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A Paradise for Birders |
We do manage tours for guests arriving by cruise ship. |
With more than 300 species of birds, Puerto Vallarta
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The most compelling feature of the area is the huge bay, the Bahia de Banderas or Bay of Flags, cut like a semicircle out of the Pacific Coast of Mexico. The coastline of the bay is relatively featureless, except for a few small inlets at the mouths of rivers, such as a Yelapa, Boca de Tomatlan, and Mismaloya. In the mouth of the bay is a small cluster of rocky islands, the Marietas or Islas Marietas where some sea birds nest in season. |
High mountains come down to the waters edge generally extending from San Blas, Nayarit to the north, and southward to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The Bahia de Banderas, is carved out of these mountains and the cut extends inward in a northeasterly direction as a valley, the Valle de Banderas, or Valley of Flags. The high mountains surround the edge of the valley forming an area isolated from other sea level valleys to the north and south. |
| The valley is not large by world standards with an area of 100 to 150 square miles. It is relatively flat, especially in the delta area. Towards the sides of the valley there are low foothills, but then the mountains rise quite sharply, sometimes precipitously. On the north side, the valley is bound by the Sierra Vallejo, and on the south, by the even higher Sierra Cuale. |
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This list covers the floor of the valley primarily, up to 100 meters in altitude, including the foothills and some of the river gorges for a short distance, but excluding the mountains themselves. It also includes the edges of the bay from Punta de Mita on the outer northwestern point on around the bay to Yelapa on the south, as well as the bay itself. |
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The mountainside surrounding the bay and valley are coated with vegetation distinctly different from that of the valley, namely the tropical deciduous forest. Locally, this type of terrain is called "the jungle", but is quite different from true jungle vegetation of more southern parts of the continent. |
| The tropical deciduous forest ends at the bottom of the mountains although in some places it may extend along rivers briefly where they enter the valley. In the dry winter period much of the vegetation becomes leafless. The valley is as much as it represents a more-or-less unique biological area isolated for miles from other such units, isolated by mountains clothed with vegetation very distinct from that of the valley. This isolation is not absolute by any means, but works for many species of birds, and retards movements of many others. |
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The Rio Ameca is the major river in the valley and has had a major influence on the valley floor it comes out of the mountains to the east, through a steep-walled rocky gorge, having arisen in the vicinity of Guadalajara. A constant wash of sand occurs from out of the mountain gorge of the river. This is constantly being removed as a major construction material in the area, and after each rainy season when the river is at its peak, a new supply of sand seems to have been deposited. The terminus of the river forms an estuary of three or four miles in depth and at the mouth are some small mangrove swamps. Only one other river of consequence, the Rio Mascota, exists in the valley. The Rio Mascota is a tributary of the Rio Ameca. The Rio Ameca is the border, locally, between two Mexican states, Nayarit to the north and Jalisco to the south. |
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Vallarta Lifestyles magazine announces "Best of 2008" |
| BEST New Animal Conservation Group: |
Guacamayas Siempre |
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This highly endangered species is facing extinction due to loss of habitat and mainly since hatchlings are widely extirpated by poachers to be sold as pets. Despite the fact that this bird is under protection by Mexican and International laws the Black market poaches around 200 chicks per year from their nests, although 80% of them die during this process and 10 % more die after the process of extraction. And unless strong measures are not taken immediately, this species will be disappearing from the wild within the next 20 or 30 years. |
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Please Visit Macawforever Website |
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English www.macawforever.org |
Spanish www.guacamayasparasiempre.org |
Macawforever News www.macawforever.org/news.html |
ALEJANDRO MARTĚNEZ PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER MACAWS FOREVER, GUACAMAYAS POR SIEMPRE A.C. |
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Through our tours you will be directly supporting the local conservationists |
Vallarta Lifestyles magazine "Best of 2005" |
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