Puerto Vallarta is spending this weekend counting the life along the Río Pitillal. The fifth Home River BioBlitz runs Friday through Sunday, Sept. 18-20, 2026, and it is free.
The Centro Universitario de la Costa and its Laboratorio de Ecología, Paisaje y Sociedad invited families, students, photographers, and anyone curious about the river to record plants, birds, insects, and other wildlife. You do not need a science background. Download the free iNaturalist app, known in Mexico as Naturalista, join the project titled The Home River BioBlitz 2026 – Río Pitillal, then add photos or short audio clips from the basin.
The local dates line up with the worldwide Home River BioBlitz, organized with The River Collective and backed by National Geographic. Organizers say you can go with a guided group if one is listed, or visit the river on your own. Meeting points can change, so check the university notice or the iNaturalist project before you set out.
The river runs through El Pitillal, one of the city’s largest neighborhoods, a short ride from downtown Puerto Vallarta. If a longer nature walk is already on your list, the Vallarta Botanical Garden south of town is another place where visitors look closely at local plants.
Bring water, stay on public paths, and leave what you find. The point is a public record of what still lives along a working urban river, not a trophy photo.
