Cruising Past Seventy: The Inner Journeys: The Short and Less Expensive Way to Visit the World-Famous Marietas Islands

Friday, September 25, 2020

The Short and Less Expensive Way to Visit the World-Famous Marietas Islands


We were in Nuevo Vallarta, the small town of resorts and condominiums that have grown out of the overflow from Puerto Vallarta, just under seven miles away. As we walked the streets, many tour operators were offering many options for tours. The one for the world-famous Marietas Islands piqued our interest. But it was too expensive and the boat ride was too long from where we were. So I went to the web to research other ways to get there.

I found out about Punta de Mita, the closest point to the islands. Located on the north end of Banderas Bay in the Mexican state of Nayarit just like Nuevo Vallarta and only 22 miles north of Puerto Vallarta in the state of Jalisco, the peninsula offers ten miles of beaches around three sides of the Pacific Ocean. It was even more interesting to note that it’s at the same latitude as the Hawaiian Islands. It was really beckoning to us with hints of paradise all over.

The Seaside Village Of Punta De Mita

Only 45 minutes from our resort, we drove to the village to take a look at how to get to the islands from there. For those who are in the area without a car, buses are operated every 15 minutes between the two Vallartas and Punta de Mita. The trip takes an hour and forty-five minutes for about $10. As soon as we parked our car, one boat operator immediately approached us. Very quickly we found out from him that the tour would cost us just half as much and take only fifteen minutes.

He even had a chart of the daily forecast for the week to help us decide when to take the boat tour. But we were not ready since it was just supposed to be a just look-see. What a bummer! We were not wearing our swimwear and that very day was the best day to go. It was very sunny with a minimum of winds. That was solved pretty easily. The village has a small group of shops, two of them offering not very expensive beachwear for sale.

Pretty soon, my husband was able to find a t-shirt bearing the unmistakable Punta de Mita theme with matching swimming trunks, exactly what he needed so that he could snorkel. He changed at the restroom on the building that housed the boat operator’s small office. And just like that, we were off to the exciting day ahead in the islands with about ten other excited people who were already waiting for us at the boat.

The Bay Of Banderas 


The Bay of Banderas (Bay of Flags) lies within the Mexican states of Jalisco and Nayarit. With nearly a hundred miles of coastline, it is Mexico’s biggest natural bay. It’s not only home to the important tourist destination that is Puerto Vallarta but it is also an important breeding and birthing ground for the humpback whales which come before December to give birth to their calves and stay until March. Since we were there before they were about to leave, the boat operator guaranteed our seeing at least one.

And we did. Just five minutes after our boat was launched, I saw my first ever humpback whale about 30 feet from us, repeatedly going in and out of the water and finally wagging his enormous tail at us. Another five minutes later, we saw another one, a little smaller and shyer. We saw a total of three, two on the way to, and one more on the way back from the islands. It was an exciting experience and I was more thrilled after since the photos that I “tried” to take captured the whales well!

The Marietas Islands




Another five minutes later and we were at the Marietas Islands. And what a treasured paradise we found. They are two world-famous uninhabited islands that are 900 meters apart, comprising a National Marine Park/Reserve. They have also been declared a Natural World Heritage Site as a UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve. Actually, it was an innocent Facebook photo of the Hidden Beach that went viral which sparked the initial droves of tourists that flocked to the islands. They may have damaged the islands’ delicate balance but, fortunately, the local environmental protection authorities commissioned the help of environmental advocates. They are once again available but in a very controlled manner.


Isla Redonda is the smaller of the two. That was where we were allowed to snorkel as long as they did not to go beyond the string of yellow buoys that demarcated it. The much-sought-after Hidden Beach (Lovers Beach) is the main attraction on this island but only 116 people per day can enter the beach except for Monday and Tuesday when it is closed. You have to go pretty early to get to this beach. The other catch is that you have to swim through a 50-foot-long small tunnel carved by the sea through the rock that leads to the beach on the underground crater. I didn’t know how to swim and even if I did, that sounded scary to me. My husband did not want to go without me so we missed out on this one.


Isla Larga is the larger island and we were allowed to explore La Nopalera Beach as long as we went barefoot. The National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) has opened an interpretive trail that starts on this northwest end. Visitors can take the guided visits along the thousand-foot interpretative path where you can observe so many birds and take many photos highlighting the scenic beauty of this national park. You may even chance upon some vegetation and flowers and even rare species of iguanas and snakes if the time is right. I am glad I didn’t see any of the snakes.


The Marietas Islands are also one of the best dive spots in Mexico. There are 15 coral species that form its valuable reefs. Underwater life abounds with many rare fish species, large sea turtles, playful dolphins, and giant manta rays. Both white with bird poop, the islands are also a protected bird reserve with 92 species. In fact, they are home to the world-famous Galapagos Blue-footed booby and large frigate birds. Thus, they have been called the Mexican Galapagos. There were many other features that gave us great photo opportunities like the Lion Head, the Deadman’s Cave, the Blowhole, and the Stone Arch.

We returned to the building that housed the boat operators’ office. There was a simple seaside snack shop fronting the beach where many tacos solved the hunger and we went back to our resort so happy.

FOR THOSE ON MOBILE, SHARE BUTTONS APPEAR WHEN YOU CLICK WEB VERSION AT THE VERY END AFTER COMMENTS.

PREVIOUS POST

Today's New Normal for Continuing to Travel Safely

CLICK THIS TO PIN THE IMAGE BELOW



CLICK THIS TO PIN THE IMABE BELOW





52 comments:

  1. Here's what we found out to be the short and less Expensive way to visit the world-famous Marietas Islands off Puerto Vallarta in Mexico,

    ReplyDelete
  2. an amazing trip! We both really enjoyed it. If there weren't so many other places in the world to go, I'd go back

    ReplyDelete
  3. This sounds so fun and looks so beautiful. I love less expensive ways to do things, so thanks so much for the tips!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm sure you were very excited to see your first humpback whale in close range.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for the tips! I love places where you can see marine wildlife upclose :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fantastic tour, I've never heard of this and enjoyed seeing all the highlights to visiting. Thanks for taking us there.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sounds like a great day out - especially with the whales. Agree with you that the tunnel to the hidden beach sounds a bit scary though!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This looks like a beautiful place. I love spots with lots of marine life - and this seems to be absolute amazing around Marietas.

    ReplyDelete
  9. We visited the Marietas from Punta de Mita too. Did you use Punta Mita Charters with Rudi?

    ReplyDelete
  10. How exciting to see a humpback whale as soon as your boat launched. I would certainly want to get in that water to snorkel around the islands. Sounds like it would also be the spot for us for scuba diving. We will have to plan to visit the Mexican Galapagos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it is one of the best scuba diving destinations, too!

      Delete
  11. How great you were able to get a much more reasonable deal to get out to the Marietas Islands. Another stroke of luck in seeing the whales on the way and being able to explore and take photos there. Looking at the images you have posted here, from its features it is not surprising that they have been called the Mexican Galapagos. Would just love to visit these islands when next in the region.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sounds like you had an amazing day! I have seen pictures of the islands before and had no clue there were multiple ways to get there. So happy it worked out for you both :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mexico have amazing travel spots, I would like to visit Puerto Vallarta for the whale adventure. It seems you enjoyed the water sports too.

    ReplyDelete
  14. What an incredible find in Mexico! Whale watching is one of my favorite things - what a great stroke of luck you were that close to a humpback whale!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Mexico has so many lovely beaches! I haven’t been to this one yet, but it sounds great. I do love scuba diving in Mexico :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. This looks like a fantastic place to spend the time and relax. I love wildlife watching, and have always wanted to catch a glimpse of humpback whales, but never managed to see them in the tours. You guys are lucky to have spotted them!

    ReplyDelete
  17. It's great that you have given tips on how to get to this fantastic place cheaper. The Marietas Islands look like paradise. It's great that you had the chance to see the whales, and they were so close!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Looks beautiful! Id love to catch a glimpse of a humpback whale one day. What an experience that would be. Thank you for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. This looks and sounds so much fun and beautiful - I hope to visit this part of the world someday. Thank you so much for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  20. What a fun discovery the two of you made in Mexico. We would love the opportunity to explore the hidden beaches, especially as the cooler weather begins to infiltrate the Midwest.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you for the tips on travelling to Marietas Island on a budget. You definitely had a lovely experience with a combination of water sports and getting close to the humpback whale. The pictures are so inviting and inspiring.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow very cool! I love the hidden beach, I always like to see you guys going out and having such great times. Great post

    ReplyDelete
  23. Cool! Thanks for sharing, the hidden beach looks amazing :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. The Marietas Islands look like a marvellous place to explore. Mexico never disappoints.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Marietas Islands sounds like a wonderful adventure. How cool you got to see the Humback whale, absolute treat!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I've never heard of this place before - however, it looks amazing. I love places with lots of wildlife - so precious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Hidden Beach of Marietas Islands is a unique crater beach.

      Delete
  27. Love your tip for how to visit the Marietas Islands on a shoestring. Would love to see a whale as part of the deal, too! I'll be checking this out next time I'm in the Puerto Vallarta area.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I've never heard of the Marietas Islands before, but they seem to me breathtaking! What incredible fortune to have been able to see whales as well, that is my dream. Those moments that happen by chance are always the most memorable.

    ReplyDelete
  29. We will use any opportunity and head out onto the water. A good idea to look for different spots to visit the islands from. I love that the tour operator in Punta de Mita used a forecast to help you decide on what day to visit. And what a great day you got!

    ReplyDelete

Leave a Comment