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In her New York City apartment, popular romance novelist Joan Wilder finishes her latest Western. The next morning, Joan rushes to meet her publisher, Gloria, but she stops to help an elderly neighbor up the stairs and the old woman gives her a package from the mailman. At lunch, Gloria attempts to find a mate for Joan, but Joan says she is holding out for a man like the hero in her novels. Gloria inquires about Joan’s sister, Elaine, who is in Colombia searching for her recently deceased husband, and Joan reveals that the man sent her a package before he died. Meanwhile, in Colombia, Elaine attempts to escape her apartment, but a boy knocks her out, steals her convertible, and delivers her to an American importer named Ira and his sidekick cousin, Ralph. Back in New York City, Joan discovers her apartment in shambles as Elaine calls from Colombia, where Ralph and Ira hold her at knifepoint. Elaine confirms that the package Joan received contains a treasure map marked “El Corazon” and instructs her sister to deliver it to the Hotel Cartagena. Fearing for Elaine’s life, Joan leaves that night for Colombia, but she is trailed by Zolo, the man who destroyed her apartment searching for the map. At the Colombian airport, Zolo directs Joan onto the wrong bus, and, later, Joan distracts the driver on a remote road, causing the vehicle to collide with a parked jeep. As the locals walk away, Zolo holds Joan at gunpoint and demands the map, but a man appears in the distance and scares Zolo away with gunfire. The mysterious stranger, an American adventurer named Jack T. Colton, recovers his belongings from the jeep, informs Joan that she is on the wrong road to Cartagena and agrees to lead her to the nearest payphone for $375 in traveler’s checks. Stuck in a rainstorm, Jack and Joan plummet down a mudslide and Jack lands with his head in Joan’s crotch. Meanwhile, Zolo encounters Ralph and demands a ride to the police station. Afraid of being identified as an outlaw, Ralph secretly calls Ira for assistance, but Ira is unsympathetic and tells Elaine that Zolo, the head of Colombia’s secret police, killed her husband. Sometime later, Zolo’s militia pursues Jack and Joan through the jungle, forcing Joan to creep across a dilapidated bridge. She loses her footing, but swings across the ravine on a rope as Jack follows. Although the pair escapes, they become stuck in another monsoon; however, Joan uncovers a crashed airplane filled with marijuana. Inside, Joan explains that she is in Colombia to comfort her widowed sister, but Jack is skeptical and looks through Joan’s satchel to find the map. Tossing kilos of marijuana onto the fire, Jack inhales deeply and Joan confesses that the map is Elaine’s ransom. Jack suggests that they go after the treasure themselves and use it as collateral, but Joan complains that Jack is untrustworthy. As Joan pontificates her grievances, Jack wields his machete at her shoulder, slicing an enormous snake in half and reporting that bushmasters are deadly but delicious. After their meal, Jack explains his dream of sailing around the world and Joan keels over, intoxicated. The next morning, Jack and Joan wander into a town of outlaws as Zolo’s soldiers watch from afar. Although the pair is held at gunpoint at the home of a drug lord named Juan, Jack calls Joan by her full name and Juan recognizes her as his favorite writer. After warmly welcoming the pair into his oasis, Juan speeds them away in his armored Ford Bronco as Zolo and his men give chase. The comrades escape when the Bronco catapults over a river on Juan’s remote controlled ramp and they stop in a meadow to celebrate. There, Jack recognizes a tree that matches the “devil’s fork” indicated on the map, but he urges the team to proceed to town. When they arrive, Joan calls Ira as Jack checks into a hotel and secretly creates a Xerox copy of the map. Joan makes good on her promise of $375 and prepares to part with Jack, but Jack asks her to dinner. That evening, the couple make love and Jack promises to take Joan on his sailboat adventure. Reflecting that they saw the “devil’s fork” that day, Joan wonders why Jack has not stolen her map and agrees to pursue the treasure with him. In the morning, the couple narrowly escape Zolo and steal Ralph’s car, unaware that Ralph is in the backseat. They follow the map only to discover a cheap porcelain figurine, but Joan prompts Jack to break it open and inside they find an enormous, heart-shaped emerald called “El Corazon.” Just then, Ralph holds the couple at gunpoint, demanding the jewel and accusing Jack of “romancing the stone” from Joan. As Zolo’s army closes in, Ralph runs off with El Corazon, but Joan and Jack give chase and regain possession of it. However, their car careens into a river and plummets over a waterfall, leaving Joan and Jack separated. Calling to each other across the river, Joan is irate that Jack has the jewel and suspects him of thievery, but Jack promises to meet her at Hotel Cartagena. Sometime later, Joan arrives in Cartagena and calls Ira, who does not yet know that El Corazon was discovered. Following orders, Joan brings the map to an abandoned seaside fortress and Elaine is released, but the sisters’ reunion is interrupted by Jack, who is held hostage by Zolo’s henchmen. As Ralph appears at the scene, Zolo lights the map on fire and orders Joan to hand over El Corazon, but Joan claims ignorance of the stone’s whereabouts. When Zolo cuts Joan’s hand and holds it over a swamp of crocodiles, Jack shimmies El Corazon down his pant leg and kicks it into the air. Zolo catches the stone, but his arm extends over the swamp and a crocodile bites off his hand as a gunfight ensues. Jack follows the crocodile, holding off his adversaries with a machine gun, while Ira gets away by boat and promises Ralph that he will return. Jack catches the crocodile by its tail, but he sees Joan in a confrontation with Zolo and releases the animal to grab his gun. Realizing his weapon is out of ammunition, Jack propels up a tower as Joan overcomes Zolo by burning him with his cigar and pushing him onto a gas lamp. With his back ablaze, Zolo charges toward Joan, but he falls through a wood grate into the crocodile pit as Jack runs to Joan’s side. The two embrace and attend to Elaine, who has passed out, but when Jack hears police in the distance, he kisses Joan goodbye and dives into the ocean. Sometime later, back in New York City, Joan delivers her latest novel to Gloria; the story recounts her adventures with Jack. Walking home, Joan is surprised to find a sailboat parked in front of her apartment and admires Jack’s new crocodile boots. Joan and Jack kiss as the boat is towed down the city boulevard.