Shared Boat · Islas Marietas National Park
Marietas Islands Tour from Punta Mita
Two and a half hours of snorkeling, Playa La Nopalera, the Puente de Piedra stone arch and the blue-footed booby, 9 km from Marina Punta Mita.
Check availability- Departures
- 12:00 PM, Tuesday to Sunday The park is closed on Mondays for conservation.
- Duration
- 2 h 30 min, back around 2:30 PM
- Capacity
- Up to 13 people per boat
- Boat
- Covered panga with captain and guide
- Departure point
- Marina Punta Mita, 9 km from the islands
Price per person. Every booking must include at least one adult aged 18 or over; babies travel free but take up a seat on the boat.
The essentials
The shared Marietas Islands tour by Punta Mita Experience departs from Marina Punta Mita, in Nayarit, the closest port to the park: 9 km (about 5.6 miles). It lasts 2 hours 30 minutes, with one daily departure at 12:00 PM from Tuesday to Sunday; the park is closed on Mondays for conservation. You travel on a covered panga boat with up to 13 passengers. The tour includes a landing at Playa La Nopalera, a view of the Puente de Piedra stone arch, the blue-footed booby nesting area and snorkeling at one of the park’s authorized sites. Islas Marietas National Park, established in 2005 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2008, is managed by CONANP, Mexico’s protected areas agency; the park access wristband and the conservation wristband are included in the price. This tour does not enter Hidden Beach (Playa Escondida). There is no minimum age.
What the Marietas Islands tour looks like
What’s included in the Marietas Islands tour
- 2 h 30 min in Islas Marietas National Park. Departure at 12:00 PM from Marina Punta Mita, back around 2:30 PM.
- Landing at Playa La Nopalera, on the north side of Isla Larga, on the sandy stretch where the park’s management program allows landings.
- View of the Puente de Piedra stone arch and a boat tour around the islands.
- Blue-footed booby watching at their nesting area, from the boat.
- Snorkeling at an authorized site in the park, with mask, snorkel and life jacket.
- Captain and guide on a covered panga boat with up to 13 passengers.
- Water and soft drinks on board.
- Park access wristband (CONANP) and conservation wristband. Both are included in the price: nothing else to pay at the dock.
What’s not included
- Access to Hidden Beach. This tour goes around the islands but doesn’t enter the crater.
- Hotel transportation. We can arrange it on WhatsApp for an additional charge.
- Fins. They are not allowed in the park, to protect the coral.
- Restroom on board. The marina has restrooms, for MXN $10.
- Towel and food.
Want to visit Hidden Beach?
You get in by swimming through a rock tunnel, with a limited number of visitors per day and age and fitness requirements. It’s a separate tour.
See the Hidden Beach tourMarietas Islands Tour from Punta Mita | Shared Boat
$107.00 per person
Shared 2.5-hour tour to Islas Marietas National Park, departing at 12:00 PM Tuesday to Sunday from Marina Punta Mita, 9 km from the islands. Covered panga boat with a maximum of 13 passengers. Includes a landing at Playa La Nopalera, a view of the Puente de Piedra stone arch, blue-footed booby watching at their nesting grounds and snorkeling at one of the park’s authorized sites, plus the park access wristband (CONANP), a conservation wristband, water and soft drinks. Does not include access to Hidden Beach. No minimum age; not suitable for pregnant women or people with reduced mobility.
Departure point: Marina Punta Mita
The closest port to the Marietas Islands: 9 km (about 5.6 miles), roughly 15 minutes by boat. Please arrive 15 minutes before the 12:00 PM departure.
Free cancellation
Full refund if you cancel more than 24 hours in advance.
The closest port
About 15 minutes by boat from the marina to the park.
No fees at the dock
Park access wristband and conservation wristband included in the price.
What is Islas Marietas National Park?
A volcanic archipelago off Punta Mita, in Banderas Bay, made up of Isla Larga, Isla Redonda and two islets. It was declared a National Park on April 25, 2005, covering 1,383 hectares. It has been a Ramsar site since 2004 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2008, and it is managed by Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP).
Playa La Nopalera
On the north side of Isla Larga. This is where we land: the park’s management program only allows landings on its sandy stretch.
The Puente de Piedra
A volcanic rock arch carved by Pacific waves. We see it from the boat as we go around the islands.
The blue-footed booby
The islands are a breeding, shelter and stopover area for 92 bird species. The blue-footed booby breeds on both islands year-round; we watch it from the boat, without landing near the colonies.
Reef snorkeling
The Marietas reefs have the highest fish diversity in Banderas Bay. Snorkeling takes place at Cueva del Muerto, La Nopalera, El Amarradero or Pavonas, as the park ranger indicates.
The islands lie where three water masses meet: the California Current, the Costa Rica Coastal Current and the waters of the Gulf of California. That is why species from Mexico’s central and southern Pacific live alongside others from the Gulf and the Baja California coast.
Based on the Islas Marietas entry in UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere ProgrammeThe park in numbers
Sources: Islas Marietas National Park Conservation and Management Program (CONANP, 2007, in Spanish) · park profile (CONANP) · Islas Marietas Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO) · Ramsar Site 1345.
How the tour works
The order of the stops and the snorkeling site may change depending on park ranger instructions, how busy the park is and the captain’s judgment.
01Arrival at Marina Punta Mita
We meet you at the marina meeting point. Check-in, wristbands, life jackets and a safety briefing before boarding the panga.
02Boat ride to the Marietas Islands
We set off at 12:00 PM. It’s 9 km from the marina to Islas Marietas National Park, the shortest distance from any port in Banderas Bay.
03Tour around the islands
We sail past the volcanic formations of Isla Larga and Isla Redonda. We see the Puente de Piedra stone arch and the blue-footed booby nesting area, always from the boat.
04Snorkeling at an authorized site
With mask, snorkel and life jacket, at one of the sites the park allows: Cueva del Muerto, La Nopalera, El Amarradero or Pavonas. No fins, to protect the coral. If you’d rather not swim, you can stay on board.
05Landing at Playa La Nopalera
We step ashore on the sandy part of the beach, on the north side of Isla Larga, where the park’s management program allows landings.
06Return to the marina
Boat ride back to Marina Punta Mita. Time to rehydrate and ask the guide any questions you still have.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Marietas Islands tour and what time does it leave?
It lasts 2 hours 30 minutes. There is one daily departure at 12:00 PM, Tuesday to Sunday, returning to the marina around 2:30 PM. Please arrive 15 minutes early. There are no departures on Mondays because the park closes for conservation.
Where does the Marietas Islands tour leave from?
From Marina Punta Mita, in Nayarit, the closest port to the Marietas Islands: 9 km (about 5.6 miles), roughly 15 minutes by boat. The exact meeting point is on the map on this page, with the Get directions button.
How much does the Marietas Islands tour cost?
The price is per person: Adult (13+ years): $107 USD, Child (3-12 years): $80 USD and Baby (0-2 years): free. The adult rate applies from age 13, but every booking must include at least one responsible adult aged 18 or over. Babies travel free but take up a seat on the boat. The price already includes the park access wristband (CONANP) and the conservation wristband, and your group’s total appears in the quote tool at the top of this page.
What’s included?
- A tour of the park with a landing at Playa La Nopalera, a view of the Puente de Piedra stone arch, blue-footed booby watching and snorkeling at an authorized site.
- Covered panga boat with captain and guide.
- Snorkeling gear (mask and snorkel) and life jacket.
- Water and soft drinks.
- Park access wristband (CONANP) and conservation wristband.
There are no extra fees at the dock.
Is hotel transportation included?
No. The tour starts at Marina Punta Mita. If you need transportation, we can arrange it on WhatsApp for an additional charge.
How many people are on the tour?
It’s a shared tour: you travel with other visitors on a boat of up to 13 people, including babies. If you’d rather have a boat just for your group, we also offer private tours.
Can children come?
Yes, there is no minimum age.
- Children aged 3 to 12 pay the child rate.
- Babies aged 0 to 2 travel free but take up a seat on the boat.
- Every booking needs at least one adult aged 18 or over.
- Life jackets are available in all sizes.
For groups with children under 10 where some of the group wants to go into Hidden Beach, there is a private tour that combines both.
Does this tour include Hidden Beach?
No. This tour visits the outside of the islands, Playa La Nopalera and the authorized snorkeling sites, but it doesn’t enter Hidden Beach. To swim into the crater, see the Hidden Beach tour.
Do I need to know how to swim to snorkel?
You don’t need to be a strong swimmer. Park rules require a life jacket in the water and don’t allow fins, to protect the coral. The guide goes in the water with you, and if you’d rather not swim, you can stay on the boat.
What wildlife can we see?
Year-round, blue-footed and brown boobies, which breed on the islands, and reef fish: the park has 115 recorded species, the highest diversity in Banderas Bay. Dolphins and sea turtles are also possible, and from December to March, humpback whales. This is wildlife, so sightings are not guaranteed.
What should I bring?
- Swimsuit, towel and a change of clothes.
- Cap and sunglasses.
- Biodegradable sunscreen, applied at least 30 minutes before getting in the water.
- Cash for the marina restroom (MXN $10), since the boat has no restroom.
Can I cancel or change the date? What happens if the weather is bad?
- If you cancel more than 24 hours in advance, we refund 100%. Within that same window you can also change the date at no cost, subject to availability.
- With less than 24 hours’ notice, or if you don’t show up, there is no refund.
- If the Port Authority closes the port due to weather, you choose between another date or a full refund. During hurricane season there can be intermittent closures; we let you know as early as possible.
- Refunds go back to the original payment method and take 5 to 10 business days.
Who can’t take part?
Pregnant women, people with reduced mobility and people with severe back problems cannot take part. Age is not a barrier as long as the person moves freely and feels comfortable on a boat.
What our customers tell us
Messages we received on WhatsApp and Facebook after the tour.
5.0 on Google
Tuesday to Sunday · 12:00 PM departure
Book your seat on the boat
2 h 30 min in Islas Marietas National Park, with snorkeling, the park access wristband and the conservation wristband included. Free cancellation more than 24 hours in advance.