La Tovara National Park

La Tovara National Park is a freshwater mangrove and jungle waterway system just outside San Blas, Nayarit, fed by spring-clear channels that wind through dense mangrove tunnels before opening into the Tovara spring itself. Visitors board a panga at the San Blas embarcadero and glide through narrow mangrove corridors where American crocodiles bask on the banks, herons and kingfishers perch overhead, and troops of spider monkeys occasionally move through the canopy. The boat route passes a small crocodile breeding facility partway through before reaching the main spring, a clear, cool pool where visitors can swim or snorkel surrounded by jungle. A typical trip covers two to three hours round trip, with the driver stopping to point out wildlife and offering time to swim at the spring itself. Early morning departures see the most bird activity and the calmest water for reflections and photography, while midday trips bring more boat traffic and warmer air for swimming. The mangrove tunnels are narrow enough in places that boats pass within arm's reach of the vegetation, giving an intimate view of the ecosystem rarely visible from land.