Every surf school has a plan for flat days. Ours is simple: put the boards away and get on a boat. Banderas Bay has a coastline of jungle coves, rock arches and fishing villages, and most of it has no road. You can hike to a couple of spots. For the rest, a water taxi or a tour boat is the only way in. Or you can do it our way: rent a private boat by the hour, choose the beaches yourself and stay as long as you like.
We send people to our neighbours at the marina, Ol' Salty's Ranch, which runs three private boats out of Marina Nuevo Vallarta. Our complete guide to private boat charters in Nuevo Vallarta covers everything, and the anglers have their own guide to a fishing charter in Nuevo Vallarta. This one is about the water and the sand: snorkeling in Puerto Vallarta and the boat-only beaches.
How a snorkeling and beach charter from Nuevo Vallarta works
You rent the whole boat, the captain and the hours. On the beach charter from Nuevo Vallarta nobody else sets the itinerary. You tell the captain what the group wants, such as clear water for the snorkelers, lunch on the sand or an empty cove, and the captain plans the route around that and around the conditions that morning.
- Minimum: 4 hours on every boat, hourly after that. Departures run from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.
- Free time at anchor: most south-shore stops include one free hour at anchor, so beach time does not add to the bill.
- On board: masks and fins for the group, life jackets in every size, bottled water, ice and full shade over the deck. Guanatuna and Steel n Time have bathrooms.
- Rates (whole boat, per hour): Guanatuna $3,200 MXN (15 guests, five hours for the price of four), Peaceful Easy Feeling $4,000 MXN (8 guests), Steel n Time $7,000 MXN (22 guests, air-conditioned salon). There is a 30% deposit. Confirm rates when you book.
South shore or north shore? Read it like a surf forecast
When you leave Marina Nuevo Vallarta you have two choices. Turn south for the classic route: Los Arcos, the jungle coves, Las Ánimas and, if you have the hours, Yelapa at the far end. Turn north for Playa Verde, La Lancha and Punta Mita, where the bay opens to the Pacific, with Sayulita beyond.
Surfers already understand the key point: wind and swell do not affect both sides of the bay in the same way. On a private charter the captain checks conditions in the morning and heads to whichever shore is calmer. A fixed tour goes to the same place regardless. We make the same decision every morning when we choose between La Lancha and the beach break at Nuevo Vallarta.
The best snorkeling in Puerto Vallarta by boat
Majahuitas — the captains' number one
Ask the captains where the water is clearest and they will say Majahuitas. It is a small, secluded beach backed by jungle, well down the south shore, with better visibility than anywhere closer to town. There is no road, no village and hardly any other boats. It needs a 5-hour charter for the run there and back, and it is worth the extra hour. Plan to spend your time at anchor in the water rather than on the sand.
Los Arcos — the classic
Los Arcos is the image most people have seen before they arrive: granite islets rising out of the bay, with natural arches and sea caves cut through at the waterline. It is a protected national marine park with an underwater canyon alongside, which is why the fish are still there. Expect sergeant majors, angelfish, pufferfish, parrotfish and sometimes an eagle ray. Rules: no fishing at the arches, reef-safe sunscreen only and nothing taken from the water. Most groups spend an hour to an hour and a half there.
Colomitos — the tiny jungle cove
Colomitos is hardly a beach at all: a short strip of pale sand between two rocky points, with jungle reaching the high-tide line and green, very clear water. It is the most photographed cove on this stretch of coast. The only ways in are a hot 40-minute hike from Boca de Tomatlán or a boat. Arrive early and you will probably have it to yourselves.
Paradón, El Caballo and Madagascar — the quiet ones
Paradón is a sheltered cove just past Los Arcos. The water is calm, it is usually empty, and it is good for nervous swimmers and small children. El Caballo is a small, protected cove next to Las Ánimas with good snorkeling along its rocky edges. Madagascar is a spot the captains use when a group asks for "somewhere the tour boats don't go". It has jungle down to the water, a narrow strip of sand and usually nobody else at anchor. All three fit in a 4-hour charter.
The beaches for lunch on the sand
Las Ánimas — palapas and fresh fish
Las Ánimas is the beach for groups that want to get off the boat. It is a long curve of golden sand with a row of palapa restaurants serving fish caught that morning, plus chairs, cold beer and bathrooms. There is no road into the village. It is the most popular lunch stop on a south-shore charter and fits in 4 hours. Bring cash, because the restaurants do not take cards.
Yelapa — the village at the end of the bay
Yelapa is the furthest south-shore stop and the one that feels least like Puerto Vallarta. A few hundred people live on a jungle hillside at the mouth of a river. There is no road, the restaurants are on the sand and a waterfall is a short walk inland (wear something sturdier than flip-flops). It needs a 6-hour charter, or eight if you also want a snorkel stop on the way. For a large group, it is the best full day on the bay.
The north shore: Playa Verde, La Lancha and Punta Mita
This side of the bay is our territory, so it is where we give our strongest opinions. Playa Verde is the shortest run from the marina, which gives you the most water time in a 4-hour charter. It is also the backup when the south shore is rough. La Lancha by boat is a wide crescent of jungle-backed sand inside the point, and it is also the wave we teach at. See our surf lessons at La Lancha. Punta Mita is where the bay meets the Pacific. The water changes colour, the swell picks up, and the chance of seeing dolphins, rays and whales in season is as good as anywhere. The north shore has no free anchor hour, so plan your time accordingly.
Choosing your beach charter by the hours
The operator describes more options on its beaches of Banderas Bay page, which lists every stop with its minimum hours.
When the water is clearest: a surfer's guide to visibility
Visibility depends on calm water and light wind, and both are best in the morning. For most of the year the afternoon wind picks up across the bay and stirs the surface. If snorkeling is the main goal, book an early departure and make the snorkel stop the first one of the day. It is the same logic as dawn patrol: glassy water comes first and wind comes later.
By season, winter and spring generally bring the clearest, coolest water, which suits us because that is also the best time for learning to surf here. After heavy summer rain, runoff from the mountains can turn the water green for a day or two. The captain will tell you honestly that morning whether it is worth the run. For more detail, see the operator's snorkeling in Puerto Vallarta page.
Whales, dolphins and the run home
From roughly December to March, humpbacks pass through Banderas Bay, and a beach charter can suddenly turn into a whale-watching trip. The boat stops for as long as the group wants. Dolphins ride the bow wave all year, and turtles and rays appear often. Time your return so the last hour catches the sunset, which costs nothing extra beyond the hours you already booked. Our guide to whale season 2026–2027 explains the winter months from the line-up.
Snorkeling etiquette in Banderas Bay
The south shore stays beautiful because people treat it well. A few rules we teach our students:
- Do not stand on rocks or coral. Float instead. If you are tired, go back to the boat or hold onto a life jacket.
- Look, but do not touch or feed the fish. Feeding changes their behaviour and harms the reef.
- Stay clear of the pangas and water taxis at the busy stops, and stay within sight of your boat.
- Swim in groups. The captain can see you more easily and you enjoy it more together.
- Take all your rubbish home. This includes bottle caps and fruit peel, because the coves have no bins.
What to bring on a snorkeling and beach charter
- Reef-safe sunscreen. It is required at Los Arcos and good practice everywhere else.
- Your own mask if you have a favourite. Masks and fins are on board for everyone else.
- Food, drinks and music. Coolers are fine, and water and ice are included.
- Cash for Las Ánimas and Yelapa, because the beach restaurants do not take cards.
- A dry bag for phones. There is no dock, so you swim or wade ashore.
- A light layer for the ride home after sunset, especially in winter.
Banderas Bay vs. Loreto for snorkeling
Some students ask whether to save the snorkeling for a Baja trip. Our answer: Banderas Bay gives you jungle coves, fishing villages, lunch on the sand and a marine park half an hour from your hotel. Loreto, on the Sea of Cortez, gives you clearer desert water, sea lions and empty islands. We cover that side in our guide to snorkeling in Loreto. Both are worth doing. The difference is how you feel afterwards: tired and happy here, or so relaxed you forget what day it is there.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best snorkeling in Puerto Vallarta by boat?
Majahuitas has the clearest water. Los Arcos is the classic marine park. Colomitos, Paradón and El Caballo are good along their rocky edges.
How many hours do I need?
Four for most stops on both shores, five for Majahuitas, six for Yelapa, and a full day for Sayulita.
Is snorkel gear included?
Yes. Masks and fins, life jackets in every size, water, ice and shade are on every boat.
Which beaches have restaurants?
Las Ánimas and Yelapa, and both are cash only. The coves have no services.
When is the water clearest?
In the morning, and generally in winter and spring. After heavy summer rain the captain may suggest a different stop.
Can you fish at Los Arcos?
No, because it is a protected marine park. Troll on the way there and snorkel at anchor.
References: Ol' Salty's Ranch — Private Boat Charters in Nuevo Vallarta · Snorkeling charters · Beach charters · The 12 beaches of Banderas Bay · Custom tours. All photographs courtesy of Ol' Salty's Ranch.
