Área Natural Protegida Estero El Salado

This place is truly amazing. Sadly they don’t get that much publicity because they closed down during covid times. But now they’re open again and tours are free (before it was 300 peso per person). (Please be sure to tip your guide as they don’t get their salaries on time and they mostly survive on tips.) It was an amazing experience, one of the best activities we did on our trip. The tour is 40 minutes, they take you on a boat on the river and the guide explains everything about mangroves and how they’re important to the ecosystem. You will get to see crocodiles, native birds’ nest and also red crabs. The number and email on the website was not working at the time of our visit, they told us that it’s an old website and they don’t get enough funds to make a proper website. They offer four tours on Tuesday to Friday (9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm) and three tours on Saturday (9am, 11am, 1pm). No reservation required you can just show up. PS: All this information is from the time we visited Puerto Vallarta in August 2023. Things might have changed be sure to check it out before you go.

Mom and I have wanted to check this place out for years. Glad we finally went. We learned so much and got to pet a baby crocodile. They didn’t answer their email but they are open Tuesday-Saturday. They are working to hire someone to answer emails and phones. Right now they are only having boat tours at 1pm but gave us one at 9am since we were there. We are so glad we went and will come back with our family next year.

This place is an amazing natural habitat located in the middle of a major tourist area. It’s definitely well worth a visit if you’re ever in Puerto Vallarta. During the tour we had an excellent explanation of the flora and fauna. During the boat tour down the river we saw serval small crocodiles, cranes and many tree crabs 🦀. Please visit and support Estero El Salado.

This place is a must see. This place will give you an appreciation for the amazing creatures that are crocodiles and the importance of nature. I highly recommend seeing this place. To find the place, google maps estero el Salado and it will focus on this small reserve. The entrance is right next to the main road. Don't use the address they provide. Basically drive by the fenced area and you will see an opening to turn in.

We went with our son and his young family. The park is very rundown other than the new signs, and there were no animals, ie crocodiles, in the front of the park. The dock looked fine but the boat for the tour was broken down. There was no email feedback about our reservation request and the lack of tour availability. People there were friendly but the place needs help. Definitely not worth the time or cab fare

This place is truly amazing. Sadly they don’t get that much publicity because they closed down during covid times. But now they’re open again and tours are free (before it was 300 peso per person). (Please be sure to tip your guide as they don’t get their salaries on time and they mostly survive on tips.) It was an amazing experience, one of the best activities we did on our trip. The tour is 40 minutes, they take you on a boat on the river and the guide explains everything about mangroves and how they’re important to the ecosystem. You will get to see crocodiles, native birds’ nest and also red crabs. The number and email on the website was not working at the time of our visit, they told us that it’s an old website and they don’t get enough funds to make a proper website. They offer four tours on Tuesday to Friday (9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm) and three tours on Saturday (9am, 11am, 1pm). No reservation required you can just show up. PS: All this information is from the time we visited Puerto Vallarta in August 2023. Things might have changed be sure to check it out before you go.

Mom and I have wanted to check this place out for years. Glad we finally went. We learned so much and got to pet a baby crocodile. They didn’t answer their email but they are open Tuesday-Saturday. They are working to hire someone to answer emails and phones. Right now they are only having boat tours at 1pm but gave us one at 9am since we were there. We are so glad we went and will come back with our family next year.