Sierra de Vallejo Ridge Trail

The Sierra de Vallejo Ridge Trail begins north of Puerto Vallarta near the community of La Estancia, reached by a combination of paved and dirt roads that are generally passable by regular car, with informal parking available near the trailhead; no permit is required, though the route is not officially signed. The round trip covers about 10km with roughly 450m of elevation gain, following ridgelines through tropical forest in the foothills of the Sierra de Vallejo. The path is dirt and rock, narrow in places, with partial shade from forest canopy lower down giving way to more exposed, sun-hit ridge sections higher up where the views open across the Bay of Banderas. Because side trails branch off and are not consistently marked, hiring a local guide from Puerto Vallarta or La Estancia is recommended to avoid getting lost. Landmarks include several ridge viewpoints overlooking Puerto Vallarta and the bay below, with the highest accessible ridge point serving as the natural turn-around. There are no huts or shelters along the route, and no dependable water sources, so all water must be carried in. The forest here supports a range of birdlife typical of the tropical dry forest ecosystem found throughout coastal Jalisco and Nayarit.