ITINERARY: La Tovara
Jungle Boat Tour
This is an 8-mile boat ride to
a National Park mangrove estuary, where you will see bromeliads, birds
and reptiles, including crocodiles and turtles. You have the option
of visiting a wildlife refuge and crocodile breeding facility. 3-4
hours.
Cost: Approximately $12 (twelve) USD per person, or $44 minimum
per boat.
Do
you Need Reservations for La Tovara?
The short answer is NO!
The standard tour to the
La Tovara National Park does
not require reservations. It is
taken with a boat operator, who will point out the wildlife on the
trip. Spanish-speaking operators are friendly, and a few
know minimal English. Ask your operator to drive slow if you want to
take photographs of the wildlife. (SEE GROUP SIZE BELOW)
Tipping Your Boat Operator:
The boat operators really depend on your tips. We recommend that your tips reflect
on the quality of your trip and your overall experience (typically 10-20% of
your individual or group's costs).
Note that San Blas EcoTours takes no portion of fees or tips related
to these trips. Our only purpose is to inform and help however we can. Thank
you!
Going to La Tovara On Your Own:
Location 1, The Main Park Entrance
You can drive to the "La Tovara Parque National" entrance outside
of San Blas.
• If you are arriving from Puerto Vallarta/Sayulita area: The drive
from Puerto Vallarta to the National Park is about 2-1/2
to 3 hours. The entrance to the park is about 3 miles before
you get to San Blas, in the town of Mantanchen, where you will see numerous
food stands. The tour entrance is on your right. If you plan to drive
from Puerto Vallarta, make sure you have time enough to drive back before
dark; we do not recommend driving at night.
• If you are driving
from the town of San Blas, drive back out of town over the bridge, turn
right toward Puerto Vallarta, drive about 1 mile, and the National Park
entrance is on your left.
Location 2, The Bridge in San Blas
This is a longer ride for the same cost; the experience is more or less
the same, but you will see more of the mangrove. You can take the tour
starting in San Blas, on the San Blas side of the bridge that comes into
town. Guides are either found under the shelter next to the sailfish
sculpture near at the town entrance, or at the base of the bridge on
the San Blas side. When you get to the area just say "LA TOBARA?" and
someone will show you.
Going to La Tovara With Special Guides:
To get the
most out of this tour we recommend reservations
with a special Bird Guide or Naturalist who can dispense
detailed information about the habitat in Spanish or English.
There are
two levels of guides available for these trips:
1. The Bird Guide can tell you the names and general facts
about the birds and animals in the mangrove habitat. CONTACT US FOR INFORMATION/RESERVATIONS.
2. The Naturalist can tell you names, scientific names and detailed information about the
animals and the mangrove habitat and surrounding environment. We recommend
"Jungle Man" Manuel.
To
make reservations with Manuel, call:
(323) 285-0558 / from the U.S. dial prefix 011-52
Alternate Telephone: Call Doug Storms (click here
for contact info)
Manuel's Website & Rates: San
Blas Birding Tours
Tipping Your Guides:
The Naturalist covers all of your boat and park fees, and the
tips for the boat captain. Your fee does not cover any tips for the
naturalist guide. All guides depend on your tips. We recommend that
your tips reflect on the quality of your trip and your overall experience
(typically 10-20% of your individual or group's costs). Note
that San Blas EcoTours takes no portion of fees or tips related to
these trips. Our only purpose is to inform and help however we can.
Thank you!
Group Size
Up to 12 people. This
is per boat.
Trip Schedule
1. GOING ON YOUR OWN
You
can go to La Tovara on your own without reservations. Boats
leave throughout the day, but we recommend going early in
the morning (by 8:00 am) in order to see the birds before
they take cover from the noon sun. Locations are:
Location
A. Drive
your rental car, or take a bus to the La Tovara National
Park entrance.
Location B. Walk or drive to the intersection
at the entrance
to the City of San Blas (this is on the West side of the
bridge leading into town), about 1/2-mile from the plaza.
To wait for a guide, stand under the shelter, next to the
statue of the big fish. This is in front of the many fish
restaurants as you enter San Blas. If you do not see a guide,
you can walk to the bank on the right side of the bridge,
and ask for a guide (Spanish: gía "GEE-ah")
for La Tovara.
2. GOING WITH A GUIDE
Where to Meet Your Guide: If
the group agrees to have breakfast together, we often choose
to eat at Iguanas Ranas Restaurant, at Hotel Posada
Carey, H Batallón
No 10 (2-1/2 blocks south of the plaza) — or other location
to be determined.
Meeting Time: 7:00 am breakfast
(optional) Note: Breakfast is not included in trip cost.
Departure Time: 8:00 am
Schedule Notes: This
schedule is only for trips reserved with a special guide.
What to Pack
CLICK
HERE for
a list of clothing and gear to bring on this trip.
A note about Motion Sickness:
Before traveling, eat a light breakfast, or crackers,
and stay away from greasy foods. If you are
prone to motion sickness, we recommend taking medication prescribed
by your doctor, taken as directed. Try your medication the
day before you travel to make sure it does not effect you adversely.
More Info
Photos
Prices (this
is a PDF file, it will load in 5 seconds)
Reservations
General Information Email: info@sanblasecotours.com
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