The higher-elevation pine-oak forests of the Sierra Madre del Sur and Trans-Mexican volcanic belt lie inland.

Columnar and arborescent cacti are common, including Opuntia excelsa and species of Pachycereus, Stenocereus, and Cephalocereus.

[2] Magnolia vallartensis is a Critically Endangered endemic tree which inhabits humid streamside gallery forests around Puerto Vallarta.

Endemic species include Mexican shrew (Megasorex gigas), trumpet-nosed bat (Musonycteris harrisoni), Michoacan deer mouse (Osgoodomys banderanus), Chamela rat (Hodomys alleni), and Magdalena rat (Xenomys nelsoni).

There are several near-endemic species, including the Mexican parrotlet (Forpus cyanopygius), rufous-bellied chachalaca (Ortalis wagleri), and San Blas jay (Cyanocorax sanblasianus).