PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – Following an extensive renovation, the El Salado estuary in Puerto Vallarta has transformed into an awe-inspiring tourist spot. It is the only urban estuary in Mexico to have a permanent mouth that connects to the ocean, making it a pivotal ecosystem for Puerto Vallarta.
The estuary is a treasure trove of biodiversity, housing three species of mangroves, marshes, and remnants of medium-sized sub-deciduous forests. More than 134 bird species, 46 plant species, 29 mammals, and 29 amphibian and reptile species have found refuge here.
Designated as an Ecological Conservation Zone (ZCE) in 2000, the estuary was recognized as a State Protected Natural Area (ANP) under the El Salado State Park category in 2020. As an educational, scientific, and tourist spot, it forms an integral part of Jalisco’s environmental wealth.
Post-renovation, the state improved the site’s access, parking, and toilets. An interpretation area, spearheaded by onsite biologists, provides detailed information about the species residing in the estuary. The pier, observation tower, and trails have been spruced up for visitors to appreciate the estuary’s natural abundance.
El Salado’s mission is to promote conservation, management, and the utilization of the area’s natural resources through scientific research. It includes monitoring water quality, hydrological conditions, erosion, visitor characteristics, crocodile population, and the fish community in the estuary. Furthermore, it studies the environmental impacts of infrastructural works and human activities in the estuary’s upper basin and surrounding areas.
The site also houses an Environmental Education Center, offering courses and workshops to foster an understanding of regional natural heritage among the local population. It promotes environmental education that integrates the ANP into local educational management.
The ANP is home to a diverse range of flora, comprising semi-deciduous forests, mangroves, marshes, and aquatic and underwater vegetation. An array of flora, including Acrocomia mexicana, Orbygnia cohune, Pitechellobium lanceolatum, and three species of Ficus, is found in the medium sub-deciduous forest.
The estuary is predominantly covered with mangroves. Three mangrove species — Rhizophora mangle, Laguncularia racemosa, and Avicennia germinans — are found here, with the latter having the largest coverage.
The marsh or grassland area borders the mangrove region. It harbors several species and floods due to tides and rainfall during the rainy season. Aquatic and underwater vegetation, including Thypa domingensis, Pistia statiotes, and Salix humboldtiana, inhabit the estuary.
The fauna of the estuary boasts over 100 bird species, 29 amphibians and reptiles, 10 mammal species, and an array of invertebrates and fish typical of mangrove areas.
To visit this natural marvel, you can find El Salado at Av. Francisco Medina Ascencio 3544, Villa Las Flores in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.
