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    The Horcones River among forested hills a short way upstream of Chico's Paradise, Jalisco

    Photo by Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Granite boulders in the Horcones River valley on the road to El Tuito, Chico's Paradise, Jalisco

    Photo by Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Clear pools of the Horcones River, the river that runs past Chico's Paradise, Jalisco

    Photo by David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Chico's Paradise

    Landmark Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco Municipality of Cabo Corrientes Banderas Bay

    Open-air riverside restaurant at km 20 on the road to El Tuito, on the Horcones River boulders, with cliff divers, river pools and zip lines.

    From Puerto Vallarta: 30 min by car (27 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Tours to Chico's Paradise

    Look for tours of the area around Sayulita that stop at Chico's Paradise.

    Tours from Puerto Vallarta Winner 2026 Downtown Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours ★ 5.0 (3,971) · From US$59
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Chico's Paradise

    • From Puerto Vallarta: about 30 min by road (~27 km)
    • Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
    Rent a car at PVR Flights to PVR

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Puerto Vallarta, near Chico's Paradise

    Winner 2026 Downtown Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours ★ 5.0 (3,971) 3 h 30 min From US$59
    Puerto Vallarta Extreme Adventure: Wildest Bridge, ATV & Ziplines ★ 4.9 (3,357) 6 h From US$69
    Puerto Vallarta Zipline, Rappel, Water Slide & Speedboat tour ★ 4.9 (2,144) 6 h 30 min From US$69
    Food & Mixology Tour:Tequila,Tacos, Mezcal and Agave Cocktails ★ 5.0 (1,949) 4 h From US$98
    Puerto Vallarta Rhythms of the Night, Dinner Cruise and Alma Show ★ 4.5 (2,093) 5 h From US$119

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Chico's Paradise

    Chico's Paradise is a big open-air restaurant built over the granite boulders of the Horcones River, at kilometre 20 of Highway 200 where the road leaves the coast at Boca de Tomatlán and climbs into the Sierra Madre towards El Tuito. It stands beside the small settlement of Las Juntas y Los Veranos, just inside Cabo Corrientes municipality, about 20 km south of Puerto Vallarta, and for more than four decades it has been one of the classic stops on day trips into the hills behind the bay.

    It began very simply. In 1980 the Christian Science Monitor described a thatched, tree-house-like place set above two streams, recently opened by Chico Pérez, a former janitor at a beachfront restaurant, who had no electricity, no phone and closed at sundown. Today the palapa terraces are much larger and step down towards the water, with views over the pools and a small waterfall, and a swaying bridge leads across the rocks.

    The kitchen serves home-style Mexican food: guacamole, grilled fish and seafood, barbecued ribs and meats, with strong margaritas; prices are on the high side for the area and portions are big. Much of the fun is watching: local divers leap from the rocks into a pool below and work for tips, and zip-line riders from the canopy tour fly overhead. When the river is calm diners climb down to swim in the pools. Most visitors arrive on a jungle or El Tuito tour from Puerto Vallarta, which usually includes a meal here; signage on the highway is poor, so if you drive yourself watch the kilometre posts.

    How to get to Chico's Paradise

    Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 30 min, 27 km

    Chico's Paradise is at km 20 of Highway 200 south of Puerto Vallarta: follow the coast road past Mismaloya to Boca de Tomatlán, where the highway turns inland up the Horcones valley, and continue a few kilometres to Las Juntas y Los Veranos; the restaurant has its own parking. El Tuito buses leave from Carranza and Aguacate streets in the Zona Romántica every half hour and run along this road (ask the driver to stop at Chico's Paradise). Signs are poor, so many visitors come by taxi or on a tour that includes the stop.

    Directions to Chico's Paradise on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Chico's Paradise Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Chico's Paradise. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Chico's Paradise

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Chico's Paradise: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Open daily from 11 am to 6 pm (from noon on Fridays). Wanderlog · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    No entrance fee; you pay for what you eat. Expect restaurant prices on the high side: a lunch for two came to about 47 US dollars before tip. Forever Karen · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    No guide needed, but the turn-off is poorly signed, so a taxi or a tour that includes the stop is the easiest way in. Forever Karen · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Small bills to tip the cliff divers, and a swimsuit if you want to get into the river. Wanderlog · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Chico's Paradise: what to see and do

    Eat guacamole, grilled fish or ribs on the palapa terraces above the river.
    Watch the local cliff divers jump into the pool below (they work for tips).
    Swim in the river pools when the water is calm.
    Cross the swaying bridge over the boulders.
    Combine the stop with the Vallarta Botanical Garden, 4 km further up the same road.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Chico's Paradise

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    Tours & activities

    Look for tours of the area around Sayulita that stop at Chico's Paradise.

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    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PVR (Puerto Vallarta): about 41 min by road to Sayulita, then 46 km more to Chico's Paradise, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puerto Vallarta (PVR), about 41 min by road from Sayulita, the base for Chico's Paradise.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Sayulita: download a map of the way to Chico's Paradise before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    Photos

    When to go to Chico's Paradise warm

    Chico's Paradise shares the climate of Sayulita, 46 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.

    See the month-by-month climate of Sayulita

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Sayulita

    Palm-shaded street of shops and stalls in the center of Sayulita, Nayarit warm
    Nayarit Sayulita

    Sayulita is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Chico's Paradise, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Near Chico's Paradise

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.