Hidden Beach Islas Marietas

If you visit Sayulita or Riviera Nayarit, the spectacular Marietas Islands National Park definitely is mandatory. Marietas Islands is a small group of islands and islets located a few kilometers south-west of the northern coast of Banderas bay, where Punta de Mita is the nearest town.

There are two main islands of volcanic origin dating back about 60,000 years, the Round Island and the other one known as the Long Island. These islands are a true natural treasure, however since the beginning of the 1900’s they were used as target practice for military strikes, something that would have continued without the intervention of Jacques-Yves Cousteau in the 1960´s. From then on, the government and environmentalists have been protecting the islands against depredations.

Thanks to the power of internet today these islands are well known for their flora and fauna and specially the sea life and underwater geography with many tunnels and caves connected together making these a great scenary for divers and snorkelers.

Marietas Islands can be reached by boat, the easiest way is from Punta de Mita where our boat is located, or we will drive you from our shop in Sayulita in around 20 min in a comfortable van to our Punta Mita base for check-in.

In the boat we will provide you snorkel and safety gear and introduce you to the crew who´ll make this for you an unforgettable experience.

The Marietas Islands are among the most important natural reserves throughout Mexico and the tropical Pacific thanks of wealth of coral reef and local fauna.

They become a “National Park” on April 25th, 2005 and were designated “Biosphere Reserve” by UNESCO in 2008, which makes it a privileged place to visit.

The total area of the National Park is 1383 hectares, and a total of 78 hectares of coral reefs. 1305 hectares are open to tourism. The islands and their surrounding waters provide a nesting, breeding and resting area for birds and marine life. They are home to several species of endangered birds such as the Blue-Footed Booby bird, found only on Mar de Cortez islands (Gulf of California) and the Galapagos Islands.

The Marietas Islands are important because more than 92 species of native and migratory birds refuge, reproduce and migrate to them. The Islands house the largest breeding colony of the common buzzard, brown tern or San Felix tern (Brown Noddy) and Clamped tern (Sterna anaethetus) and also the largest Seagull Guanaguanare population on Pacific Ocean.

There are a total of 115 species of fish, sharks and stingrays in the area that have been described, including 10 species of marine mammals, including dolphins and whales. Also it is home of more than 200 Coral Reef species and the land part of the island includes 11 species of iguanas, lizards, rattlesnakes and land and sea turtles. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• La Playa del Amor, the hidden beach
• 2.5 Hours roundtrip by boat,
• Sightseeing of “Puente de Piedras”, Blue Footed booby bird and many more
• Most beautiful spots for snorkeling
• Guide EN/SP

INCLUDED

• Guide
• Cooled drinks
• Snorkel masks and lifejackets

ADDITIONAL INFOS

• What to bring with you: towels, sunblock
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking

ACTIVITY DETAILS

Your tour starts in Punta de Mita where your boat takes off direction Marietas Islands. After a nice 15 - min boat ride you will be able to have a closer look to the impressive rock formation of the Islands, both of volcanic origin. Don't miss an opportunity to check out the blue footed booby bird, typical for this natural preserved area, as well as a variety of other birdlife. With your guide you´ll prepare yourself to go down in the water and cross safely the cave. Be careful not to hit your head when the tide is high! Once in the crater you´ll get rewarded for the effort with an amazing view of the crater from inside and a beautiful hidden beach that is yours for about 30 min. As if this jewel isn´t yet enough beauty to enjoy we will take you afterwards to another site of the National Park, famous for its coral reef. We go down to snorkel for the remaining time left (+/- 30 min) so you can experience yourself the amazing underwater marine life. Depending on the conditions of the sea the sequence of activities might be different.