Pueto Vallarte lies at the confluence of three mountain ranges Western Sierra Madres, Transvolcanic Mountains, and the Southern Sierrra Madres. The bay of flags is where the conquistador Hernan Cortes led an exploration into the valleys by the bay. Currently, It’s a mecca for tourism. Cruise ships arrive, tens of thousands of gringos live near the city. As the city grows, it engulfs the small surrounding towns. The official population has grown from 90,000 in 1990 to 225,000. But this does not count many of the immigrants that flock to the area for climate and tourism opportunities. World population trends estimates the population of this area closer to 500,000 people.

The Southern Sierra Madres descend rapidly into pacific ocean. Out of El Tuito, there are several dirt roads that reach the small villages of Yelapa and La Pizota. The roads are steep and constant rain and mud slides resist pavement. Consequently, traffic on these roads are limited to ATV, motorcycles, and all wheel drive vehicles, or by boat. Most tourists visit Yelapa via water taxi. However there are some who get an atv-taxi down the steep roads.

Its remote location and unique steep tropical forest provide habitat for some interesting species.

Also endemic to this micro habitat is the Mexican Woodnymph which is very difficult to find and estimated to have about 11,000 left in the wild (IUCN redlist).

Driving south by dirt road the mountains level out giving way to a giant thorn forest. While very productive for wildlife, it is in hospitable for agriculture, unless it is cleared. The more south from Puerto Vallarte, the less gringo-fied it becomes, and the more rural it gets. Small agricultural plots, with vast beaches and lagoons. Some small towns sport resort hotels, but it is unlikely anyone from outside Mexico would be staying here. So often when we travel we end up in a place that is a caricature of itself. We don’t venture too far away from the airport or places that make us feel comfortable. Consequently we end up in place that is supposed to look like the place we visit and the place we left behind. As the two merge only part of the true experience of travel is gained. Driving and busing across vast distances and making efforts to go into the hard-to-reach places gives insight to non-caricatured Mexico.