Marietas Islands Trips From Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias And Sayulita

Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias and Sayulita form the northern stretch of Banderas Bay, the side of the bay that faces the Marietas Islands directly. That geography shapes every decision on this page. The islands sit offshore of Punta de Mita, the peninsula at the bay's northern tip, and CONANP, the park commission that manages Islas Marietas National Park, measures the water distances plainly: Sayulita 12.68 nautical miles, Nuevo Nayarit 15.96 nautical miles, and Puerto Vallarta, at the far southern end, 18 nautical miles. Access to the park is by boat only, through authorized private tourism providers of Banderas Bay, so a paid boat ticket is the entry route for everyone.

For readers based in these three towns: of the 30 tours on this site, exactly two depart from a pier in this area, both from the Paradise Village public pier in Nuevo Vallarta. One is the Marietas Islands tour from Nuevo Vallarta, operated by All PVR Tours, from $168 per person with the Hidden Beach landing listed as included. The other is the Marietas sail, snorkel and beach trip from GoPralia, from $99 per person with a maximum of seven travelers aboard. No tour on this site names a Bucerias or Sayulita pier; the Chica Locca all-inclusive, listed under Sayulita, has you choose a meeting place at booking. This guide works through what it means in practice: which piers are within reach, what changes at Punta de Mita, and what the whole bay's options look like from a northern base.

Where Do Boats To The Marietas Islands Leave From Near Nuevo Vallarta?

Two tours depart from the Paradise Village public pier in Nuevo Vallarta: the From Nuevo Vallarta tour to Hidden Beach (All PVR Tours, from $168 per person, 6.5 hours, 4.6 from 81 reviews) and the Marietas sail trip (GoPralia, from $99 per person, 7 hours, 3.4 from 11 reviews). No tour departs from Bucerias or Sayulita, so travelers there go to a pier elsewhere in the bay.

Paradise Village is a named public pier on the Nuevo Nayarit waterfront, and both listings give it as their meeting point. The All PVR Tours listing includes maritime transport to the islands and Hidden Beach, an expedition leader, snorkel gear with mask, snorkel, fins and life vest, a continental breakfast, a light lunch and an open domestic bar, from $168 per person. Its exclusions are worth reading closely: transportation to the departure point is not included, and a MXN 220 government tax for the Hidden Beach access bracelet is paid per guest, so the printed price is not the whole cash picture.

The GoPralia sailing trip is the smaller and slower alternative, a sailing vessel with a maximum of seven travelers, from $99 per person for seven hours. The listing includes a domestic open bar with alcoholic drinks only after water activities, a continental breakfast and a deli-style lunch, paddleboards and sanitized snorkel gear. It excludes a MXN 100 port tax per person and the MXN 220 Marietas Islands conservation fee per person, and describes access to Love Beach as optional and controlled by the marine park. Neither listing states that hotel pickup is offered, so plan to reach the pier yourself.

Bucerias and Sayulita readers face a short drive or bus ride to reach either Paradise Village or a pier further around the bay. The pier decision matters more than the town you sleep in, and the full picture of departure points, including the Marina Vallarta and Puerto Mágico options in Puerto Vallarta and the Punta de Mita piers, is laid out in the guide to Marietas Islands trips from Punta de Mita and La Cruz, which covers the closest departure points of all.

What Are The Different Tours Available For Marietas Islands?

Four formats cover these tours: small covered boats from Punta de Mita (2 hours 20 minutes to 4 hours, from $67 per person), sailing and small-group trips (7 hours, from $99), full-day catamaran cruises from Puerto Vallarta (6 to 9 hours, from $87), and private charters (from $369 per group for up to six people with a local guide). Every one of them includes snorkel gear; Hidden Beach landings vary listing by listing.

The format choice drives the day more than the operator name does. The shortest water days are the Punta de Mita small boats: Grimar Adventures runs a collective boat at 2 hours 30 minutes from $67 per person, rated 4.9 from 32 reviews, and Shark's Tours runs a 2 hour 20 minute snorkel trip whose price is on the listing. At the other end, the Puerto Vallarta catamarans stretch to eight and nine hours with breakfast, lunch and open bars, from $87 per person on the Live & Travel Tours all-inclusive cruise. Between them sit the featured Eco Explorer Vallarta snorkel tour from Marina Vallarta, from $99 per person with 1,033 reviews behind it, and the two Paradise Village departures described above.

Hidden Beach is the variable that catches readers out. Some listings include the landing in the ticket, some sell it as an optional paid extra, some say plainly that it is not part of the tour, and entry on the day still depends on tide, sea state and park rules regardless of what the ticket says. The details per listing, including which ones list the landing as included, are unpacked in the Hidden Beach guide, and the fee side is covered in the park fee and conservation wristband guide.

The table below shows how the main formats compare from a northern base. Prices are the listings' own from prices; durations are the whole tour, not the crossing.

Two of these formats deserve a northern reader's special attention. The Chica Locca all-inclusive asks you to choose your meeting place before submitting the reservation, the closest thing to flexibility among these tours, though it never states hotel pickup. And the featured Eco Explorer tour from Marina Vallarta packs its Hidden Beach landing as an optional paid extra at MXN 600 per person in cash, with a maximum of 16 travelers, so the low headline price and the small-group feel come with a separate beach decision at the pier.

Can You Join A Marietas Islands Tour Without Hotel Pickup From Nuevo Vallarta Or Bucerias?

No listing states that hotel pickup is offered, and several state plainly that transportation to the meeting point is not included, so plan to reach the listed pier yourself. That is true for the Paradise Village departures, the Punta de Mita boats and the Marina Vallarta tours alike; the meeting point is the fixed anchor of every booking, and checking it before you book saves the most common day-of disappointment.

This bears repeating because general travel articles often say otherwise. Across these 30 listings, the pickup picture is uniform: the All PVR Tours listing excludes transportation to the departure point, the GoPralia listing excludes transportation to and from the marina, the Vallarta Adventures listings exclude hotel pickup and drop-off, and several others exclude it too. Saying nothing is not the same as offering it: check the listing, and assume you make your own way to the pier.

The practical reading for each town is straightforward. From Nuevo Vallarta, Paradise Village pier is local, and the two listings there are walkable or a short taxi ride for most readers. From Bucerias, Paradise Village is the nearest departure point, a short drive south. From Sayulita, the choice widens: drive south to Paradise Village or Puerto Vallarta's marinas, or drive west around the peninsula to Punta de Mita, where the short boat trips run. Sayulita itself has a surf-town beach scene and its own boat culture, but no Marietas tour departs from it, and the pier, not the town, is the decision.

One more meeting-point detail worth flagging: the All PVR Tours listing boards at the Paradise Village Public Pier on Blvrd Nayarit in Nuevo Nayarit, while the GoPralia sail uses the same pier, described as the public pier at Paradise Village Shopping Mall. Same stretch of waterfront, same practical planning. Arrive early enough to park and find the operator's check-in, and bring cash for the fees the listings exclude, which run MXN 100 to MXN 220 per person on these two listings as they state them.

How Far Is The Crossing From Nuevo Vallarta And Sayulita To The Islands?

CONANP's official distances put Punta de Mita 9 km, or 4.85 nautical miles, from the islands, Sayulita 12.68 nautical miles, Nuevo Nayarit 15.96 nautical miles and Puerto Vallarta 34 km, or 18 nautical miles. A tour's listed duration covers the whole trip, so ride time depends on the operator and the boat.

Those distances come from the park's own page, which lists them for the main bay towns, and they are the only sourced numbers on the subject. What they establish is a ranking, not a timetable: a boat leaving Punta de Mita has less than a third of the water to cover that a Puerto Vallarta boat does, with Paradise Village and Sayulita departures falling in between. How long each listing spends on the water is a fact each operator holds; the GoPralia sailing trip's seven hours and the All PVR Tours listing's 6.5 hours are total tour durations, including island time, meals and the return leg.

The ranking does translate into one real difference on the water: total hours committed. The Punta de Mita small boats run 2 hours 20 minutes to 4 hours dock to dock, while most Nuevo Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta days run 5 to 9 hours. Families with small children, readers who get seasick, and anyone with an afternoon commitment should weigh that; the short northern trips trade the catamaran's breakfast, open bar and waterslides for a compact water day. The trade-offs by boat size are compared in the small group versus large boat guide.

Weather is the other variable, and the only sourced statement is a modest one: tours can be cancelled for sea conditions, and the park's own page notes that in the rainy season some days have poor sea conditions. Treat any confident claim about calm mornings you read elsewhere with care.

Is It Worth Driving To Punta de Mita For A Shorter Marietas Boat Tour?

For many northern-bay readers, yes: Punta de Mita is the closest authorized departure point at 4.85 nautical miles, and its small-boat listings run from $67 per person for 2 hours 30 minutes, with Hidden Beach-focused trips from $156 and $157 per person. The trade is simple: shorter water day and smaller boats, versus the meals, bars and water toys of the full-day listings. To weigh that trade before booking, our guide to staying in Punta de Mita near the Marietas boat piers covers the town, its beaches, and which departures leave from its docks.

Sayulita to Punta de Mita is a drive around the peninsula's northern shore, and it is the single biggest lever a Sayulita reader can pull. The Grimar Adventures collective boat, from $67 per person, rated 4.9 from 32 reviews, includes snorkel gear, lifejackets, non-alcoholic beverages and a waterproof container for your phone, with Hidden Beach entrance listed as not included and available as an extra fee. Its sibling Grimar listing, the Hidden Beach entrance group tour from $157 per person, 4.8 from 117 reviews, lists the entrance itself as included, with a maximum of eight travelers and ages 10 to 64 stated in its notes.

The Shark's Tours listings run from the Punta de Mita cooperative in front of the small marina: the Hidden Beach trip from $157 per person, 4.8 from 161 reviews, three hours, eight travelers maximum, and the short snorkel trip whose price is on the listing. Marieta Sport Fishing runs the all-fees-included Hidden Beach trip from $156 per person, 3 hours 30 minutes, and it is the one tour marked wheelchair accessible. Each listing's age limits, capacity and rules are its own; never assume one boat's rules apply to the next.

Even from Punta de Mita, the constraint that never goes away is entry itself. The last primary rules text is CONANP's 2016 reopening notice, which operators still describe: groups of at most 15 people, 30 minutes per group from leaving the boat, helmets and flotation vests compulsory, no fins, mask or snorkel at the beach entrance, and at most 116 visitors a day at Playa del Amor, with the whole park closed Monday and the beach site closed Tuesday as well. Entry is never promised regardless of a tour's title, because tide, sea state and the park's daily call decide on the day.

What Does A Marietas Islands Tour Cost From Each Departure Area?

Firm prices run from $67 per person on the Punta de Mita collective boat to $168 per person on the Nuevo Vallarta day trip, with the two Paradise Village tours at $99 and $168 and most Puerto Vallarta listings between $79 and $136. The one firm per-group price is $369 for the private safari with a local guide, up to six people. Listings without a printed price say so on their pages.

The price spread is smaller than the format spread, which is why the format should drive the choice and the price confirm it. From a Nuevo Vallarta base, the two local listings bracket the range: $99 for the seven-hour sailing trip and $168 for the 6.5-hour Hidden Beach day. Adding a drive to Punta de Mita buys the $67 collective boat and the $156 to $157 per person Hidden Beach small-boat trips. Adding a drive to Puerto Vallarta buys the biggest menu: the Vallarta Adventures Majahuitas BBQ day from $79 per person, 4.3 from 1,150 reviews, the most reviewed tour on this site, through to the Ecotours Vallarta biologist-led trip from $133 per person.

Printed prices are not all-in costs, and the exclusions are listing-specific facts, not general rules. The Paradise Village sail excludes MXN 100 port tax and the MXN 220 conservation fee; the Nuevo Vallarta day trip excludes the MXN 220 bracelet tax; the Puerto Mágico cruises commonly exclude dock and conservation fees in the MXN 35 to MXN 220 range each. The park's own daily entry fee, MXN 125 per person per day, with exemptions for children under 12 and discounts for students, teachers and Mexican nationals, is a separate official charge explained in full in the park fee guide. The fuller price ladder, including which listings publish no price, is in the cost guide.

Whale season adds a seasonal layer worth timing around. The federal whale-watching notice for the season just past ran 8 December 2025 to 23 March 2026 and restricts whale-watching activity within 1.5 km of the islands; a 2026-27 notice has not been published, so no next-season dates are stated here. Several listings describe humpbacks as a seasonal possibility on the crossing, attributed to each listing's own wording.

Which Rules Apply Once Your Boat Reaches The Marietas Islands?

Eight official CONANP visitor rules govern everyone in the park: follow guides and rangers, wear a life jacket in the water, no alcohol, no littering, no removing or introducing animals, no single-use plastics, reef-friendly sunscreen applied at least 30 minutes before entering the water, and payment of the rights fee. The park is open Tuesday to Sunday 8:00 to 18:00; the Playa del Amor site runs Wednesday to Sunday 8:00 to 17:00.

The sunscreen rule catches more readers than any other, because it has a timing requirement, not just a product requirement. Reef-friendly sunscreen applied at least 30 minutes before entering the water means applying it on the boat before the swim call. Footwear is not allowed for water or beach activities, per the park's recommendations, so leave the sandals on the boat. Alcohol is prohibited in the park itself; the catamaran listings that pour open bars do so outside park waters, as several listings state.

Wildlife rules follow the same logic of distance. CONANP's listed species include the blue-footed booby and brown booby, Heermann's gull, frigatebirds, bridled terns, king angelfish, humpback whales, giant mantas and spotted eagle rays among coral reefs. Sightings are possible and reported, never promised; the blue-footed boobies guide covers what is actually known about the birds, and the snorkeling guide covers the in-water side. Swimming with whales is prohibited, and the federal whale-watching notice keeps whale watching outside the 1.5 km radius around the islands.

For readers planning around children or non-swimmers, the per-listing rules matter more than the park-wide ones. The featured Eco Explorer tour caps its Hidden Beach option at ages 10 to 65 and states pregnant travelers are not allowed on its tours; the Grimar Hidden Beach listing states ages 10 to 64; the sightseeing cruise states a 12 to 65 range for Playa Escondida and requires swimming ability. Put side by side, the summary is that age limits are operator rules, not park rules, and they differ boat to boat.

Bringing it back to the northern bay: the reader in Nuevo Vallarta has the cleanest hand, with the Marietas Islands tour from Nuevo Vallarta boarding minutes from the resort zone, and the GoPralia sail as a small-boat fallback. Bucerias readers share those options plus the Punta de Mita run. Sayulita readers choose between the drive south to Paradise Village and the drive west to the shortest crossings on the bay. Whichever pier wins, the booking mechanics are the same: confirm the meeting point, budget the excluded fees in cash, and hold the day loosely enough that a tide or sea-state call can move it.

One last comparison worth making before you book: the private option. The Marieta Tours snorkeling safari, from $369 per group for up to six people with a personal bilingual guide, port taxes and park package taxes included, three hours from the Punta de Mita cooperative, splits to about $62 per person for a family of six, with the Hidden Beach admission still an extra fee. For a group of four to six staying in the northern bay, it competes directly with two Paradise Village tickets, and the private charters guide covers the rest of that category.

Common Questions About Tours From Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias And Sayulita