Palo María Waterfall Trail

The Palo María Waterfall Trail begins in Boca de Tomatlán, a fishing village about 17km south of Puerto Vallarta on Jalisco's Bahía de Banderas coast, reachable by local bus, taxi, or water taxi along the coastline. Parking is available in the village near the boat dock, and no permit is required to walk the trail, though a small entrance fee is sometimes collected by local landowners at a wooden gate along the path. The route covers roughly 2.4km round trip with about 80m of elevation gain, making it one of the easiest waterfall hikes on the Riviera Nayarit-Puerto Vallarta corridor. The surface is a mix of packed dirt and river stone, with a shallow stream crossing that can rise after heavy rain during the wet season; footing near the water is often slick. Shade from tropical dry forest canopy covers most of the trail, though a few open sections near the riverbed receive direct sun. Hikers pass through dense vegetation alive with tropical birdlife before reaching the Palo María waterfall, a modest cascade feeding a clear swimming hole that also serves as the natural turn-around point. There are no refuge huts along the route, and the stream itself is the only water source, so it should not be relied on for drinking without treatment. The trail is popular with day-trippers combining it with a beach stop at Las Ánimas or Quimixto by water taxi.