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.

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