Ecotourism in Puerto Vallarta: something for everyone

The trend of ecotourism arrives to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Discover how to get the most of this gem of the Mexican Pacific in terms of ecological traveling.

Ecotourism is a nature-responsible way of traveling that has become very popular around the world, in the last few years. It’s defined as “a responsible travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strive to be low impact and small scale”.

When talking about ecotourism, countries like New Zealand and Costa Rica easily come to mind, as they started promoting the natural wonders of their nations a long time ago, but Mexico has showed up lately as a very interesting ecotourism option, thanks mostly to the wide diversity of eco-systems spread along the country.

Most people think of Mexico as a great tropical beach resort, which is true, but they forget about the great extensions of jungle, desert and mountains that cover the Mexican territory and the amazing opportunities for eco-tourists that all this diversity has to offer.

For eco-touristic hot spots in Mexico, you might find some states in South and Central Mexico, such as Chiapas or Hidalgo, as the most marketed destinations in the country, as the beach destinations have no need to focus their marketing efforts in this kind of tourism. Nevertheless, beach destinations enjoy an important ecological advantage in the ocean, an asset that inland destinations cannot compete with.

Every Mexican beach destination has its own particular ecosystem; Cabo for instance, besides the ocean has the desert, Cancun has the ocean and the jungle, Puerto Vallarta, has the ocean, the mountains and the tropical forests within them, plus the many rivers of the Banderas Bay area.

Of the three main Mexican beach destinations mentioned above, Puerto Vallarta provides the widest array of eco-diversity; that’s not to say that the amazing ecosystem of the Yucatan Peninsula, where the Riviera Maya is located, isn’t full of ecological adventures. But reality is that Cancun has nothing like the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental and what they bring to the table, with their cold nights and pine trees, just a few minutes from Puerto Vallarta’s downtown.

That’s why the Banderas Bay area has the perfect location and combination of circumstances for the practice of ecotourism. The depths and temperature of its waters is such that an extraordinary number of species make it their home, and many others choose the bay as the end point of their annual migrations, to name a few; the whales and turtles do.

Ever since the famous French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, conducted  research in Banderas Bay and left fascinated by what he found, these waters have attracted a lot of attention from national and international ecological organizations, bringing as a result that the Marietas Islands were declared as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO and the Mexican Government named Los Arcos a National Park.

Diving and snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of the Banderas Bay is an unforgettable experience, as visitors have the opportunity to see a wide variety of species of fish, manta rays and turtles.

Whale watching tours are a must during the winter season months when the whales comes down to enjoy the warmer waters of Puerto Vallarta’s sea. Swimming with dolphins and sea lions is a favorite of children and it keeps with the ecological spirit of the vacations.

If you want to go further into the eco-experience of your trip, there are a few turtle camps scattered along the Pacific coast of the Banderas Bay and its surroundings, where you’ll be able to contemplate the magnificent spectacle of a turtle laying its eggs on the beach and then going back to sea. Afterwards, you will take care of the eggs to keep them safe of the hands of predators and burglars.

If you have noticed, until this point we haven’t even left the ocean. Every activity we’ve been talking about is related to the sea in some way or another, none of which is available at an inland destination. So, now let’s take a look at what is at disposal inland Puerto Vallarta.

The Vallarta Botanical Gardens and the Vallarta Zoo are a couple of places where nature is the main attraction. Nature in Vallarta can be felt at every corner, but in these places it’s approached with a passion to detail and educational purposes. If you are a nature lover and would like to understand it better, and not only enjoy it, you should visit the Gardens and/or the Zoo.

Horseback rides through the jungle are available for those looking to get deep into the jungle and enjoy the spectacular views from the mountains. For the bird lovers, there are some bird-watching tours that will leave you in awe after seeing some amazing and endemic species to the area.

There’s a big offer of canopy tours providers that will take you “flying” between treetops and crossing rivers at high altitudes and speed. And even when you play golf in Vallarta, you will keep in touch with nature, as flamingos, crocodiles and other species live among the seven golf courses of the Bay area.

Ecotourism has experienced arguably the fastest growth of all sub-sectors in the tourism industry and Puerto Vallarta is no exception. Ecotourism is a good thing, as it implies the conservation of the environment and it’s directed to improve the well-being of local people. So, while visiting Vallarta, enjoy the amazing natural resources of the area in a responsible way.

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