This is the only excursion on our 9 day trip that we bought through Carnival. The trip was 6 hours in duration and was $115.95 each. It was worth every penny and would make my top 3 excursions list and I have been on several.
As we got off the Carnival Spirit in Puerto Vallarta, we were met by Pablo, our tour guide for the day. There were about 20 of us in the group. Once assembled, we went straight to the inflatable all-weather speedboat and hopped in. I didn’t realize how far we would be going in the speedboat, but it was about 25 miles out, or a 35 minute boat ride going 35 – 40 MPH. Our destination was the remote seaside village of Quimixto. We pulled right up to the boat dock and got out.
We walked for about five minutes back to an area where we are given helmets and a safety briefing for the horseback ride. We then continued on to the staging area for the horses. Once there, the local village people helped us mount the horses.
When we were all mounted up, the adventure began. And yes, this was my first rodeo and I was a little bit on the nervous side! See my hubby above, a 6’5” man on a small Mexican horse!
Although the ride took us through a small stream, a bit of jungle, and up and down narrow rocky dirt paths, our final destination spot was the beautiful and breathtaking Quimixto waterfall.
Once at the waterfall, you can relax at this nice little restaurant that the locals have been working on for years – this is where I ate the mouth-watering guacamole dip! A few people chose to swim in the crystal clear waters next to the waterfall. Those who were brave enough jumped from the rock ledges. I’m not that brave and the water was too cold for me. Besides, one slip on those rocks and you could really do some damage. We just enjoyed the beautiful scenery, cold drinks, and great friends.
After twenty minutes, we headed back to the horses to return them to the villagers. The ride back was much easier, as I started getting a little more comfortable on my new ride.
After returning our helmets, we headed back to the speed boat and took off for our next great adventure – snorkeling! Our guide took us to a cozy little remote cove with rock reefs and friendly tropical fish. He educated us on the interesting sea life and even brought some fish up to the top of the water so we could see them up close and personal.
We snorkeled for twenty minutes or so and then it was back in the boat for our last stop of the day, Pizota. Pizota is a remote fishing village of about 100 residents with a tropical ambiance; a secluded piece of paradise if you will.
Want to race across the ocean on a speedboat going 40 mph, ride a horse through small streams and tropical jungle, or witness a beautiful waterfall while sipping on ice cold beers and eating baked chips dipped in authentic mouth-watering guacamole? OK I’ll stop there, but there is more. Let me tell you about the entire day!
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| Speedboat Ride |
We walked through the beautiful village of less than 500 inhabitants while Pablo explained the local lifestyle, culture and history.
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| Pablo, our tour Guide |
We walked for about five minutes back to an area where we are given helmets and a safety briefing for the horseback ride. We then continued on to the staging area for the horses. Once there, the local village people helped us mount the horses.
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| Hubby on a very small horse! |
When we were all mounted up, the adventure began. And yes, this was my first rodeo and I was a little bit on the nervous side! See my hubby above, a 6’5” man on a small Mexican horse!
Although the ride took us through a small stream, a bit of jungle, and up and down narrow rocky dirt paths, our final destination spot was the beautiful and breathtaking Quimixto waterfall.
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| Through Streams |
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| Off the horses, walking to the Falls |
Once at the waterfall, you can relax at this nice little restaurant that the locals have been working on for years – this is where I ate the mouth-watering guacamole dip! A few people chose to swim in the crystal clear waters next to the waterfall. Those who were brave enough jumped from the rock ledges. I’m not that brave and the water was too cold for me. Besides, one slip on those rocks and you could really do some damage. We just enjoyed the beautiful scenery, cold drinks, and great friends.
After twenty minutes, we headed back to the horses to return them to the villagers. The ride back was much easier, as I started getting a little more comfortable on my new ride.
After returning our helmets, we headed back to the speed boat and took off for our next great adventure – snorkeling! Our guide took us to a cozy little remote cove with rock reefs and friendly tropical fish. He educated us on the interesting sea life and even brought some fish up to the top of the water so we could see them up close and personal.
We snorkeled for twenty minutes or so and then it was back in the boat for our last stop of the day, Pizota. Pizota is a remote fishing village of about 100 residents with a tropical ambiance; a secluded piece of paradise if you will.
The beach boasts hammocks, picnic tables, coconuts, sand mats, an open bar, and an amazing authentic Mexican grill where we feasted on grilled chicken and steak, Mexican beans, salsa, quesadillas, cheesecake, and more! The food was AMAZING! We had a few drinks on the beach and relaxed in the sun – bring sunscreen, the sun in HOT!! Other things that I recommend you bring:
· Hat
· Sunscreen
· Chapstick
· Towel
· Sunglasses
· Long Sleeve Shirt – the boat ride can be chilly going 40 MPH
With not much time left, we hopped back in the boat and headed back to Puerto Vallarta. Let me say this, the boat ride is pretty smooth, but there were times when we hit a wave or two where the boat came down rather hard. If you have a bad back, I would not go on this trip. If you’re borderline, sit in the back of the boat where there is less jarring. I sat in the very front of the boat, and I felt it. It was fun though, I had a blast!
I loved our eco-adventure tour. Unfortunately, we found out that the day after we arrived in Puerto Vallarta that a Carnival Cruise excursion bus tour was robbed. This is very unfortunate as Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful place to visit. A few more instances such as this one will more than likely cause other cruise lines to pull out of Mexico. At least I got to see the good in this place. Hats off to our tour guide, Pablo – he was great!
Comments
blessings,
karianne