El Nogalito Mountain River- Hiking Tour

Our tour was a really special experience! We went to a macaw sanctuary and learned about conservation efforts to protect and re-populate the indigenous macaw population. We saw a total of anout 30-35 nesting birds, in pairs and family units. It was inspiring to say the least! After the macaws, we had an amazing breakfast at a tiny restaurant where we were treated like family. After breakfast we hiked a trail up along a small river. At the top we found a beautiful waterfall and lagoon, where we swam for an hour or so in the crisp clear river water. It was so refreshing! During the entire half day together, Curiel was a constant source of happy banter, interesting information about the local environment and people. Being a local, or “Pata Salada” he certainly knows his way around. I highly recommend his tours!

Excelent hike with a great guide with a keen eye to point out the local flora and fauna, he has a good eye for taking g Excelent pics Your shoes will get wet so plan accordingly, if you have hiking sticks, bring them.

What a fantastic tour and even moreso guide. Curiel was gracious, knowledgeable, and a clear professional. The El Nogalito hike was a perfect excursion, probably one of our favorite to be honest! The hike was not challenging but between the educational moments, swimming in the waterfalls, and tasting locale vegetation, it was truly beautiful, interesting, and engaging. Curiel stopped along the way to support us over obstacles, take scenic photos, and tell us about locale plants and animals.

Our group had an amazing hike along the river with Curiel. He was a perfect guide with a great sense of seriousness for our safety and care, as well as humor and energy to entertain us. I love that he shared his passion and knowledge about flora and fauna of the jungle. Curiel is so welcoming and really knows how to bring people together. He said this hike was medium difficulty and it was challenging at times. You need to have good knees. Also you shoes will get wet, no way around it. So plan and you'll have an amazing time. Communication prior to the hike was excellent and the cost fair. I will definitely go on more hikes.

I would highly recommend Curiel’s El Nogalito hike. Curiel is an exceptionally knowledgeable guide, and it was a pleasure to hear his explanations of the river’s flora and fauna. It was an amazing trip.

Great experience with Curiel on this hike. He’s super helpful and informative and entertaining. A highlight of my trip to Vallarta this year. Will def try another one next trip.

Beautiful nature in a fun and accessible hike! Curiel is the most amazing tour guide, stopping to show and inform about local flora and fauna. And then swimming in the waterfall was such a blast! Curiel thoughtfully took pictures and videos the whole time and then shared them with us so we have great moments and memories from the afternoon. He made sure everyone was comfortable the whole time, brought snacks, and was so funny and engaging. We will definitely be doing another hike with Curiel next time we are in PV!

Amazing experience. Curiel is a great guide and provides explanations of the flora seen during the hike. He was very personable and let us know the difficult areas of the hike, where to step during tricky sections. He also has a great eye for photos and we didn’t really take many photos during the trip as he took so many good ones. He just airdropped them to my iPhone on the way back. His sweet dog Canela also joined us on the hike which was an added bonus. The hike itself was spectacular with many beautiful spots which were, of course, pointed out to us by Curiel. Very highly recommended!!!! Don’t miss this experience in PV.

This hike was very challenging but so worth the effort. WE walked through the water most of the hike. It wasn’t very long but the rocks made the trek slow. But that was more reason to slow down and enjoy the hike more. Our guide had lots of knowledge and plants and wildlife in the area. This was a terrific experience!!

Curiel is an amazing guide. His knowledge of the area, flora, and fauna really enhanced the experience. He also took amazing pictures of us throughout the hike. We’ll definitely book some of his other tours when we’re back in Puerto Vallarta.

This is a beautiful way to spend a half day in Puerta Vallarta. The hikes are always fun (I’ve gone on 2) and end in a beautiful spot to relax and rest before heading back. Curiel is a talented and knowledgeable tour guide, and will make everyone feel comfortable on the trip. Don’t miss this experience!

If you’re like me and need some non alcoholic stories to tell your family and coworkers about what you did while in PV; this would be a great one! With pictures even! Everything was top notch. The visit to the “fairy portal” was awesome! If I’m ever in PV again, I’ll definitely be booking another trip!

Very small groups which really made the experience so amazing. The hike was beautiful and he is so full of knowledge. Probably the best tour guide I’ve ever had. Plus he took all these beautiful pictures of us the whole time so we didn’t have to worry about stopping and using our phones. The food at the end was also very delicious. Next time we are in PV we will be back for another tour. No question about that. One of the best parts of our trip.

Curiel is a fantastic guide for a hike. He knows the best sites to see, is very knowledgeable of the areas, knows fun ways to get around and makes sure to care for each person on the hike while making sure you're always having a fun time.

Curiel was so welcoming and fun during our hike. The trail was beautiful and I felt very confident following him to the falls. He was very knowledgeable and passionate about teaching during the hike. And his humor is great.

Curiel’s hiking waterfall tour was so much fun. He is such a nice guy and very knowledgeable about the terrain and its surroundings. He prioritizes everyone’s safety and ensures everyone is okay through the tour. If you are looking to go on a guided tour of the Mexican jungle, Curiel is the guy you should contact. I can’t say enough good things about our experience and I will definitely tell all my friends when they go to visit PV

If you're looking for a fun, adventurous, knowledgeable experience this a must do in PV. You love every minute while enjoying the outdoors.

This was the best gay thing we did together on our trip. Our group was mixed levels of hikers. Some of our group stayed at the first waterfall while the rest of us continued on to the higher level. The hike was exciting because we’ve never had a rope climb and repel. Bring some water shoes for river rocks and trial can be wet and slippery. Some of us even jumped from the cliffs into the water fall pool below. Having a guide who’s as gay friendly as us made it feel like family from the start. So I gave it five stars.

Fantastic tour. Curiel is such a lovely guy, engaging and friendly, and he was on the go constantly helping us over stones, pointing out flora and fauna, and taking quite extraordinary videos and photos. The scenery was beautiful and I’d recommend this company without hesitation.

Such an enjoyable day walking in rivers, climbing hills and swimming under waterfalls. Curiel is not only knowledgeable he’s incredibly funny and really goes out of his way to make sure your day is enjoyable. The day starts off at the designated meeting point where you are then driven to the starting location. The hike included conversation about local plant and wild life snacks and pictures along the way and some breathtaking views and swims under a gorgeous waterfall with a delicious lunch at the very end…Al Pastor Tacos for the win!! Curiel loves what he does and you can tell. Great for groups or as a solo traveler as part of the journey is getting to know your fellow hikers and sharing conversation along the way. I cannot wait to return and join him along some of his other adventures. Thanks Curiel so sharing some magic off the beaten path. I cannot wait to do this again

This was the highlight of my trip to PV. We were the only ones on our day so we ended up getting a private hike. Learned a ton about the local flora & fauna. Curiel has a real passion for his job and it shows. Will definitely book w/ him when I come back to PV.

We had an incredible time with Curiel. Very informative and entertaining guide, he has such a passion for his business & it really shows. It felt like we were hiking with a close friend. He took tons of pics and videos so we didn’t have to think about taking our phones out. We will definitely book one of his hikes every time we come to PV.

This was my second hike with Curiel. As with my first to the Palo Maria falls, he didn’t disappoint. Curiel is a naturalist, ecologist and conservationist all wrapped up in one friendly, gregarious and humorous tour guide. This hike is less strenuous that Palo Maria, but still filled with the secret jungle beauty that most tourists don’t know exists so close to the city confines of PV. The trail is often shaded and abounds with beauty. The ultimate waterfall destination is gorgeous. We relaxed and reveled in it for a long time. Curiel provides everything - food, snacks, drinks - you need. (Even a bandaid when I scraped my hand!). He is such a knowledgeable guide, so competent of all the fauna & flora. As I enjoy nature, I asked a zillion questions, and he shared a zillion answers. He knows the jungle and its natural inhabitants so well. He also understands the intricacies of how everything in the jungle operates within a shared balance - the interdependence and symbiotic relationships so prevalent in the jungle environment. I would never have understood or been witness to the ecology surrounding me without his wonderful explanations. And to hear Curiel’s passion about preserving the natural beauty is very touching. You realize how much his job is his love. That’s very refreshing within the realm of ecotourism. He’s down-to-earth, locally hewn and oh-so-authentic.

Want a great day! Curiel is a terrific guide. He knows a lot about the flora and fauna, and shares his knowledge along the way. El Nogalito hike was a bit challenging for less experienced hikers but Curiel was always there to lend a hand. The waterfall at the top was well worth it and the lunch at the end a nice reward.

Curiel is GREAT! We had such a fun time hiking up to the waterfall with Curiel. He is so friendly, enjoyable, knowledgeable of the area and attentive to his guests. It felt like hanging out with an old friend because he was so great at talking and enjoying time together. He does a great job and getting pictures of the group and in bringing all the things you may need- snacks, waters, Gatorade. There was even lunch at the end at a cute restraunt at the trailhead. Curiel loves what he is doing and you will love the experience too!

This waterfall hike was awesome! Curiel is an excellent guide and is a lot of fun. A great way to experience nature in PV. Lunch was delicious too.,Highly recommend!!

Curiel is an amazing guide and absolutely fantastic, funny and inviting. We had an absolute blast and the hike was beautiful. Definitely a perfect way to spend the day in PV. This hike and swim at the waterful are a must go to. We had an amazing group of guys from all over and Curiel made the experience all the more worth while. Lunch after the hike was delicious and we enjoyed having great food, drinks and laughs with Curiel and the group after getting wet and taking lots of photos along the way. We'd definitely do the hike again and would love to come back to PV and try out Curiel's other hiking tours!

This hiking tour (El Nogalito) exceeded my expectations and was the highlight of our trip to Puerto Vallarta! We wanted a more challenging hike that would take more then an hour, something we had not done in our trips there. Curiel knew just the place with streams, rocks, and a waterfall that took about 3+ hours round trip. The trail was rocky as it follows the river but not steep at all... bring hiking sandals or shoes that can walk in the water here and there if you need to cross. The scenery was gorgeous, we saw wild mushrooms, a hanging weaver hummingbird next and walked through a slot canyon. There was almost no one on the trail as this hike is not well known. There is a restaurant at the trail head if you'd like a margarita to celebrate. Curiel picked us up in town and returned us, and sent us photos afterwards. We loved this trip - book him, he represents everything we love about Vallarta, friendly, positive people and he is passionate/knowledgeable about hiking and educating you. Do this HIKE and take Curiel - he was fantastic start to finish!

I had an incredible experience with Curiel Xperience on the hike to El Nogalito in Puerto Vallarta! From the beginning, Curiel's communication was excellent — always available, very professional, and very helpful with all the details before the tour. During the hike, he demonstrated impressive knowledge about the local flora and fauna, which made the experience even more immersive and interesting. It is clear that he has a genuine passion for nature and for the region he calls home. At the beginning of the hike, I had a fall, and Curiel immediately and very kindly offered to let me finish the hike early if I needed to. I decided to continue, and I am very glad I did. From that moment on, he was attentive, careful, and vigilant at all times, ensuring that I felt safe and comfortable, without creating more drama than necessary. That kind of genuine attention is what truly sets him apart. The scenery was spectacular; the trail was fun and very refreshing, culminating at the waterfall; the arrival and the entire experience felt authentic and very well organized. If you are looking for a unique outdoor adventure in Puerto Vallarta with a knowledgeable, warm, and truly dedicated guide, look no further. I would definitely take another tour with Curiel! - Darío - San Francisco, CA

José Curiel’s experience with this guided adventure segment and his passion for what he does are the factors that motivate me to reacquaint myself with the other options he offers. Highly recommended for us who like small groups and personalized service.