La Tovara Jungle Cruise
Departs at 7am - Duration: Approximately 8hrs
Your excursion to La Tovara begins with an early morning drive through the
mango and banana plantations of coastal Nayarit, with views of Mantachen
Bay and the Sierra Madre Mountains.
Within 50 yards of leaving the dock, your boatman takes you through canyons of
overhanging mangroves, with roots that seem to be reaching to touch the boat.
We always arrive early enough to avoid the tour buses from Puerto Vallarta, so
we can stop and enjoy each new view of orchid, or water lily, identify the sleeping
owl and water birds, with the help of your personal guide and bird expert, Armando.
Once clear of the mangroves we follow the course of the river lined with tall
grasses to the river’s source, a series of fresh water springs.
Our first stop is the Cocodrilario Las Palmas, where with government help and
the contribution of tourism, the endangered American Crocodile in this area is
being restored by the local community through an active breeding program. While
the captive animals are held here in cages, it is very likely that during the
trip you will see some wild crocodiles sunning themselves along the banks of
the river.
We stop for breakfast at the main spring at La Tovara, with a small restaurant
facility overlooking the freshwater pool full of turtles and fish. Swimming is
encouraged, and the crystal clear waters allow for wonderful views of the aquatic
life.
After the return boat ride, happily passing the tourists who will now crowd the areas we had in private, we drive into the historic city of San Blas. Our first stop will be the Fort of San Blas, which overlooks the city as well as the estuaries and the Bay of Mantachen, and gives a vista all the way to the great tree at Punta El Custodio, some 20 miles to the south.
Spending an hour or so in the town itself, with its quaint square and churches, a seafood market, and often Cora and Huichol artisans with their crafts on display, we lunch at one of the fine restaurants around the square.
Your guide Armando will explain the historical significance of this port city, The Port of San Blas was founded in the 17th Century by the Spaniards, and soon became the most important shipyard in the Pacific. From San Blas, the fleet that was to explore Alaska and that evangelized the Californias, sailed out of port. Fray Junipero Serra established seventeen missions in California, thus San Blas becoming the origin of the founders of that State in North America.