Río Esmeralda - Bosque la Primavera
Río Esmeralda - Bosque la Primavera
Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna La Primavera, Zapopan
249 m
10.36 km
2 h 43 m
1636 msnm
Emerald-green thermal waterfalls along the Río Caliente, inside Bosque la Primavera. The water can top 80 °C — this one is for looking, not for swimming.
📢 Alerts & Updates
This route can be done comfortably in any season of the year, although you can enjoy the hot springs a little more in the cold season.
Warnings
Level
i
Packing List
How to get there
Trailhead Access
Departing from downtown Guadalajara, take the road to Vallarta. Two kilometers after La Venta del Astillero, turn left towards La Primavera. A couple of blocks later, turn right towards Av del Bosque and from there continue straight until you reach the booth of the Ejido la Primavera Ecotourism Park.
Parking Information
There are plenty of parking options after accessing the park. On this itinerary, I parked outside the entrance, in the El Pedernal camping area, but you can also get to the Rio Caliente by car (by dirt road), considerably reducing the amount of walking on dirt roads. There are other popular places such as Balneario Las Tinajitas (thermal water, lake, among other services) or La Cueva del Lince (camping areas).
Fees & Park Hours
June 2026: To access Ejido la Primavera Park, a fee of $40 MXN per vehicle or $5 MXN per pedestrian/cyclist is charged. In case of camping, $80 MXN is charged per person, per day. Additionally, to access Rio Caliente, another access fee of $30 MXN per person (adults and children alike) must be covered.
Trail Overview
Perdedizo. 3/4 of the route is on a wide dirt road. However, the last section is over the riverbed, so the route can be quite confusing. Likewise, to climb to the last waterfall there is no path defined as such, so this area can also be wasted.
Recommended Gear
- Hiking sticks - Sunscreen - Insect repellent - First Aid Kit or First Aid Kit
Elevation Gain
249 m
Total Distance (Out & back)
10.36 km
Total Time
2 h 43 m
Max Elevation
1636 msnm
Route level 1 (scale from 1 to 10). It is a route that does not require much physical condition, but it does require good mobility and balance, since some sections of the route require us to advance on river rocks. It is an ideal route for beginners who want to discover the Spring Forest and go a little deeper into the Rio Caliente riverbed.