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    The Predator statue at El Edén, El Edén de Mismaloya, Jalisco

    Photo by Christian Frausto Bernal, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

    El Edén de Mismaloya

    Landmark Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Municipality of Puerto Vallarta Banderas Bay

    Jungle ecopark on the Mismaloya River where Predator was filmed in 1987: swimming holes, rock slides, a riverside restaurant and zip lines.

    From Puerto Vallarta: 30 min by car (20 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Plan your visit to El Edén de Mismaloya

    Where to stay near El Edén de Mismaloya

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in El Edén de Mismaloya.

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    Tours to El Edén de Mismaloya

    Look for tours of the area around Sayulita that stop at El Edén de Mismaloya.

    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 El Edén de Mismaloya

    • From Puerto Vallarta: about 30 min by road (~20 km)
    • Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
    Rent a car at PVR Flights to PVR

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Puerto Vallarta, near El Edén de Mismaloya

    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 El Edén de Mismaloya

    El Edén is a small ecotourism park in the jungle of the Sierra del Cuale, up the Mismaloya River valley about 180 m above sea level, a rough drive inland from Mismaloya beach. The river runs over big boulders worn so smooth that they make natural slides, dropping into clear, cold pools where people swim and jump in; around them are waterfalls, footpaths through the forest and the El Edén jungle restaurant on the riverbank.

    Its fame comes from the cinema. Much of the 1987 film Predator, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, was shot here, around what is now the restaurant, the pools and the surrounding jungle; the film's opening scenes, with the soldiers arriving by boat, were filmed on the beach at Boca de Tomatlán, and the final showdown in Yucatán. Little is left of the set: the shell of a helicopter and a statue of the Predator, which are now photo spots.

    Today El Edén mixes the river with organised adventure. A canopy tour with more than 3 km of zip lines crosses the river and the treetops, and there are ATV and 4x4 outings and an introduction to tequila and raicilla, the local spirits. Many visitors come on tours from Puerto Vallarta that include transport. Those who come on their own find a cobblestone and dirt road that is hard going in the rainy season, so a 4x4 or a local taxi from Mismaloya is the usual choice. Bring a swimsuit and towel: even people who plan only to eat usually end up in the water.

    How to get to El Edén de Mismaloya

    Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 30 min, 20 km

    El Edén is about 16 km from Puerto Vallarta. Drive south on Highway 200 towards Mismaloya; just after the side road to the Barceló resort, take the left fork instead of going down to the beach. This cobblestone road follows the Mismaloya River into the village, past the Mamá Lucía tequila distillery, and turns to concrete; at the zoo gates keep right, at the next junction keep left into the hills, and continue about 4 km (2.5 miles) of dirt road to El Edén. A 4x4 is advised, especially in the rainy season; otherwise take a local taxi from Mismaloya beach or join a tour.

    Directions to El Edén de Mismaloya on Google Maps

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

    Best with a guide Tours to El Edén de Mismaloya on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to El Edén de Mismaloya

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

    Before you go to El Edén de Mismaloya: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Open from 9 am to 6 pm. PuertoVallarta.net · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    In the rainy season the dirt road is hard to drive without a 4x4; take a local taxi from Mismaloya beach or go with a tour. PuertoVallarta.net · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    You can go on your own or with a tour from Puerto Vallarta; the zip-line canopy tour is run on site. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide PuertoVallarta.net · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Strong insect repellent (there can be no-see-ums), a swimsuit and a towel; the restaurant is not cheap, so pack lunch and drinks if you are on a budget. PuertoVallarta.net · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting El Edén de Mismaloya: what to see and do

    Swim in the cold river pools and slide down the smooth rock chutes.
    See the helicopter shell and Predator statue left from the 1987 film.
    Eat at the El Edén jungle restaurant beside the waterfalls.
    Fly the canopy tour's zip lines over the river and the treetops.
    Walk the forest footpaths around the restaurant.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in El Edén de Mismaloya

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around El Edén de Mismaloya.

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    Tours & activities

    Look for tours of the area around Sayulita that stop at El Edén de Mismaloya.

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    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PVR (Puerto Vallarta): about 41 min by road to Sayulita, then 43 km more to El Edén de Mismaloya, 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 El Edén de Mismaloya.

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    Travel insurance

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    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Sayulita: download a map of the way to El Edén de Mismaloya before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

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    When to go to El Edén de Mismaloya warm

    El Edén de Mismaloya shares the climate of Sayulita, 43 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 El Edén de Mismaloya, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.