The Boca de Tomatlan hike to Las Animas (through Colomitos Beach) is a beach-hopping trail with a slightly challenging section at the beginning, but it really is for any level. The path is well marked and along the way, you will likely encounter locals and other tourists.
This is one of the most popular spots for hiking near Puerto Vallarta, and while there are guided Puerto Vallarta hiking tours here, you can easily hop on a bus from downtown and head south to the fishing village of Boca de Tomatlan where the hiking adventure begins.
On the Colomitos Beach hike from Boca de Tomatlan to Playa las Animas, you’ll wind your way south along the coast, at times through lush jungles and secluded beaches. Stop at these enchanting spots for a quick dip to cool off before continuing to hike. When you reach Las Animas, stop at any of the local beachfront restaurants for a cold beer and fresh seafood before taking a water taxi back.
Below is our free map to help guide you hike from Boca de Tomatlan to Las Animas and Colomitos beach.
Las Animas Hiking Trail Info
This day-long Colomitos beach hiking adventure takes you along the coast with various stops at stunning beaches of the south shore of Bahia de Banderas. If you go through the entire hike without stopping, it will take you about 2 hours, but I can assure you that you will want to stop along the way.
About 50% of the trail is paved, including most of the elevation gains/declines being concrete stairs. The other half is 30% dirt trails and 20% beach. The first half of the hike is harder than the second half, and you’re rewarded for the last quarter with an easy trail mostly along secluded beaches and concrete walkways.
What to Bring
The Las Animas hike will probably take you around three hours, depending on how long you choose to stop along the way, so take plenty of water. While you’re under the jungle canopy for most of the hike, wear sunscreen and a hat for extra protection. Also, bring insect repellent just in case. There are tons of beaches to stop at along the hike, so wear a swimsuit!
How to Get to Boca de Tomatlan
It all begins in the small fishing village of Boca de Tomatlan. The easiest way to get here is taxi or Uber, but there are public transportation options as well.
Las Animas Hiking Map
We arrived to town and found a parking spot right next to the starting point for the Boca de Tomatlan hike. Below is a photo of the walking bridge you must cross to start the hike.
The route is very well marked and maintained. The farther you get into the hike, the bigger and nicer the beaches get, which is why it is one of my favorite hikes near Puerto Vallarta.
After going through the most strenuous part of the hike (the first 45 minutes or so), you are rewarded for your hard work. The first beach you will come across on the hike is Colomitos Beach. There is a restaurant called Ocean Grill which is great for a special occasion. For example, I took my wife there for her birthday last year! Don’t forget to make a reservation online though.
This Puerto Vallarta hiking route is safe and well-labeled by locals. The only point where we got somewhat confused was at Colomitos beach.
Do not follow the stairs up the mountain that follow the river. Instead, cross the beach and look for a few stairs that you can go up. See the photo below to find the entrance to the next part of the hike. It was high tide, so you could not see much of Colomitos beach at this point.
If Colomitos beach seems too busy, which tends to happen on the weekends, keep going and after about 10 or 15 minutes you’ll find some beautiful beaches to hang out at. There probably won’t be anyone there, so enjoy!
The rest of the hike after Colomitos is pretty flat, and you come across some amazing beaches along the way. Eventually you will reach Playa Los Animas, the most developed of all the beaches along the hike. There are a bunch of local restaurants to choose from. We usually eat at Restaurant Bar “El Pichon”. Our favorite thing so far has been the delicious seafood platter that is served family-style. So good!
Las Animas is very popular due to multiple boat trips that are offered straight from Puerto Vallarta. The great news is that you don’t have to hike back along the same route. In Las Animas beach there will be many water taxis waiting to take you back to Boca de Tomatlan. They usually charge between $50-100 MXN per person to return to Boca de Tomatlan.
Should You Hire a Guide?
To do the beach hike from Boca de Tomatlan, you can take a guided tour or figure it out on your own. If this is your first visit to the area, you have a time constraint, or simply afraid of getting lost, we strongly advise going with a local guide with great knowledge of the area including local flora & fauna, and to assure you’ll never get lost on the trail.
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