Hiking/Canyoning

Between the Huatulco National Park, the canyons that house the rivers, and the limitless terrain of the Sierra Madre, hiking opportunities abound in the area. The known trails are covered in the other sections - the hikes into Organo and Cacaluta and beaches in the National Park in The Nine Bays, and as noted in the The Waterfalls section, all of the Copalitilla locations involve beautiful hikes to reach the various falls. We're scouting out terrain as fast as we can to develop more offerings in the area. Right now we're very excited about working with some locals in the mountains who have been trying to develop eco-tours and cabins on the Rio Huatulco, and up around the coffee plantations of Pluma Hidalgo. The mountain communities have seen very few benefits from Huatulco tourism, and we hope to change that.

Lower Zimatan Canyon Hike or Paddle - This is a spectacular hidden canyon that few people but locals know about. One of the great advantages to it is that it doesn't involve the long uncomfortable trip that the Copalitilla waterfalls do, being only about 45 minutes from town with only a small part of it being on dirt roads. There are a few ways to go about it, depending on athleticism and whether you want to go with a wet or dry approach. The hiking trail that skirts the edge of the canyon has one somewhat dicey traverse with poor footholds, so that route is suggested only for the mildly adventurous and those unafraid of heights. An approach that almost anyone is capable of is paddling kayaks up the river to near the El Chorro waterfall at the head of the canyon. Since the water is shallow most of the way, it's also possible to walk upriver to where the deep pools in the canyon begin. One way or another, we can get anyone up there to enjoy the dramatic beauty of this unique spot. For those willing to traverse the canyon trail, an easy sandy trail continues upstream from the canyon for miles along the river. Click here for photo gallery. Upper Zimatan Canyon Hike- Eight miles above the lower canyon, there is a nice hike to the beginning of the wild whitewater run in the upper canyon. While not as deep and dramatic as the lower canyon, it features a series of amazing rapids. There is about 15 minutes of easy forest hiking before you reach the beginning of the canyon, and from there it is about 45 minutes to an hour of rock hopping along the top of the canyon to see the whole of this upper part. The hiking along the canyon rock is quite easy and virtually anyone can do it. One can choose to see as much or as little as you want, so roundtrip hiking times range anywhere from an hour, to 2 1/2 hours. It is about an hour and 15 minutes driving to get there, and is only a slight side detour coming or going to the Copalitilla waterfalls. Click here for photo gallery. Pluma Hidalgo Ridge Hike- This is a ridge top hike above the town of Pluma Hidalgo, passing through shade grown coffee areas in beautiful high mountain forest. The trail starts at about 4800' and tops out at 5400'. and winds around for a couple of km's before coming back down a dirt road to where you started. The trail can also be started from higher up as a one way trail with the majority in descent, for those looking for a less active trip. The full trip hike is 1.5 - 2 hours. The air is always crisp and cool at this altitude, making for the most comfortable hike you can do in the area. The views are incredible, since this spine drops off in every direction. On clear days you can see the Pacific. Click here for photo gallery.