17 Nature Parks in Jalisco, Mexico: Map & Photos

17 parks and reserves

Jalisco has 17 parks and reserves with their own page on Puebloteca, near the Pueblos Mágicos of Tlaquepaque, Ajijic, Talpa de Allende, and Tapalpa. The closest to a pueblo is Las Piedrotas, 5 km from Tapalpa; the farthest out is Bosque La Primavera, 28 km from Tlaquepaque.

Parks and reserves are best on weekdays and early in the day. Bring water, and check the opening hours, since some close one day a week.

Best months, when most of these towns are dry with comfortable afternoons: Jan, Mar, Apr, Nov.

The Nature Parks 17

Las Piedrotas · Nature reserve · 5 km from Tapalpa
Giant boulders scattered across open meadows north of town, in the area known as the Valle de los Enigmas.
Barranca de Huentitán · Nature reserve · 11 km from Tlaquepaque
A deep canyon on Guadalajara's northern edge; from the Mirador Independencia a steep stone path drops to the Santiago River.
Isla de los Alacranes · Nature reserve · 11 km from Ajijic
A small scorpion-shaped island off Chapala, sacred to the Wixárika (Huichol) people, reached by boat from Chapala's pier.
Bosque de Arce · Nature reserve · 20 km from Talpa de Allende
A state park protecting a cloud forest of rare Mexican maples south of Talpa; the leaves turn red and gold in autumn.
Bosque La Primavera · Nature reserve · 28 km from Tlaquepaque
A 30,500-hectare pine-oak forest and UNESCO biosphere reserve on Guadalajara's western edge, with trails and warm streams.
Bosque Urbano Tlaquepaque · Nature reserve · San Pedro Tlaquepaque
A 10.5-hectare urban forest in El Álamo, Tlaquepaque, won by local residents and opened in 2021: native trees, a community garden and Wednesday films.
Cabo Corrientes · Nature reserve · Cabo Corrientes
The rocky cape that closes Banderas Bay to the south, crowned by a lighthouse from 1903, reached on foot from the remote fishing village of Corrales.
Estero El Salado · Nature reserve · Puerto Vallarta
Protected mangrove estuary in the middle of Puerto Vallarta's hotel strip, with biologist-led boat tours, a watchtower and wild crocodiles.
Jardín Botánico de Vallarta · Nature reserve · Cabo Corrientes
A hillside botanical garden at km 24 south of Puerto Vallarta, famous for its orchids, jungle trails, birding and swims in the Horcones River.
Los Arcos de Mismaloya · Nature reserve · Puerto Vallarta
Five granite islets with sea arches off Mismaloya, a marine refuge since 1975 and the bay's favourite snorkel stop, under ten minutes by boat from the beach.
Parque Alcalde · Nature reserve · Guadalajara
A 1961 park built on Guadalajara's old rubbish dump, with a pedal-boat lake, the Monumental fountain and the Michin aquarium next door.
Parque González Gallo · Nature reserve · Guadalajara
A 17-hectare eucalyptus wood in eastern Guadalajara, opened in 1973 and protected since 2017 for the lilac-crowned parrot; six sculptures inside.
Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara · Nature reserve · Zapopan
A 113-hectare park in La Estancia, Zapopan, opened in 1997: 5 km running and cycling tracks, a lake, barbecue areas and free entry.
Parque Morelos · Nature reserve · Guadalajara
Shady park on Calzada Independencia in central Guadalajara, with an equestrian statue of Morelos and the October Feria del Cartón.
Parque Revolución · Nature reserve · Guadalajara
Guadalajara's 'Parque Rojo', designed in 1935 by the Barragán brothers on Avenida Juárez and reopened in March 2026 after a restoration.
Rancho Primavera · Nature reserve · Cabo Corrientes
Restored 200-acre ranch 3 km from El Tuito that has become a birding hotspot, with feeders, ponds and trails; day birders welcome.
Reserva de la Biosfera Chamela-Cuixmala · Nature reserve · La Huerta
13,142 hectares of tropical dry forest on the Jalisco coast between the Chamela creek and the Cuitzmala River, home to jaguars, crocodiles and 270 bird species.