This marvelous ecotourism center and camping area is beautiful, safe and, believe it or not, located only 40 minutes from Guadalajara.
I first came upon the place while trekking through the Primavera Forest. Having hiked three kilometers from the pueblito of Emiliano Zapata, Rancho Ecoturistico Agua Dulce was the first rest stop for our group and it was there I met Tonatiuh Galán (Tonatiuh was the Aztec sun god), who quickly convinced me that Agua Dulce is an ideal recreational site for people who love nature but not the noise that often comes with Mexican balnearios (water parks). “Here at Agua Dulce we prefer the songs of birds instead of radios,” said Tonatiuh with a wide smile.
Agua Dulce means Sweet Water and it’s aptly named because a powerful spring of cool water, safe and delicious to drink, wells up out of the ground here to create a sparkling stream deep enough for you to swim in. Since many nearby rivers are boiling hot and as salty as sea water, this fresh-water spring has always been considered special to local people and it’s great to see they are willing to share it with others.
We planned our campout for May 25, figuring it would be one of the hottest and driest days of the entire year, perfect for swimming in fresh, cool water. We couldn’t have been more mistaken!
Tonatiuh, you see, is not the only ancient god up there in the heavens. Another one named Tlaloc decided to conjure up Hurricane Bud over Puerto Vallarta, resulting in a dark and threatening sky as we arrived at Agua Dulce. Then, with perfect timing, just as I was attempting to put up our tent, the rain came pouring down and, of course, the moment I finished, the rain ended: Murphy’s Law at its best! After that, however, things got better and better.
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