Snorkeling in Hidden Beach on Marieta Islands
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Take a walk on the iconic Lover's Beach in Banderas Bay. The Marietas Islands are an ecologically diverse sanctuary with a stunning hidden beach nestled just out of sight. Take advantage of a small group format as you journey to the islands in our comfortable boat transportation.
Swim through cave formations and rock archways, admiring the extraordinary terrain and more than 100 species of unique birds and fish that call these islands home.
On your return journey, watch for playful wild dolphins jumping out of the water and putting on a show. Get up-close to see these beautiful creatures from the sea-level perspective of our small boat excursion in an incredible and unforgettable experience.
Purified water
Snacks
Use of snorkel equipment
$100-pesos conservation fee per person will be collected at check-in
Dock and port fees are not included (Approximately 30 Mexican pesos per person)
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop off
- INFANT: : 0 - 3
- CHILD: : 4 - 11
- ADULT: : 12 - 99
- Due to federal regulations, and in an effort to protect the flight path of endemic birds, drones are prohibited in this tour
- IMPORTANT: Passengers arriving on a cruise ship cannot book this tour
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- People who suffer from heart disease, back, spine or knee problems cannot participate in this activity
- There is a dock fee of 30 Mexican pesos per person that shall be paid at check-in
- You must contact Vallarta Adventures to confirm the check in time & location on your booking. It may change according to our operation
- Bring a bathing suit, shorts, a sun hat, sunscreen and a towel
- Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Please be advised that Mexico's Federal Maritime Ports operate a strict No-Drug Policy, including electronic cigarettes, vapers, and all kinds of drugs. Please be advised not to bring them to any of our tours. We cannot offer a refund or change of day for
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Experience may be cancelled due to Insufficient travelers
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Reviews
Exhilarating Island trip
Mariana L, 07-10-2022
This was quite an unexpected adventure! We took Zodiac boat out to Las Marietas National park . We then got into water to swim under the cave to arrive at the beach, our tour guide Silvino helped us at the Round island to manage the waves to make it thru the cave opening and then Voila! on to the beach for about 20 mins then back to the boat for ride to the Long Island. We had great pictures taken at the beach and while we snorkeled by the second island. Great sea life, and water was warm. Julio our boat captain and Mario his co-captain also led us around island to a great blow hole that doused us several times.
Great morning trip! Plenty of time in the water. Getting to the hidden beach is a wake-you-up adventure.
jccnagel, 19-06-2022
The guide and crew are very funny and informative. The history of the islands helps contextualize the significance of such a place. Our guide checked with us as a group to see if we spoke Spanish and/or English, before leading the group in English.
Swimming to and from the hidden beach is a bit intense (no goggles, no flippers, only life jacket and helmet), but, after all, it is an adventure, and the crew keeps a watchful eye.
Where we snorkeled had beautiful clear waters, fish, coral, and volcanic looking rocks.
Thank you!
Swimming to and from the hidden beach is a bit intense (no goggles, no flippers, only life jacket and helmet), but, after all, it is an adventure, and the crew keeps a watchful eye.
Where we snorkeled had beautiful clear waters, fish, coral, and volcanic looking rocks.
Thank you!
Wild need to be a good strong swimmer
Kim_M, 15-10-2022
For the adventurous soul this tour is a different experience. You literally have to swim through rapid waters that push against you into a cave while the wild waters toss your body everywhich way. You get 30 minutes on the hidden beach and then you are back out swimming in the crazy waves back. The snorkeling was short and a bit less rapid. The lunch was a granola bar an apple and a banana. No water was given, luckily we packed some. I would not recommend for children under 12 or people who are afraid of water. Need to be a good strong swimmer. About 1/3 of our boat remained in the boat. And the ride there and back was in a motorized raft and was very bumpy.
AKA "Swim For Your Life" Tour
littledib, 31-07-2022
This tour was probably the most underwhelming one we've done with Vallarta Adventures. It is known as "Island Discovery" on their website/our email confirmation. The ride to the island was cool, it was on a speed boat and was about 40 minutes so if you get sick this might not be for you, or you will have to take something beforehand. Once we reached the Hidden Beach, you have to literally swim in open water (helmet + life jacket on) from the speedboat to the shore of the island for about 50 meters. If you are NOT a swimmer this will be extremely HARD because the water here is NOT kind. You are swimming through small waves non stop and even if you can swim, it's just a lot of energy and to be honest I can't imagine a child under 12 trying to get through this at all or an adult who has a fear of water. Once you reach the shore of the Hidden Beach, you can only stay for roughly 30 mins (maybe counting the swim there and back as well, so probably even less on the island). You can't take anything to the island, everything stays on the speed boat - you can take your phone if you have it in a waterproof case and if you're OK with the odds of it getting damaged on the way there during your swim. There's a hidden cave which was super cool, but not everyone in our tour got to see it as it wasn't really mentioned before hand, just one of the tour guides snuck a few of us in. Other than that, given the swimming we had to do to get there to stay such limited time, this was underwhelming. Like extremely. The highlight of the trip was snorkelling after a quick tour on the boat around the islands.
Cons:
-The biggest disappointment for us was trusting we would have good photos to choose from taken by their photographer on the island and WOW.....Absolutely not the case. The poses they made us do was us facing the opening of the island, which is NOT the background anyone wants here!!! When we got our photos the COLORS were off as well, they had a very blue tint and majority of them were SO blurry. We got NONE of the typical Marietas background. Just water as our background with a blue tint and blurry as can be. When we said we didn't want to purchase them, the person tried saying this was a unique opportunity because no cameras are allowed on the island so the photos are rare and yeah, sure...had the photographer actually used the right background and settings. The other photographer did take amazing photos of other people with the expected background. So be careful and keep this in mind.
-On top of the tour fee, we had to pay 130 pesos per person at check-in for a conservation fee and their standard check-in fee.
-They provide snacks..after snorkelling.. only a granola bar/fruit and water.
-The snorkelling was supposed to be a "guided" experience where the guide tells/shows you around the marine life during, but it was SO crowded with other tours also snorkelling that this was impossible. You also almost get lost from your own group because it's so crowded and makes it stressful.
-The tour says it's a 7 hour tour on our invoice....but it truly felt like a 4hr or 5hr max if anything? Seemed sketch.
I would not recommend this tour, honestly do a snorkelling or scuba only tour and enjoy that activity as a whole for as much time as you can. Viewing the island was underwhelming itself and felt like a cash grab. It feels like we paid for a snorkelling + swim for your life in open water tour instead if anything.
Cons:
-The biggest disappointment for us was trusting we would have good photos to choose from taken by their photographer on the island and WOW.....Absolutely not the case. The poses they made us do was us facing the opening of the island, which is NOT the background anyone wants here!!! When we got our photos the COLORS were off as well, they had a very blue tint and majority of them were SO blurry. We got NONE of the typical Marietas background. Just water as our background with a blue tint and blurry as can be. When we said we didn't want to purchase them, the person tried saying this was a unique opportunity because no cameras are allowed on the island so the photos are rare and yeah, sure...had the photographer actually used the right background and settings. The other photographer did take amazing photos of other people with the expected background. So be careful and keep this in mind.
-On top of the tour fee, we had to pay 130 pesos per person at check-in for a conservation fee and their standard check-in fee.
-They provide snacks..after snorkelling.. only a granola bar/fruit and water.
-The snorkelling was supposed to be a "guided" experience where the guide tells/shows you around the marine life during, but it was SO crowded with other tours also snorkelling that this was impossible. You also almost get lost from your own group because it's so crowded and makes it stressful.
-The tour says it's a 7 hour tour on our invoice....but it truly felt like a 4hr or 5hr max if anything? Seemed sketch.
I would not recommend this tour, honestly do a snorkelling or scuba only tour and enjoy that activity as a whole for as much time as you can. Viewing the island was underwhelming itself and felt like a cash grab. It feels like we paid for a snorkelling + swim for your life in open water tour instead if anything.
Beautiful sights, not enough time
Aurelia P, 22-07-2022
The sights were beautiful and the cave was awesome to see but the price for 150$ to look over the cave for 30 mins and snorkel for 15 mins was not worth it. My boyfriend and I were looking forward to snorkeling all week and we did it for only 15 mins :(
I would say what we saw was beautiful but water was not very clear, the snacks were mediocre. The guide was funny and the photographer was nice but the photos are very overpriced if you want pictures in the cave, be prepared for a haunting 90-80$ USD. (For 50 ish photos )I would say they would make more money with a cheaper price for photos allowing you to choose 5-10. Still a beautiful place to see just wish we could spend more time snorkeling.
I would say what we saw was beautiful but water was not very clear, the snacks were mediocre. The guide was funny and the photographer was nice but the photos are very overpriced if you want pictures in the cave, be prepared for a haunting 90-80$ USD. (For 50 ish photos )I would say they would make more money with a cheaper price for photos allowing you to choose 5-10. Still a beautiful place to see just wish we could spend more time snorkeling.
