Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Across from the Maritime Terminal, and only two miles from the PVR International Airport, is a quiet wilderness few have known about until now. We were recently invited on a tour of the 169 acre El Salado Estuary, which is being reclaimed and restored to its original beauty through a joint effort of citizens and government, and is now a designated protected area.

Only five types of mangroves exist in Mexico, three of them in this estuary, in addition to many birds, fish, small crocodiles and other wildlife. We walked part of the area adjacent to the Puerto Vallarta International Convention Centre led by our guide Isabel, who gave us a detailed history and ecological information.

From the central observation tower, we viewed the entire area from the Sierra Madre Mountains in the east to the ocean to the west. We then took a panga ride through the mangrove canals to view more closely the many birds and to get a sense of the denseness of the mangroves whose roots are continually standing in the brackish waters as the canal levels rise and fall with the tides since the west end of the estuary is on the ocean.

To learn more about the El Salado Estuary, visit esteroelsalado.org. If you would like to see the estuary for yourself, use the information below to contact us here at Learn Vallarta, and we will be happy to arrange a tour for you.

Learn Vallarta is dedicated to education and cultural integration. Owned and operated by two Americans and their staff who live in Vallarta fulltime, they deliver personal and helpful assistance in learning more about this charming tropical environment and its friendly people. Located in downtown Puerto Vallarta, Learn Vallarta's office hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 7 pm. For more information, call (322) 223-1566 in PV or 1-888-856-3120 toll free from the US & Canada, send an email to info(at)LearnVallarta.com, or visit their website at LearnVallarta.com.

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