- Short and easy hike, suitable for kids and adults alike
- Cheap and short 50-cent bus ride making it not kill the budget or take much time
- The swimming hole and cliff jumping are great!
- You’ll get a taste of the jungle on this hike
- Easily can be stretched into a longer day if you want to try and find other waterfalls upstream
Runner up for best waterfall hike in Puerto Vallarta is Los Colomitos
Here’s Why…
- You’ll get to experience the quaint fishing village of Boca
- The beach at the waterfall is absolutely beautiful
- There’s a new beach bar at the base of the final waterfall trail, great for a pick-me-up.
- The hour hike along the coast is full of wildlife.
- The views the entire hike are fantastic!
Best Time To See Waterfalls in Puerto Vallarta
As we mentioned above, the waterfalls in Puerto Vallarta are hit or miss when it comes to actually flowing or not. We visited in July/August and found that there wasn’t much water flow in most of the waterfalls. However, in January/February there was absolutely no water flow at all, even after a major rain!
On top of the limited water flow, a few of the waterfalls were extremely brown and murky making them not that inviting to get in. I believe this is from a massive rainstorm that occurred due to a hurricane offshore.
With that said, it seems like the better time to see waterfalls in Puerto Vallarta is just after the rainy season. That way, there will most likely be water flowing, but it won’t be as dirty as it tends to be in the rainy season.
More On Puerto Vallarta
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General Travel Resouces
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