The adventure of cycling through the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental outside of Puerto Vallarta allows its participants to harmonize their body, mind and spirit.
Tour guides of El Salto Hike & Bike, one of the tours offered by Ecoride in Puerto Vallarta, explained that doing this extreme sport entails the challenge of controlling these three human aspects simultaneously, while also enjoying an enriched view of flora and fauna in the area.
The adventure begins in the early hours of the morning in the center of Puerto Vallarta, lasts approximately six hours and consists of riding five kilometers each way, as well as a walk of the same distance, between trails winding, river, rock and trees.
The recommended time to set out on the mountain bike adventure is at 8:00 a.m. because the weather is cooler, by midday the heat makes it more complicated, this is true for beginners wanting to experience this type of tour.
Although a continuous physical effort is required, this is compensated by the rural landscape of the small towns of Paso Ancho, Paso del Guayabo and Los Almacenes, with a group, which varies between two and 18 people, depending on the season.
While in the mountains, the group walks along the Cuale River to the final destination “El Salto”, where participants can cool off in the waterfall, sunbathe, or simply admire the jungle landscape of the mountain.
As of this year, the Government of Jalisco has allocated $4 million pesos to the conservation and sustainable use of the resources of Sierra El Cuale, through which the river crosses Puerto Vallarta.
During September and October, the landscape is green and the river is cloudy and flooded, but from November to April, the landscape becomes drier and the water currents decrease, so while the national tourists prefer to visit the place in summer, when there is more vegetation, the internationals come to know a more austere mountain during the dryer cooler winter months.
The El Salto Hike & Bike tour is one of the most complete tours offered by Ecoride, although there are others that fit the needs of visitors, there are beginner, intermediate and expert excursions.
“The vast majority of our visitors are foreign tourists who have been cycling for a long time and are already experts in the sport,” says Oscar.
Other options include the Mountain Hike Tour: Las Minas, which begins at Boca de Tomatlan beach with a challenging walk, crossing the river waters of the area.
In this tour you will see a landscape where you will find exotic butterflies, crabs, reptiles and a variety of native birds. The final destination of this hiking activity is Las Animas beach.
Visit Ecoride Puerto Vallarta for more information and tours.
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