Canyoning In The Oaxacan Coast Canyons

Great 3 hour hike down a river bed. Canyons and boulders to negotiate.Low water this time of year, however there were still many pools to cool down in. Cristian was an awesome guide, knowledgeable and entertaining. If you like the outdoors, hiking and serenity, this one is for you. And yes, the sandwich and ice cold cervezas at the end of the trip were great! Looking forward to doing this again when the river is higher for a different experience.

Great experience. Roughly a 3 hour hike down a riverbed. This time of year the water level is low, however many places to take a refreshing dip. Our guide, Cristian, was awesome, knowledgeable and entertaining. You will need to be in reasonable shape and enjoy clambering over boulders to enjoy this hike. Strongly recommend wearing some decent water shoes. We look forward to doing this again when the water level is higher.

If you have good balance and know how to swim without a lifejacket (for short periods) you will enjoy this excursion when the water levels are low in the winter season (January). Note: I can’t speak to the excursion when the water levels are high. With low water levels you mostly walk on dry and wet rocks in water 1 to 2 feet deep; and swim in water 4 to 10+ feet deep (but swim only for short periods). You follow a meandering river bed in a canyon in the back woods. Bring a waterproof cover for your phone or camera, or you will want to leave it in the guide’s waterproof dry bag as you are frequently in and out of water. If you bring a backpack etc you will want to leave it in the vehicle that they pick you up in. That same vehicle will pick you up at the end of the river walk. It’s reasonably secure. A bathing suit and water shoes are highly recommended. The promotional photo for the excursion shows participants wearing life jackets and helmets. I guess they wear those when the water is high as we were not offered these. If you can’t swim or don’t have reasonably good balance this is not the excursion for you. We walked and swam for a little more than two hours. It’s a beautiful location and an interesting excursion. My wife and I enjoyed it but I can see how tourists that are less fit or don’t have good balance could have a huge problem with this excursion. You need to be aware that it would be easy to hurt yourself on this excursion and I’m not sure how easy that would be to deal with depending on the injury. You are a good walking distance from civilization on a rocky river bed, in a river canyon, in the back woods, in Mexico. There are no facilities, bathrooms, or water, so bring a water bottle. I enjoyed it, but you need to be crystal clear about what you’re getting into. This is the kind of thing I would have done on my own in my teens and twenties.

If you are looking to have an adventure with a small to medium sized group of a range of skill levels this is an amazing choice. Our group of 5 people (1 mountaineer, 2 hikers and 2 less active) did the River Hike Mazunte | Zipolite, our guide Christian was extremely knowledgeable and speaks very clear english. We did some cliff jumping at the start of the hike, then continued down river seeing numerous species of birds, fish, lizards and even managed to catch a glimpse of a beautiful Tilcoatle! While exploring the river and wading through pools of crystal clear water, Christian gave us information on the local indigenous peoples, flora and fauna. Not only was he well versed in this subject matter, but he was also just a very kind and enjoyable person to spend the day with. Thank you Christian, for showing us a wonderful time in a Beautiful location!

Horrible experience all around not including my severe injury. Guide tried to cancel 30 minutes before our departure time even after numerous correspondances back and forth prior to our trip date. Stated his vehicle was inoperable. For the cost, prepare ahead please! No helmets were provided like in the pictures. The trek in was a designated trail, the trek out had no path, lots of scaling boulders and climbing over tree trunks. The river is full of sharp edged rocks. Two of us had multiple scrapes, scratches, and numerous bruises on our backs and legs. I fell off a slimey boulder and split my head open. Accidents happen. I have no issue with that. My issue is the guide never once asked if I was OK. Only reminded me there is nothing that could be done. We had to finish the river to exit. Then on the 45 minute drive back to Port, he asked if we wanted to drive through town first. Obviously it was a unanimous NO.

Cristian was great. We visited in the dry season, so there was no water in the canyons. Therefore we went snorkeling at La Entrega beach and then took a hike through the national park, which ended at Cacaluta bay. Cristian brought us lunch and beers and told us all about the area. Truly wonderful to spend a day exploring the area with Cristian.

Cristian was a wonderful guide! We went on a hike through the National Park, stopped at the lighthouse for the view and then went snorkeling. We are so glad we got outside the hotel to see several special places in the area. Definitely would book again.

We were very disappointed and upset that we were not told that the river was dry and that there would be no floating down it. The photos and description were deceptive as this was NOT what was offered at all. I did contact the guide to tell him what hotel to pick us up at and he did not mention about the dry season nor the change in plans from the description. Instead, the guide merely took us to a totally different river that had a few small pools of stagnant murky water where we could jump off a rock into water. The rest of the day was just walking up the dry river bed over rocks and walking through small shallow pools of water. We stopped at a local house and had a meager lunch of rice, tortillas and chicken. The family was a lovely indigenous family. We felt angry that we were not informed about the actual trip details before we could cancel. We were caught off guard. This was our most expensive tour we were looking forward to and felt it was not worth the amount we were charged. The thirteen year old with us was so looking forward to riding down the river and experiencing the "the thrill of canyoning and... floating downstream." The guide was not apologetic when we discovered this was not the trip we expected and blamed us for not asking or knowing about the seasons. We suggested he needs to change the description based on the season. All in all, not what we paid for.

Christian was a very capable and friendly guide, and we enjoyed the tour. He worked hard to accommodate our preferences and make it a fun day. It was dry season, so there was a lot more just walking through water than the floating I expected from the tour description and photos. Maybe there should be a separate description and pictures for the experience in dry versus wet season. The unsung hero of the tour was the lunch afterward. Christian takes you to a woman’s home where she has prepared a delicious home-cooked meal (she even accommodated my vegetarian diet) and you get a little taste for what life is like in the indigenous community that hosts this river. You would never experience this without a tour guide like Christian who knows the community.

In the dry season the stream is not flowing normally. There are many pools of water and you can swim or wade through them. It was fun, but a little disappointing to find out on the drive there.

The pictures online are not accurate for the seasons that are not rainy. We just took this tour in February and their was one cliff jump spot at the beginning and the rest was walking through the dry riverbed with occasional small pools to sit in to cool off. The lunch at the end was amazing and an experience to see a small town in Mexico and how the people live in the small towns. Our guide was nice and educational but don’t expect to need to wear a life jacket or be floating down the river or repelling unless maybe during the rainy season.

Christian is an excellent guide; we thoroughly enjoyed the tour.. the 2km trek through the canyon river as well as the lunch that followed at the home of his friend in the small nearby Mexican community. A Huatulco tour not to be missed; we highly recommend! Joanne and Nick

We had a great time on the Canyoning trip with Christian! He was a great tour guide. Very laid back and in tune with our vibe and when we might need something. He brought water in a cooler, showed us where we could safely jump off cliffs and had all of the logistics lined up perfectly! He had lots of good recommendations for our next trip too! Highly recommend!!

Christian was excellent, pick us up at our hotel. Took us to the river, explained and discussed parts of the river and wildlife as we hiked up and then guided us through as we floated down. He was never in a rush and on some of the better sections we did it multiple runs. Finished off with a sandwich and beer then most of the car napped (exhausted from the fun) as he drove back to our hotel. It's also worth adding that I always worry about safety on these outings but Christian has experience and skills far beyond what is needed and is always working from a safety first view.

The whole family really enjoyed this experience. Christian was a great guide and obviously knows the river well in this beautiful, wild part of Huatulco. Highly recommendable!

It was unique and personalised care. It was an adventure for the physically fit risk taker. Highly recommended. Beautiful environment and customisable to ur capabilities.

Canyoning in this beautiful river, guided by Cristian, was one of the best parts of our trip to Huatulco. For those who love adventure and a little bit of adrenaline, this is the excursion for you. Cristian was very knowledgeable about the area and was able to point out some plants to avoid, amongst other cool facts about the area! He taught us how to safely float down the river and gave us plenty of opportunities to practice before we started down some of the bigger “slides”. This was so fun and the river was beautiful and clear. At the end of the river he stopped us at a spot where we could climb up a cliff and jump off into the deep river below! (And went first to prove it’s safe). There were varying heights to jump from, and when I was nervous to do the highest one, Cristian was supportive and encouraging. He told me I’d be the happiest person alive if I did it, and he was right! I probably wouldn’t have tried it without him cheering me on. If you’re looking for a beautiful hike followed by some fun on the river, look no further than this tour with Cristian. He even had a delicious sandwich and a cerveza waiting for us at the rivers end. I didn’t bring anything to put my phone to keep it dry so I didn’t get many pictures but honestly it was nice to unplug and the memories you’ll make on this tour will last just as long as the photos :).

Excellent adventure! Would definitely recommend doing this if you are in Huatulco. Our guide Christian was awesome.

We had a great time with Cristian, he's very knowledgeable and helpful. We're grateful that he shared this special place with us.

Had such a great time with a group of friends. Cristian was great. Really fun and such a unique thing to do. Beautiful and peaceful too as well as exciting, thrilling and fun

Awesome tour! If you are adventurous and up for a challenge this is the tour for you. Beautiful hiking and refreshing float down the river after. Cristain was awesome! So much knowledge about the river and city. We unfortunately didnt get any pictures since we didnt think to bring a water proof camera or phone, so that is a must if you go. Would highly recommend if you are not active or adventurous you sit this out as it is for sure a workout!

Fantastic! And, our guide, Cristin, was so great. He kept our interest front and center the entire time, tailoring the entire day to our level of experience without sacrificing any of the fun. A fun hike up to our drop in point. We saw many animal tracks and he shared his knowledge of the area, and flower and fauna. (He’s also just a nice, funny guy). Then the best float back to our start point. If you are adventurous and like jumping off cliffs and drops in the rapids, he’ll do this with you. We are older and opted for a tamer experience, but still had tons of fun and didn’t feel we were missing out because we chose not to cliff jump. I only have video. I wish I could up load these. Good for children and adults of all ages because he makes it YOUR trip.

What a great way to spend a day in Huatulco. We like active adventures and this one did not disappoint. We took our two teenage boys and everyone had a blast. There is some hiking, floating down the river, cliff jumping and lot of laughs. Cristian was a great guide and can adjust any of the activities to accommodate your fitness or comfort level. Would definitely recommend if you are looking for something different to do while in town.

What a fantastic day. Cristian is extremely professional, knowledgeable and passionate about providing an unforgettable experience. He makes a pretty delicious sandwich as well. Thanks again Cristian, we can’t wait to come back.

We loved it. Christian was interesting and knowledgeable. We hiked in and he showed us some spectacular view spots on the river, taught us how float down , jump off big rocks 😬 (fun!) and scoot down the rapids! And for those of us who weren’t always feeling brave he had easy alternative escape routes. Truthfully, we didn’t realize what canyoning was when we signed up🙄 but ended up loving every minute. Thank you Christian!

We wanted to see what Huatulco has to offer besides diving and snorkeling trips and were lucky to find this tour. Even though the water level seemed somewhat low (end of October), our guide Cristian made sure that we'd get a great experience tailored to our expectations/needs. After hiking and scrambling up the river for a while we let ourselves float down the currents and even jumped down into some pools along the way. Definitely a trip to remember!

Cristian is a extremely knowledgeable guide with years of experience guiding all over the world. It is key to be able to trust your guide when heading into an environment like a river. We felt very safe in Cristian's hands. We had an amazing day where we did a mix of hiking/easy scrambling, floating down smaller rapids and relaxing in some eddies. It was a very different tour than most of the overly commercialized tours you can book as you get the river to yourself - we did not see anybody on the river. Not one single person! If you're an adventurous person, I highly recommend this tour for its uniqueness compared to anything else available in Huatulco. I HIGHLY recommend bringing some kind of water shoes. We did the tour in running shoes and, because of the silt and fine sediment in the river, they would get filled making them quite uncomfortable to walk on.

We had an amazing tour with Christian. It started with a very fun and short hike. Then it was a mixture of cool natural slides (some easy and some pretty rough but still very safe), relaxing floating downstream and a couple of exciting cliff jumps. Incredible experience in a beautiful environment! Thanks Christian!

Christian was a great guide, friendly, knowledgable and personable. One of our group had an ankle injury, and he went out of his way to adapt the tour and make sure she didn't have any further issues. The actual tour itself involved more hiking and fewer rapids than other canyoning tours I'd been on, but the jumps were fun, and honestly it was nice to have a more relaxing experience vs trying to pack too much in. I wouldn't say you needed to be super fit as other reviewers have said, but maybe they were doing it during a time when the river was higher or the course was different. All in all an excellent tour and would definitely do again.

Cristian was awesome! Contacted him the night before info@oaxacaexpediciones.com - picked us up at 9am at our private villa, 40 minutes drive out to the River, back at 2pm. He took his time with us, 6 adults of different level of hiking capabilities and comfort when it comes to heights. He showed us how to slide down the rocks and jump safely from the cliffs. His trail is completely secluded and felt like a dream. Beautiful scenery! This is a great workout with moments of adrenaline. What a cool experience!

This canyoning excursion was a great memorable experience for our family. There were three of us, me, my wife and our young son (Age 9). We have done lots of different types of excursions on vacation but this canyoning tour was unlike anything we have ever done before. Cristian picked us up right on time and took us on a nice scenic route to the Zimatan river. Once there we got life jackets and helmets and then we started off on a pleasant hike. Cristian explained all about native plants and animals and how the forest area changes between the dry and rainy seasons. About half way into the hike we got glimpses of the river and the impressive large boulders and rock formations. Right when we were just starting to get hot we got into the refreshing river and started the second part of our tour. We all got a chance to gently float down the river, and also slide down natural water slides. Some of the areas had gentle cascading water that gave perfect hydromassages. At one point we had an option (its optional) to cliff jump which was a thrill for all of us. The water was refreshing the scenery was beautiful and during the whole tour we never saw another person. We had so much fun we would consider visiting Huatulco again just to take the tour. Besides the all the natural wonders you get to experience the other great aspect of the tour is the guide. Cristian is a awesome person that is easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor. With an extensive background in white water rafting Cristian was able to help us safely experience the river is a very easy going way. This whole experience did not feel like a tour instead it felt like just hanging out with a good friend. I highly recommend this tour it is an unforgettable experience one that my family will remember

We had a wonder time Canyoning on the Zimatan River with Cristian, everything from pick up to drop off went as planned. This trip is for the adventuresome, and being fit is a major bonus, I would not have wanted to do this if I wasn't, that being said I am a petite women in my late 50's that uses her gym membership. Cristian explained all about the river and the plants around us as we scramble over boulders and hiked to the spot where we jumped into the water. In the water Cristian made sure we were comfortable with all the rapids and if we weren't we could just get out and hike around, or take a less fast path in the water. When we were done we had delicious homemade sandwiches and water or beer. Thank you Cristian you are a great guide!

Really Great fun with an informative, competent and friendly guide who takes you down the river at your own pace. The scenery is beautiful, the river fun and refreshing. I would love to do this again.

I would love to leave a review however, we never even made the trip! I booked this tour before I left for Mexico leaving out names & hotel. Christian said to get him our room # when we got there. What happened was I had service so when I emailed the room # he never received it or did I receive any messages from him. He had our hotel & 1st/last names, he could have contacted us since he was local right? Left a message? However, nothing. Still in good faith we went to the front gate of our hotel at 8:40am (pick up @ 9) hoping he would show up. My friends waited and also walked out to the road several times looking for him while the concierge and myself tried finding a local #, reaching out to Viator for over an hour. Nothing! Finally when I got back to the states all my messages/ texts came through. I reached out to this man to say how equally disappointed we were that we didn’t connect and to please refund my money. He then stated that it was all my fault and how could I ask for a refund but should apologize to him! I explained everything above to him yet he responded with “Karma will get you!” Most unprofessional person EVER!!! Please STAY AWAY from this man! Who knows what would happen if you were with him and he got mad!

What a great day!!! Cristian picked my wife and I up at Secrets on time and as we drove to the Zimatan River he explained much about Huatulco, the river and what to expect on our canyoning trip. Being in our mid 50's he set us at ease explaining we would be the one's that dictate the pace and difficulty level of the activity. I must say that Cristian DID NOT disappoint! The hike up the river was beautiful as we took time to rest and take in the beautiful surroundings. Once we started our descent, which included natural slides in the river, jumping from cliffs into the gorgeous pools that the river offers (which my wife did not partake in, but was carefully guided around to safety by Cristian) or just peacefully floating down the lazy parts of the river in our life jackets, the views in this canyon and the expertise of Cristian as a river guide made this one of our most memorable adventures ever! And the end of the trip Cristian even had a delicious sandwich and an ice cold beer for us! Thank you Cristian for an awesome day on the Zimitan River. See ya next time we're in Huatulco!

I can’t recommend it enough. Cristian tailored the day to our skill levels. The location is absolutely perfect for it. We had the canyon to ourselves. Cristian also was very informative and fun. Great stories and we learned a lot. Will definitely do this again.

This was such a great tour, I loved the physical challenges of the hike and natural water slides and the chill float down the river. It was a perfect hot day to do it. Christian did an excellent job showing us the ropes and making us feel comfortable.

Great trip! The guide Cristain is very knowledgeable on the local area and a great canyoning teacher. The river slides are so much fun! We came from puerto Escondido and he picked us up at the bus station and later provided a sandwhich, water and a beer. We had a great day highly recommend!

Cristian is an expert guide with many years of experience. Group was comprised of me (53 y/o) and two 19 y/o young men and I was never pushed to do anything too daring and I don't believe I held them back either. Cristian balanced abilities, pace and FUN perfectly! The most thrilling was with Cristian's guidance I felt safe to jump off big ledge into river and wheeeee it was so wonderful, so fun. Extra credit to Cristian in the planning phase - I had to juggle calendar and I was a bit frantic but Cristian was so chill and able to incorporate me into group with short notice. Thank youuuuuuu!

Had a great time doing the canyoning tour!! We were a group of 3 people and had a private tour. We all had so much fun sliding in the river, jumping in the natural pools and floating down the river. Easy to change tour to fit what people prefer to do. First time ever and it was amazing!! Communication was very easy with Cristian. Thanks a lot again!

Adventure awaits! Our group of 6 (30 year olds and 60 year olds) have a blast on the river, which was clean and refreshing. Cristian is a caring, fun, and always safety conscious guide. He's knowledgeable on the area and very fluent in English. Recommended.

Very special tour with Cristian... we were the only people on the river canyon! He's so knowledgeable and aware of surroundings/ ability of your hiking/swimming. It's not an easy excursion, it's physically challenging, but SO beautiful and peaceful. Cristian is an amazing ambassador for Huatulco. Cannot wait to come back and do this again.

This trip was a wonderful experience, so much fun in the river! The rapids, slides and cliff jumping were a wonderful experience. Christian was an amazing guide to be with, he made us feel comfortable and kept is entertained. Super knowledgeable and courteous. Spoke great English and treated us to a beer at the end of trip. I already wanna be back in the river! Hope to see you in the future my friend.

A great way to stay cool in Mexico in the middle of the day, on the beautiful Zimatan river. Hiking, swimming, sliding down natural water slides and jumping. We had a fun time.

Great trip, great guide! If you come to huatulco area, Cristian is your guy, not only for canyoning, but literally anything else adventures. The canyoning trip is personally tailored by Christian to match your expectations and abilities, which was very nice!

This trip returned me to my youth and was a fantastic experience. I will do it again and Christian was an excellent host and guide.

Christian is a very experienced and patient guide having done this tour over 200 times a year for the past ten years. He is careful to move the tour along at the pace required by the group. You'll need to be reasonably fit to do this tour, but it's lots of fun!

Christian was amazing!! He is easy going, professional and accommodated to us in every way. I would highly recommend this tour. Christian…thank you for a great experience and meeting you.

The canyoning day trip in the Zimatan river with Christian was amazing! Christian is a fantastic guide with so much knowledge, he really knows what he's doing and made us feel very save and comfortable. He also has a great sense of humour and we had a great time canyoning with him. :) The canyoning itself was so much fun and it was unlike anything I have experienced before. It was a bit challenging at times (which is part of the fun!) but Christian made sure we knew what to do. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to experience something different and who is up for an adventure. The views were also stunning. Highly recommend!