Mexico: Boca de Tomatlan to Playa Las Ánimas Hike (December 2025)

In December 2025, I cruised from San Diego, CA down the Mexican Riviera and the Sea of Cortez. This 12 day itinerary featured Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Mazatlán, Loreto, Pichilingue (La Paz) and Cabo San Lucas as the ports of call. I was looking to do self-guided activities that offered adventure, value and a break from the typical cruise shore excursions.

To prepare for the first port of call, Puerto Vallarta, I read some travel blogs and talked to friends who have traveled to Puerto Vallarta, before trying the hike between Boca de Tomatlan and Playa Las Ánimas. This hike was attractive for its scenic offerings of jungle and coastal views full of fishing boats and pelicans. Overall, the duration of the hike, beaches along the way and access by public transportation made this option attractive for my time frame.

My partner and I disembarked at the Puerto Vallarta Cruise Port at 8:30am with an all aboard time to be back on the ship at 4:30pm. Our plan was to take the public bus which was a short walk from the cruise terminal, at Francisco Medina Ascencio y Avenida Heroica Escuela Naval Militar bus stop. However, our first order of business was a pit stop at the ATM because we needed Mexican pesos (MXN) to ride public transportation. The fare is 10 MXN per person each way. The bus driver can provide change for small denominations and will issue a paper ticket. Be prepared and avoid disappointment with delays in your travel plans, the bus system does not accept tap, credit cards or foreign currency. Since the two ATMs in the cruise terminal were out of service, our journey led us to the Chedraui Puerto Vallarta Punta De Oro grocery store which had two ATMs to choose from. With pesos in hand we went to the covered Francisco Medina Ascencio y Calle Playa de Oro bus stop directly in front of the Chedraui.

We learned that morning which was Friday, December 12, 2025 that Puerto Vallarta was celebrating the culmination of the Fiestas Guadalupanas, a major religious festival honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe with large pilgrimages, music (mariachis), folkloric dances, and fireworks, marking the traditional date of her appearance, with the main procession happening on this significant day. As we were disembarking, ship staff made special note that everyone would experience traffic delays on this day.

With this warning on our minds and while waiting at the bus stop, we opted for a taxi to get us to the trail head which saved us significant time on this particular day. The taxi cost 400 MXN, money well spent for peace of mind and to get started on the trail early before the sun got too hot. The ride was 40 minutes and after passing the congestion of Puerto Vallarta, traffic flowed freely with beautiful coast and jungle views as you whip past several of the large resort hotels heading toward Mismaloya. If you do take the public bus, Boca de Tomatlan is the last stop before the bus turns around returning to Puerto Vallarta.

When we arrived in the small village of Boca de Tomatlan it was easy to get our bearings facing the ocean with the river to the left. You want to walk down the hill to the waterfront, turn left and follow the river until you see a parking lot and a foot bridge on your left (shown). Cross over and take the path to the right that walks along the left side of the river and back towards the ocean. There should be signs and rock markers that say “Path to Colomitos” with arrows pointing you in the right direction (shown). At one point the path will split (shown) and be mindful to stay on the right side always taking the trail along the coast. This first section of the hike twists and turns along the coast between people’s homes and small businesses including several places to stay. This part of the hike is used both by the locals and hikers. Step aside and make room for the locals who may pass you carrying heaving loads. The views of Boca de Tomatlan are lovely from this vantage point as you watch the bustling boat traffic consisting of water taxis and fishing boats. As the cliffs get steeper you can enjoy the fishing pelicans and trees that start to frame the hike.

The first natural stop on this hike comes after about 50 minutes of hiking at Playa Colomitos which is 2 KM or 1.24 Miles from the starting point. Colomitos is a small golden sand beach cove with clear turquoise water for swimming (shown). It's an easy, romantic spot that invites you to enjoy it as your time allows. Water taxis pull up here to drop people off and there is a local beach vendor if you want to purchase drinks. When you’re ready to leave, cross the sand to the stairs (shown) on the left hand side of the beach (facing the ocean) and continue the hike.

The second natural stop on the hike is Playa Madagascar which is .7 KM or .43 Miles from Colomitos according to the placards (shown) you will see along the way. Playa Madagascar is rocky and sandy and offers more space than the previous stop. We chose to continue hiking along to the third natural stop being La Troza which is .62 KM or .38 Miles from Madagascar. La Troza is another beautiful golden sand beach bordered by round rocks and there is a sand cave and La Troza Beach Resort. You will see a rock wall with a Las Ánimas arrowed sign (shown) pointing you in the right direction, along with some abandoned looking stairways, pier style structures, and follow the stone pathway along the coast. From here the journey flattens out and there are more frequent places to stop, such as Playa Iguana and Casitas Maraika Hotel & Beach Club . We opted to carry on past these places including the trendy Ánima Beach Club at Playa Caballo with its barefoot sand restaurant and beach bar (shown). Here a mile marker sign indicates Playa Las Ánimas is 515 Metres or 563 yards away (shown) on a path that runs along the beach and through Hotelito Mio Resort

The path is a random combination of earth, rocks, broken concrete, tile, larger boulders, tree roots to give you the understanding that it is very uneven. It is not suitable for walkers, strollers or people who are uneasy on their feet or with limited mobility. There are makeshift wooden paths, bridges and handrails made out of PVC piping, ropes and other ingenious materials. A clear attempt has been made to define the hiking trail and reinforce it to make it relatively safe. I found the trail to be well marked with placard style signs at each stop and white and green confidence markers along the way. Although the distance is not that far, I would rate this hike as moderate to strenuous due to the twist and turns, elevation gains, uneven terrain that keeps you fully engaged the whole time. We clocked a total workout time of 1:52:47 with a distance of 5.09 KM and elevation gain of 184 M, noting that I started the hike tracker around the time we crossed the footbridge. The temperature was 24 degrees Celsius with humidity at 71% and we worked up a good sweat and walked between 9:42 AM-11:34 AM, which felt like perfect timing before the sun got too hot and in time for lunch at Playa Las Ánimas.

Upon arrival at Las Ánimas we were more than ready for some refreshments and found our spot at Los Conos. They have a full service restaurant and beach chairs if you want to enjoy the beach for the afternoon. The staff were very friendly and took the time to chat about our hiking accomplishments before rewarding us with cold Pacificos (75 MXN) and a hot lunch. We enjoyed the Fajitas de Camaron (320 MXN) and the Fajitas Mixtas (295 MXN), both were hot, fresh and delicious. After lunch the staff called a water taxi (shown) which we boarded from the beach for our return trip to Boca de Tomatlan, which cost 100 MXN per person for the quick seven minute trip. It’s fun to follow the trail from the vantage point of the water taxi, soaking up the jungle and coastal views one last time. In Boca, we disembarked at the main village dock.

For our return to Puerto Vallarta, we took the public bus as time was on our side. Simply walk up the
hill to the marked bus stop. There is a small shop selling fresh fruit cups and refreshments if you need anything for your return journey. The buses run frequently, approximately every 15 minutes, and the journey is about 40 minutes depending on traffic. We caught a green and white bus (shown) which was very clean, powered by natural gas and had air conditioning however it was turned off so we enjoyed the breeze from the opened windows. 

We opted to get off in Zona Romantica as we had time to walk the long Malecon towards the cruise port. We returned with plenty of time before the All Aboard time and could have spent a little more time lingering at any of the special spots along the way. Overall, this is a fantastic hike for savvy, fit and mobile cruise ship passengers or anyone visiting the area. I would recommend this hike to interested people and look forward to doing it again on my next trip to Puerto Vallarta.

If you’re looking for independent shore excursion ideas that add value and adventure to your cruise itinerary, this series may inspire you with ideas for self-guided options. I also review shore excursions offered by the cruise ship companies which provide strong peace of mind to many travellers. Noting with caution that the activities covered in these articles will not be for everyone’s taste, comfort level or mobile capabilities. Decide for yourself and be realistic if these ideas interest you and feel free to post comments or ask questions below to make your decision easier.