Marietas Islands Tours from Puerto Vallarta

The Marietas Islands National Park is a protected UNESCO biosphere reserve, and boats from Puerto Vallarta need about 1.5 hours each way to get there. Our Marietas listing holds 11 tours that sail out from the city. Guests have rated these island outings more than 74 times, and the average they give is 4.2 out of 5.

On the Marietas tours we describe, time away from Puerto Vallarta spans 5 to 8 hours; the listing's most common length is 8 hours. Across every island trip on the page, the spread goes from 5 to 8 hours.

Boat and catamaran days on the Marietas

A Marietas boat trip goes out to the islands by boat or catamaran. On one 5-hour snorkelling run a biologist talks through the flora and fauna of the islands, on a fast boat with travel insurance; "Life jacket mandatory", the listing notes. Its score from guests stands at 4.9 out of 5.

Meals turn up on more than one of the Marietas boat days we feature. A 7-hour catamaran day serves both breakfast and lunch on board, with music for dancing. Another catamaran outing of 7 hours lists breakfast with a guide in English.

Open bars feature on the 8-hour days out of Puerto Vallarta that we cover. One 8-hour trip pours drinks at a premium open bar and serves snacks such as aguachiles, ceviches and chicken salad. Reviewers put it at 4.5.

Guided boat day with snorkel gear

Guided Marietas days are boat trips to the islands led by a guide. One 5-hour day we list is billed as a Love Beach day, and it comes with boat transport, snorkelling equipment and a guide speaking English.

All-inclusive day with breakfast and open bar

An all-inclusive Marietas day is a boat outing with meals and drinks included. On an 8-hour version, breakfast brings scrambled eggs with ham, pancakes, fresh fruit and natural juices, and its highlights speak of a secret beach and of swimming in the protected marine park.

Both 8-hour Marietas days we describe add food and an open bar, and the 5-hour ones we list come with snorkelling.

Table data is indicative and comes from the GuruWalk catalogue. Each activity's current details, including availability, are the ones shown on its listing when you book.

Access to the Hidden Beach

Most eco-tours do not include the Hidden Beach, the crater-like cove of the Marietas that is also called Playa del Amor; access is capped at about 116 people a day. Reaching it means a swim of about 200 metres through a rock tunnel in a life jacket, without fins.

Plastic and sunscreen rules in the national park

Single-use plastic is banned inside the Marietas Islands National Park. Only reef-safe sunscreen is allowed in the waters of the islands, where the park is known for its sea life and blue-footed boobies.

Humpback whales in Banderas Bay

Humpback whales pass through Banderas Bay from December to March. One 8-hour trip names humpback whales, dolphins, sea turtles and manta rays in its highlights.