Canyoning in the Oaxacan Coast Canyons

Great 3 hour hike down a...

Great 3 hour hike down a river bed. Canyons and boulders to negotiate.Low water this time of year, however there were still many pools to cool down in. Cristian was an awesome guide, knowledgeable and entertaining. If you like the outdoors, hiking and serenity, this one is for you. And yes, the sandwich and ice cold cervezas at the end of the trip were great! Looking forward to doing this again when the river is higher for a different experience.

Response from the operator: Thanks a lot Hedzer for the review!!

via Viator

Great, peaceful hike

Great experience. Roughly a 3 hour hike down a riverbed. This time of year the water level is low, however many places to take a refreshing dip. Our guide, Cristian, was awesome, knowledgeable and entertaining. You will need to be in reasonable shape and enjoy clambering over boulders to enjoy this hike. Strongly recommend wearing some decent water shoes. We look forward to doing this again when the water level is higher.

Response from the operator: Thanks for the review!!

via Tripadvisor

Read before booking. It was fun, but you need to know what you are getting into.

If you have good balance and know how to swim without a lifejacket (for short periods) you will enjoy this excursion when the water levels are low in the winter season (January). Note: I can’t speak to the excursion when the water levels are high. With low water levels you mostly walk on dry and wet rocks in water 1 to 2 feet deep; and swim in water 4 to 10+ feet deep (but swim only for short periods). You follow a meandering river bed in a canyon in the back woods. Bring a waterproof cover for your phone or camera, or you will want to leave it in the guide’s waterproof dry bag as you are frequently in and out of water. If you bring a backpack etc you will want to leave it in the vehicle that they pick you up in. That same vehicle will pick you up at the end of the river walk. It’s reasonably secure. A bathing suit and water shoes are highly recommended. The promotional photo for the excursion shows participants wearing life jackets and helmets. I guess they wear those when the water is high as we were not offered these. If you can’t swim or don’t have reasonably good balance this is not the excursion for you. We walked and swam for a little more than two hours. It’s a beautiful location and an interesting excursion. My wife and I enjoyed it but I can see how tourists that are less fit or don’t have good balance could have a huge problem with this excursion. You need to be aware that it would be easy to hurt yourself on this excursion and I’m not sure how easy that would be to deal with depending on the injury. You are a good walking distance from civilization on a rocky river bed, in a river canyon, in the back woods, in Mexico. There are no facilities, bathrooms, or water, so bring a water bottle. I enjoyed it, but you need to be crystal clear about what you’re getting into. This is the kind of thing I would have done on my own in my teens and twenties.

Response from the operator: Thanks for the comment! "Read the tour description before booking" would be a good title for your comment. Exactly, this tour is not for overweight people. It's canyoning, NOT A WALK THROUGH THE TOWN CENTER, so participants need to pay attention while walking. The explanations seem obvious, but apparently for some people who have never done any outdoor activity, a simple walk along a river can be daunting. I always carry water in my backpack, you drank from the water I carry (I see you recommend "carrying water") and at the end there is a lunch with "water" and beer. As you can see from the description, most of the photos are from the summer when the river has much more water. In the summer, this tour is NOT suitable for everyone. In conclusion, I want to explain that the person who wrote this comment is a 66-year-old (if I remember correctly) who is in pretty good physical shape for his age but not an outdoor person. Anyway you can reach me out before booking if you have any question or if you are not an outdoor person so I can recommend you something good for you.

via Viator

Great option for a family with a range of skill levels

If you are looking to have an adventure with a small to medium sized group of a range of skill levels this is an amazing choice. Our group of 5 people (1 mountaineer, 2 hikers and 2 less active) did the River Hike Mazunte | Zipolite, our guide Christian was extremely knowledgeable and speaks very clear english. We did some cliff jumping at the start of the hike, then continued down river seeing numerous species of birds, fish, lizards and even managed to catch a glimpse of a beautiful Tilcoatle! While exploring the river and wading through pools of crystal clear water, Christian gave us information on the local indigenous peoples, flora and fauna. Not only was he well versed in this subject matter, but he was also just a very kind and enjoyable person to spend the day with. Thank you Christian, for showing us a wonderful time in a Beautiful location!

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for the comment!! I'm glad you liked it!!. Take care!

via Tripadvisor

Horrible Memories For A Lifetime

Horrible experience all around not including my severe injury. Guide tried to cancel 30 minutes before our departure time even after numerous correspondances back and forth prior to our trip date. Stated his vehicle was inoperable. For the cost, prepare ahead please! No helmets were provided like in the pictures. The trek in was a designated trail, the trek out had no path, lots of scaling boulders and climbing over tree trunks. The river is full of sharp edged rocks. Two of us had multiple scrapes, scratches, and numerous bruises on our backs and legs. I fell off a slimey boulder and split my head open. Accidents happen. I have no issue with that. My issue is the guide never once asked if I was OK. Only reminded me there is nothing that could be done. We had to finish the river to exit. Then on the 45 minute drive back to Port, he asked if we wanted to drive through town first. Obviously it was a unanimous NO.

via Tripadvisor