Islands Near Puerto Vallarta

Which islands you can visit from Puerto Vallarta, which you can set foot on, and which are for divers only.

By Sam Med · Last updated October 2026

Rocky cliffs and sea caves on the Marietas Islands, seen from a boat — The Marietas Islands from a boat. Photo: Ferfive, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

Banderas Bay has few islands, but two of them are among the best-known sights on Mexico's Pacific coast: the Marietas, with their Hidden Beach, and the granite arches of Los Arcos. Beyond them lie rock pinnacles that only divers reach, the Islas Marías — a former prison colony 100 km out to sea, now reachable on a weekend ferry from Puerto Vallarta — and, in the middle of town, the river island of Isla Río Cuale. The key thing to know is that you can set foot on very few of them.

At a glance

Island	Where	How to visit	Can you land?
Islas Marietas	6 km south-west of Punta Mita	Licensed boat tour	Only the Hidden Beach, swimming in
Los Arcos	Off Mismaloya, about 12 km south of town	Boat, kayak, paddleboard or dive	No
Isla Río Cuale	In the river, in the city centre	On foot	Yes
El Morro and Los Anegados	West of the Marietas, at the edge of the bay	Dive boats, certified divers	No
La Corbeteña	Open ocean, about two hours by boat	Expert dive trips	No
Islas Marías	About 100 km off the Nayarit coast	Weekend ferry package	Yes, on a package
Isla del Coral	Off Rincón de Guayabitos, north of the bay	Drive, then a short boat	Yes, at a dock

Islas Marietas

Two main islands, Isla Larga and Isla Redonda, and a scatter of islets, 6 km south-west of Punta Mita. They were declared a national park on 25 April 2005, after years as a navy bombing range, and are the most popular boat trip from Puerto Vallarta. From town the crossing takes about 45 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the boat; from Punta de Mita, about 20–30 minutes.

Landing: the park's management programme allows visitors ashore only at designated sites, and in practice tours don't land on the main islands. What people mean by "visiting the Marietas" is snorkelling around them and, for a few, the Hidden Beach.
The Hidden Beach (Playa del Amor) is a sandy crater reached by swimming through a tunnel in the rock. The rules set when it reopened in 2016: 116 visitors a day, in groups of up to 15 for 30 minutes, at low tide only, with a helmet and life jacket and no fins or snorkel. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, as reported again in 2026.
Ages: there's no official minimum age, but operators commonly accept Hidden Beach swimmers aged about 10 to 65, and exclude pregnant women and people with heart, back or neck problems.
The park fee: Mexico's 2026 federal fee law sets the Marietas charge at about MXN 120 per person per day; operators quote around MXN 125. Some tours include it, others collect it in cash on the day.

Whether the trip is worth it, how to pick an operator and what it costs: Marietas Islands tour. Boats from Punta de Mita are covered in Punta de Mita.

Los Arcos

Five granite islets, between 5 and 50 m high, about half a mile off Mismaloya and 12 km south of town, with arches and caves worn through them. They're the closest good snorkelling to the city, about 20 minutes by boat. A federal agreement of 1975 protects them, chiefly by banning fishing, but despite what many tour listings say no national park was ever decreed. In January 2026 residents blocked the coast road over fencing on the nearby shore, and the city has asked the federal government to make the area a protected natural area. You can't land: snorkel, kayak, paddle or dive around them. See Los Arcos and snorkelling.

Isla Río Cuale

The island in town: a shady strip between two channels of the Río Cuale, between downtown and Zona Romántica, with craft stalls, a small museum, an arts centre and swinging footbridges. Free, and you walk on. See Isla Río Cuale.

For divers: El Morro, Los Anegados and La Corbeteña

El Morro is a cluster of rock pinnacles at the northern edge of the bay, west of the Marietas, reached in about an hour and a half by dive boat. Depths go to about 45 m, and there's a swim-through tunnel; it's for certified divers, and some operators ask for at least 25 logged dives.
Los Anegados is a submerged bank between El Morro and the Marietas: not an island at all, and a dive for experienced divers only.
La Corbeteña is an isolated rock in the open Pacific, marked by an unlit navy beacon, about two hours by boat. Strong currents, deep water and big pelagic life — mantas, sharks, tuna and dolphins — make it an expert dive, visited only occasionally.

Seasons, sites and how to choose an operator: scuba diving.

Islas Marías

The Islas Marías, about 100 km off the coast of Nayarit, held a federal prison until it closed in February 2019. The archipelago has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2010, and since December 2022 it has been open to tourists on packages run by TURIMAR, a company of the Mexican navy.

From Puerto Vallarta: a ferry service started in late January 2026, leaving on Friday mornings at 8 and returning on Sunday; the crossing takes about five hours. The official booking site also lists departures from San Blas, with a crossing of about four hours.
The package covers three days and two nights, weekends only. Prices are confusing: the official site starts at about MXN 3,010 for the boat, guided visits, insurance and park entry, with accommodation and meals priced according to the room you choose, while media reports have put a full package at around MXN 9,000–10,740.
Rules: book online at least 48 hours ahead; one bag of 53 × 34 × 19 cm; no food brought onto the island except a bottle of water; all walks are guided. There are no cash machines and no card payments on the island.
Reliability: visitor numbers have been low, and in 2024–25 sailings were cancelled when fewer than 30 passengers booked. Confirm your departure before arranging anything around it.

Isla del Coral

Outside Banderas Bay, off the beach town of Rincón de Guayabitos in Nayarit, Isla del Coral is a small island with a dock where you can land and snorkel. It's about an hour and a half by road from Puerto Vallarta, then 15–20 minutes by boat; in October 2025 the return boat cost about MXN 350, snorkel gear included. It makes sense on a road trip up the coast rather than as a day trip from town.

Planning a trip to the islands

Season: the sea is calmest from roughly November or December to May, and mornings are usually calmer than afternoons. Whales pass the islands from December to March. The Pacific hurricane season runs from 15 May to 30 November; see weather.
Who can take you: at the Marietas, only operators authorised by Mexico's protected-areas commission (CONANP); boats must moor on buoys rather than anchor. Check your operator holds the permit, especially for the Hidden Beach.
Seasickness: the crossings to the Marietas and El Morro can be choppy; operators advise taking something beforehand, and a larger boat helps.
All boat trips compared: boat tours and day trips.

Frequently asked

Can you go onto the Marietas Islands?

Only in a very limited way. Tours don't land on the main islands; the one place visitors go ashore is the Hidden Beach, reached by swimming through a tunnel, with 116 places a day through authorised operators.

When is the Hidden Beach closed?

On Mondays and Tuesdays, under the rules set when it reopened in 2016 and still reported in 2026. It also opens only at low tide, in groups of up to 15 for 30 minutes.

Is Los Arcos a national park?

No. A 1975 federal agreement protects the islets, mainly by banning fishing, but no national park was ever decreed, despite what many tour listings say. The city has asked for a federal protected-area declaration.

Can you visit the Islas Marías from Puerto Vallarta?

Yes, on a weekend package: since late January 2026 a ferry leaves Puerto Vallarta on Friday mornings and returns on Sunday, a crossing of about five hours. Book online at least 48 hours ahead.

Which islands near Puerto Vallarta can you land on?

Isla Río Cuale in town, Isla del Coral off Rincón de Guayabitos, the Islas Marías on an overnight package, and the Hidden Beach of the Marietas. Los Arcos, El Morro and La Corbeteña are for snorkelling or diving only.

Sources & updates

Last checked: 8 October 2026.

CONANP's management programme for the Islas Marietas national park (decree, distances, landing sites, rules), via Pronatura Noroeste; SEMARNAT, Hidden Beach reopening rules (2016); Mexico's Ley Federal de Derechos, article 198 (2026 text).
Food & Pleasure (August 2026), Infobae (July 2025) and Vallarta Adventures (2026, commercial) on current Hidden Beach access, ages and fees.
Contralínea (2020) and Mexico News Daily (January 2026) on Los Arcos; the Riviera Nayarit tourism board, Vallarta Adventures and Banderas Scuba Republic on El Morro, Los Anegados and La Corbeteña; Mexican navy nautical notice 640/2022 on the Corbeteña beacon.
TURIMAR's official Islas Marías site (prices, departures, rules, October 2026); The Guadalajara Reporter (January 2026) and Vallarta Hoy (August 2025) on the Puerto Vallarta ferry; Grupo Animal (February 2026) and Vanguardia (April 2025) on prices and visitor numbers; Wikipedia on the islands' history.
Mexico News Daily (October 2025) on Isla del Coral; El Imparcial (May 2026) on the hurricane season.

Park rules, fees and ferry schedules change. Confirm with your operator, or with TURIMAR for the Islas Marías, before you travel.