Cerro Tetakawi

You can hike up the West peak from the Piedras Pintas beach. This hike gives you a mroe unobstructed view of the ocean and La Manga beach.
Hike up the east side from the obvious Kiosk and this gives you a better view of San Carlos, Guaymas, and still amazing ocean views. This is the more popular of the two hikes.
But whatever you do, do NOT miss this amazing vista if you’re int he San Carlos area!!

This is a spectacular but somewhat dangerous climb. This last March I posted a review that talked about the dangers and the fact that a climber had died in a fall the next day after we had climbed. TripAdviser removed the review because of a complaint from someone. Finally, here are the new regulations:

Tetakawi Mountain, Certified Guide Requirement: Over the years, hiking up Tetakawi Mountain has been a rite of passage for San Carlos residents and visitors alike. However, with more hikers comes more trash left on the trail, graffiti on the rocks, rock climbing holes, and other negative occurrences.

Unsafe ascents & descents, and unfit or unprepared climbers, all jeopardize the beauty and enjoyment of this landmark natural wonder. (The real problem)

Consequently, the land owner requires that anyone wishing to hike the Tetas does so with a Certified Guide only. You can obtain a list of Certified Guides from the OCV Tourism office in San Carlos in the Faro Plaza or call 622-226-0202 or 800-849-1495. Failure to use a certified guide will result in fines levied by the police. Similar to other natural landmarks throughout the world, these regulations have been put in place for the safety of the user and to keep the area clean and maintained so that it can be enjoyed by generations to come.

Excellent! 2 different trails Easy and...really hard. Choose wisely. Bring water and REAL shoes for hiking. The views are amazing.

Climbing enthusiast? then you MUST visit this place and get to the top of the famous "Cerro Teta Kawi", you’ll take your best photos once you get to the top!

Nice hike ..be ready to go uphill with no trails..( it has some but you will get lost, very slippery coming down the hill be really careful and bring plenty of water, try to go the earliest in the morning ( I went in july and was sweating a lot ) bring cell phone and never try going up by yourself. going up and down will take you about 2 hours just take your time and be safe!!!!!!!

The trail is clear of obstacles. There are two trails (one for each of the peeks). Preferential wear hiking shoes (tennis are OK, but friction shoes are better). Bring plenty water, sun protection since it is not shade at the trail. Sunscreen is a must! And some snacks.
The trail (entrance by the highway) is gentle most of the way, until you get closer to the top. Uphill is slippery due to small rocks. I do not recommend this hike for children and people out of shape! The hike brings awesome views of the bay. Enjoy the summit!!

There is a superb view from this hill towards the bays, and the contrast of the dessert meeting with the sea is gorgeous. Highly recommended to see the sunset from the "mirador".

Did this as a solo climb around 8:30 am in late March. Based on previous reviews , I brought back pack with water and camera, sturdy hiking shoes and a hiking pole. As others have indicated expect that it will take an hour from the trailhead until you crawl through the pierced rock in the southern peak. I did not see a distinct trail to the saddle between the peaks or the north peak. Lower third is easy but with numerous false trails that peter out. The middle third has a lot of fist-sized loose rocks within the trail which changes to fine sand in the upper third so gloves or poles are strongly recommended if you are an occasional hiker. It will take ten minutes off your descent time and may prevent a slide or turned ankle I spent a half hour near the summit just watching the birds glide on the thermals coming off the rocks. Bring a small garbage bag to take away some of the garbage and make sure to move larger rocks off the main trail for the next hiker. The trail paint markings are much more prominent on the descent

My friend and I camped below the peak the night before and started our hike around 6am. We are both experienced hikers, and it took us about 1.5 hours to get to the top, and 1 hour to get to the bottom again. The hike is a very steep uphill incline, but short. The last little bit to the top requires some tricky maneuvering and bouldering up the face of the peak, but if you go are careful it is an exhilarating and rewarding climb with unparalleled views!

Best to hike early as you can do the entire hike up in the shade. Expect about one hour to summit. No guide needed unless you want to rope up and rock climb to the final summit.