Puerto Vallarta's newest thrill is canopy tours, which are better described as high-octane thrill rides. On a canopy tour you'll "fly" from treetop to treetop, securely fastened to a zip line. Despite the inherent danger of dangling from a cable hundreds of feet off the ground, the operators we list have excellent safety records. It's permissible to take photos while zipping along so if you're brave, bring your camera along, with a neck strap to leave hands free.

Logistics

Don't take a tour when rain threatens. A thunderstorm isn't the time to hang out near trees attached to metal cables, and rain makes the activity scary to say the least. Even during the rainy season, however, mornings and early afternoons are generally sunny. Check with each operator regarding maximum weight (usually 250 pounds) and minimum ages for kids.

Outfitters

Canopy El Edén (Office: Plaza Romy, Calle Vallarta 228, Interior 1, Col. E. Zapata. 322/222-2516. www.canopyeleden.com) has daily trips to the spirited Mismaloya River and adjacent restaurant. During the 3½-hour adventure ($81), which departs from the downtown office, you zip along 10 lines through the trees and above the river. To take full advantage of the lovely setting and good restaurant, take the first tour (they depart Monday through Friday at 9, 10, 11, 12, and 1:30 and weekends at 9, 11, and 1—sometimes less frequently in low season) and bring your swimsuit. The schedule includes about an hour to spend at the river or restaurant. If there's room, you can return with a later group. If you wish to stay longer and there's room, you can return to Vallarta with a later group; otherwise take a taxi or ask the restaurant staff for a lift to the highway, where buses frequently pass.

Vallarta's top canopy tour is Canopy Tour de Los Veranos (Office:, Calle Francisca Rodríguez 336, Centro. 322/223-0504; 877/563-4113 from the U.S. www.canopytours-vallarta.com). Slightly more expensive than some competitors ($79), Los Veranos also has the most zip lines (14), the longest zip line (600 feet), the highest zip line (500 feet off the ground), and the most impressive scenery: crossing the Rio Los Horcones half a dozen times on several miles of cables. Departures are from the office, across from the Pemex station at the south side of Puerto Vallarta, on the hour between 9 and 2, with reduced hours in low season (June through November). It's the only PV tour company that doesn't require helmets. After your canopy tour, there's time to scale the climbing wall, play in the Los Horcones River, eat at the restaurant, or hang out at the bar overlooking the river, but check to make sure that a ride back to town is available.

Luis Verdin of Rancho Mi Chaparrita (Manuel Rodriguez Sanchez 14, Sayulita. 329/291-3112. www.michaparrita.com) runs a 10-zip-line tour on his family ranch. Access the ranch on his lively, healthy horses via the beach and backcountry for a complete adventure. Canopy tours are $75; a canopy tour plus the horseback ride is $95.

The most convenient canopy tour if you're staying in Nuevo Vallarta is Vallarta Adventures (Paseo de las Palmas 39-A, Nuevo Vallarta. 322/297-1212; 888/303-2653 in U.S. and Canada. www.vallarta-adventures.com), although it's not the best show in town. Participants use gloved hands rather than a braking device to slow down or stop, and must return to town right after their zip line canopy adventure with no time for other activities. It's $79 per person.

Seasonal Catches

Sailfish and dorado are abundant practically year-round. (Though dorado drop out a bit in early summer and sailfish dip slightly in spring.)

Winter: bonito, dorado, jack crevalle, sailfish, striped marlin, wahoo

Spring: amberjack, jack crevalle, grouper, mackerel, red snapper

Summer: grouper, roosterfish, yellowfin tuna

Fall: black marlin, blue marlin, sailfish, striped marlin, yellowfin tuna, wahoo