La Tovara: A Riviera Nayarit Natural Wonder
93 miles from Puerto Vallarta is La Tovara, an extensive spring where fresh water from the mountains mixes with the salt water of the sea, forming an incredible estuary that serves as home to thousands of species of flora and fauna.
La Tovara, which means “water that rises between limestone stones”, is a complex natural mangrove system that is located next to the mythical San Blas’ port, in the Riviera Nayarit. It is part of the Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve and is home to more than 700 species of animals and plants, this is why in 2008 got the RAMSAR distinction as a wetland of international importance.
199 species of birds, 90 mammals, 22 reptiles, nine amphibians, 160 insects, 31 fish, three mollusks and three crustaceans coexist in this wonderful place.
To visit this national park in Riviera Nayarit, you can take a boat at the La Aguada jetty, which is located at the main entrance to this nature reserve. The journey through this mangrove swamp is a true connection with nature.
This place was also the set for the Mexican film Cabeza de Vaca (1991), which was directed by Nicolás Echevarría and starred by Juan Diego Ruiz, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Roberto Sosa, Carlos Castañón and Gerardo Villarreal.
At the end of the tour there is a small restaurant where, in addition to enjoying traditional dishes, visitors are able to take a dip in its refreshing swimming area. The crystal, clear spring water is protected by a mesh.
Due to the high concentration of aquatic and semi-aquatic birds, both resident and migratory of the United States and Canada, this area is of utmost importance for natural conservation.
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