Coastal hike from Boca de Tomatlán to Las Ánimas

The trail starts in Boca de Tomatlán, the fishing village where the pangas tie up, and climbs along the rocky shore and over the headlands of the Sierra Madre foothills. Colomitos comes first, a small cove at the mouth of a branch of the Los Horcones River with cliffs on both sides and calm water for a snorkel; that stretch is about 40 minutes at an easy pace. Las Ánimas is a little under two miles from the start, a long sandy beach with palapa restaurants where you can buy lunch and rent a lounger.

The going is moderately strenuous, through dry tropical forest with some climbing, so carry water. Las Ánimas has a pier served by the water taxis from Boca, which lets you walk one way and ride back. The trail carries on past Las Ánimas toward Quimixto, a much longer and harder hike. Buses to Boca leave the Zona Romántica about every 20 minutes.