Hike to Las Palmas Waterfall

Not all hikes are close to the sea. This is the case of the Las Palmas waterfall or, as some call it, the El Capomo waterfall. It is time to make notes because reaching the starting point of this route can be confusing for the tourist, above all.

Between Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta is the town of Las Juntas and that is where we will find signs to take the road to Mascota. From Las Juntas and after 25 kilometers and passing first through Ixtapa, La Desembocada and several small towns, we will arrive at the entrance of Las Palmas.

We pass this intersection and continue along the road for only 1 kilometer, and we will come out on the road that on the right side shows an advertisement for Rancho El Capomo. After driving another kilometer of dirt road, we will arrive at the mentioned ranch and there we will begin the walk. We will have to park wherever possible.

The walk begins following the same path until finding some descent towards the river that is below on the left and we begin to follow it towards the east, that is, against the current. We will cross it walking and wetting our shoes a couple of times until we reach a fork in the river, where we will take the route to the right.

Later we will find an improvised fence we must open to pass and then closed so that the local cattle do not leave that area. Yes, there are cattle. Bulls and cows, which with due precaution will not be a nuisance.

Following the river, we will find a clear trail of horses that are rented at the ranch and that take tourists to the waterfall. At times we will climb mountain sections that, although somewhat steep, are not very high.

In the last of these climbs, we will suddenly find a wooden suspension bridge and further on, after going down a bit, the sound of the waterfall will guide us. We will have arrived after 3 kilometers of path.

The waterfall has a height of approximately 12 meters. It fills a large pond with chilled water, surrounded by large rocks that in the current create small ponds and small waterfalls. You can get into the water or just rest and have your snacks with water.

To return, it is recommended to find the alternative route below the mountain following the river current. A few meters away below the road by which we arrived, there are a series of steps and wooden bridges that will return us to the path along the river we used in our way in and thus find our steps to return to the ranch.

If you do this route in hot and rainy weather, you should take care of ticks. Use insect repellent and when you return to the car, check your visible parts, your backpack and all the objects you brought with you to avoid bites and infestations at home. During the shower at home, a thorough body check is not too much. I personally prefer this route in winter.