About 40 minutes inland from the Hotel Zone, past the last houses and up a cobblestone road into the Sierra Madre, a cable-and-plank bridge spans the canyon of the Cuale River. It’s long enough that the far end looks small when you start, and it’s strong enough to carry off-road vehicles. Which is the whole point: most people who cross it do so behind the wheel of an RZR or on an ATV.
We run tours to the Jorullo Bridge every day of the year, so these are the questions we answer most, with the facts straight.
What to Know Before You Cross the Jorullo Bridge
Where It Is and How You Get There
The bridge sits inside the Canopy River eco-park, in the mountains east of Puerto Vallarta along the road toward Los Llanitos. There’s no public transport worth relying on, and the last stretch is a mountain road, so nearly everyone arrives on a guided tour.
Our tours don’t do hotel pickups. Instead, you meet the van at one of four pickup points spread across the bay: Zona Romántica, Las Glorias in the Hotel Zone, Playa de Oro and Nuevo Vallarta. From the Puerto Vallarta points the ride to the park takes around 40 minutes; from Nuevo Vallarta, plan on about an hour. You choose your point when you book.
The Jorullo Bridge by the Numbers
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Length | 470 m (1,542 ft) |
| Height above the Cuale River | 150 m (492 ft) |
| Built by | 35 farmers from the local community, working with engineers |
| Construction time | 18 months |
| How visitors cross | RZR, ATV, or on foot as part of select zip line tours |
| Distance from Puerto Vallarta pickup points | About 40 minutes by van |
Built by the People Who Live on the Mountain
This isn’t a government megaproject. The bridge was built by local farmers from the ejido, the communal landholding that owns much of this stretch of the Sierra Madre, alongside engineers who designed the structure. Thirty-five people, eighteen months. When you cross it, you’re riding on something the community made with its own hands, and the ecotourism that came with it is a big part of how families in these hills earn a living today.
About That “Longest in the World” Title
You’ll see the bridge advertised as the longest suspension bridge in the world, and the sign at the bar on the far side says it’s the longest one built for vehicles. Our honest take: global bridge rankings depend a lot on how you define the category, and we’d rather not oversell it. What we can say with zero hesitation is that there’s nothing else around Banderas Bay where you can drive a side-by-side across a canyon 150 meters above a river. Whether it holds a world record or not, the knot in your stomach on the first few meters is real.
The El Salto Waterfall Stop
Before the big crossing, the RZR route makes a stop at El Salto, a waterfall tucked into the mountains and reached by a shorter hanging bridge, a good warm-up for what comes next. The falls drop roughly 30 meters. Water levels follow the seasons: strongest during and right after the summer rains, thinner by late spring.
Jorullo Point, the Glass-Floored Viewpoint
If the bridge is the adrenaline, Jorullo Point is the view. This lookout sits 420 meters above sea level and has a glass floor that lets you stand over open air. To reach it you cross another suspension bridge, about 200 meters long and more than 100 meters above the ground, and like the main bridge, it’s built to carry RZRs and ATVs. From the top you get a full 360-degree view of the mountains and the Cuale River, and on clear days you can make out the Bay of Banderas.
You’ll see it listed on our site as the Mirador de Cristal. You can reach it on the ATV + Mirador de Cristal tour (from MXN 2,295), the RZR al Mirador de Cristal tour (from MXN 5,610) or on foot with the Mirador de Cristal hike (from MXN 1,700).
Ways to Cross the Jorullo Bridge
Prices below are starting prices at the time of writing. Drivers on every vehicle tour must be 18 or older with a valid physical driver’s license.
| Tour | How you cross | Youngest guest | Starting price (MXN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RZR + Jorullo Bridge | Drive a Polaris RZR across | 6 (as passenger) | 4,640 (1 to 2 riders) / 6,000 (3 to 4 riders) |
| ATV + Puente Jorullo | Ride an ATV across | 8 (as passenger) | 2,520 |
| Combo: ATV + Zip Line + Jorullo Bridge | ATV ride plus zip lines | 8 (as ATV passenger) | 3,740 |
| Combo: RZR + Jorullo Bridge + Zip Line | RZR ride plus zip lines | 6 | 7,820 |
If you’re torn between the two vehicles, we wrote a full ATV vs RZR comparison that covers seating, weight limits and how each one feels on the bridge.
The Best Time of Year to Go
November through May is the dry season, and it’s when the views are sharpest. Skies clear out, humidity drops and Jorullo Point gives you the best odds of seeing all the way to the bay. November is especially good: average temperatures run from about 21 to 30 °C (70 to 86 °F), the mountain is still green from the summer rains, and the high-season crowds haven’t arrived yet. Expect dust on the trail; we hand out bandanas and goggles.
June through October brings mud, puddles and afternoon showers. The forest is at its greenest and the rivers run full. Tours go ahead in rain or wind, and if conditions get unsafe we’ll reschedule you.
Time of day matters too. The 9:00 a.m. departure is the coolest and usually has the clearest air. The 3:00 p.m. slot brings softer, golden light for photos on the way back down.
If You’re Nervous About Heights
You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last. It’s a suspension bridge, so expect a little movement under you. A few things that help: ride as an RZR passenger, where you’re belted in and caged; fix your eyes on the far end of the bridge instead of straight down; and talk to your guide before you start. Our guides are fully bilingual and have walked plenty of first-timers through it. Almost everyone who hesitates at the start asks to go again at the end.
One hard rule: guests with asthma, heart conditions or back problems, and pregnant guests, can’t join the vehicle tours, and nobody rides after drinking.
The bridge has been here for years, but the experience never gets old for us, and the best day to see it is the one that fits your trip. Look at the open departures for your dates, pick whichever of our four pickup points is closest to your hotel, and book your Jorullo Bridge tour directly.
