Active outdoor enthusiasts will love this snorkeling tour to the Marietas Islands. Eco Explorer has more boats with permits than other providers, meaning you have a higher chance of visiting the hidden beach than other tours. You also see dolphins, turtles, manta rays, and whales, while underwater you can check out a colorful array of tropical fish.

Use of snorkeling gear is included
Snacks and bottled water are provided
National park entrance fees are included
Private tours can be organized on request

What's Included

Boat ride
Use of life vest
Drink water
Use of Snorkeling equipment
Conservacy donation fee to Bahia Unida
CONANP (Federal gov) fee
Permits for national park
Snacks (Light ham and panela cheese sandwich)

Gratuities
Boarding fee must be paid in cash when check in. MNX$50 (u$3.00)
Hidden beach ticket must be paid in cash upon arrival. (25 USD/550 MNX) r

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Proa 22
Proa 22, Marina Vallarta, 48335 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico
We are located at Marina Vallarta, 5 minutes from the airport. (As a reference we are nearby the Flamingos resort and 8 Tostadas restaurant)

Start time

09:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Marietas Islands

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Near public transportation
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum age to access to hidden beach is 10 years old with an adult on the same group. (Must bring ID of minor and adult)

People under any influence of alcohol or any drug are not permitted
Max age to access to hidden beach is 65 years old (Must bring ID)
The snorkeling tour is for ages 6-70 years old (In this case we recommend private family tour)
Pregnant travelers are NOT allowed in our tours due to safety of mother and baby.
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Susana_G

Ever was a great guide. Highly recommend booking him for a private tour! He made sure everyone was having a great time. We went to a beach instead of snorkeling due to water conditions. Was still super fun!!! Enjoy!!

Reviews

4.5

497 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 497 reviews

5 stars

Jim_T, May 2023

Rodrigo and Eric were awesome guides! We had a beautiful, memorable experience. Highly recommend. Thank you!

Wonderful experience....

BeatrizNazario, May 2023

Wonderful experience. Small groups with personalized attention. Experienced crew and very friendly. Captain Javier did a wonderful job. Erick and Nahum were very helpful explaining the safety precautions and making sure we felt supported all the time. Erick guided the snorkeling group with complete knowledge of marine life. Beautiful landscapes and we even saw a pod of dolphins, stingrays, plenty of fish and birds and pretty coral reefs. Recommended 100%

Terrifying experience during high tide

Kelli_P, May 2023

First and foremost, I am writing this review so people are aware of how different this tour is with high tides. I purchased this based on the many reviews that it was a great activity, not too strenuous, and well with the swim through the cave. However, when my girlfriend and I went, we had a terrifying experience. For reference, I'm a pretty strong swimmer; she is not. The boat ride there was great, no problems at all. Our guide, Carlos, was friendly and chatty. However, once we arrived at Mariettas, he got really agitated and seemingly stressed. He began saying that we had to stay close to him because getting through the cave was all about timing. When we saw the cave, we only saw water crashing in and out of it...and could barely see to the other side. Without telling the group about how we'd be getting through the cave, he commanded us to all jump in the water and swim as fast as we could to the mouth of the cave. Well, this was extremely hard because of the currents pushing against us. He began going through the cave before we even reached him. Several of us were so confused about the reason for the rush or the timing. And because he left without us, we never found out what to do. We began swimming through the cave, which filled quickly with water. We had just enough head-room between the water and the top of the cave to not be totally submerged. And when the water level would drop a bit, we fought the current to get a bit further. It was the hardest I've ever swam in my life and one of the most terrifying experiences. My poor girlfriend thought she was going to drown in the cave. Meanwhile, Carlos made it through and stayed on the other side of the cave, rather than coming back for us or helping us through. I still don't know what we were supposed to do. We finally made it to the shore and were completely exhausted and dreading having to go back into the cave to get out. Carlos made a few sarcastic comments about how it's every man for himself (I'm paraphrasing), that he can't help us, and that it would be just as hard on the way back. No tips. No support. While waiting on the shore, several other people stumbled out of the cave and were totally shell-shocked by the experience. Why was this not mentioned anywhere on this site or their own site? And they allow kids to do this?! The way out was luckily a bit easier because of the current. However, once we got to the other side of the cave, we had to them fight THAT current and the water crashing against the rocks. By that time, we were so exhausted and not moving, despite our swimming. Luckily, one of the people on our tour (NOT the guide) was a rescue diver. He instructed us to float on our backs to get through. We did that and he helped pull us out of the current. Once out, I was able to swim back to the boat. He helped my poor girlfriend the rest of the way to the boat. No idea where our guide was throughout all of this. The rescue diver told us later that it's completely different during low tide. He had done it before and it was much easier. So here's my advice to the company: - Retrain your guides. Tell them to, I don't know, stay with the people who are trusting them with their lives? - If your guide is not willing to help people who are in trouble, make it very clear before the tour that they're on their own in an emergency. - Be very clear with people about the conditions and if they'll be expected to be an *extremely strong* swimmer on that particular day. - Tell people what they should know about getting through the cave ahead of time. Don't just say follow me and be fast, then take off before everyone is with you. Why is it about timing? What are we waiting for? Why do we have to swim fast? What happens if we don't? During the 1.5 hours leading up to it, there was plenty of time to explain what to do and expect. Advice to people booking it: - Do research on the tides ahead of time. - Seriously reconsider taking your kids on this. I can't speak on the experience during low tide. But no way would I have gotten off of the boat if I had my kids with me. - You will bump your head a lot during high tide. There's a reason they provide a helmet.

Response from Host, May 2023

Good morning! Thanks for taking the time to provide us with your review. I am sorry you felt this way, our guide cannot give personalize attention to anyone since he is in charge on ten people going to hidden beach, he must go first so you can follow him and then help you get through the cave (we are going over this review with Carlos). Regarding the tide is changing all the time and unfortunately is not under our control. The park rangers on the Island are the ones who let us know if is ok and safe to do the activity, otherwise no one is allowed to go. Please be sure that we would not risk anyone, also we do not force anyone to do the activity (is up to you). I am sorry you did not have the adventure you expected. Kind regards, Eco Explorer

Fun Experience Little Get to See

Aaron_H, May 2023

Hidden island was a very cool experience! Erik and Martin were lovely tour guides. Would recommend to anyone thinking about going!

Great experience!

Larissa_H, Apr 2023

I had such a nice experience with this tour. I liked the small group and our guides were super friendly!!! The hidden beach was a nice adventure and we were well taken care of the whole time. Snorkeling was nice too. On our way back we saw a large group of dolphins which made the tour absolute worth it because I still think it’s quite expensive especially when the whale season is over and we were just lucky with the dolphins.

Amazing

Lindsey_B, Apr 2023

Our tour guide was amazing, the beach was exactly as promised. Will probably do again in the future.

Really Nice Tour

Gabby_M, Apr 2023

We had great time. Our guide was amazing and we enjoyed the boat ride a lot. The islands are gorgeous but the swim to the beach can be tough depending on currents. Also, be aware that there are jellyfish. Both my daughter and I got stung quickly after we jumped into the water. It's a quick 30 min visit (15 ish min at the beach) to Marietas island.

Great experience

Becky_W, Apr 2023

Everything was amazing….the hidden beach is a bit of a hard swim with the tide pulling you. So eat your flinstone vitamins. The snorkeling was so neat as we saw so many fish, stingrays and crabs. **Take my advice and if you get at all sea sick / motion sick take a Dramamine BEFORE you get on the boat.

I’d def recommend booking your hidden beach tour w Ecoexplorer!!

Vanessa_H, Apr 2023

I’m big into researching before going on excursions so I have read a lot of reviews for hidden beach for a few different tour companies and couldn’t really find too much difference between them other than price. So I will give my review of Ecoexplorer and what an amazing time we had. First off, the price was right for the entire experience. it was my husband and I and 23 y/o son. We all thoroughly enjoyed it!! The sandwiches were amazing (to us!) and the swim isn’t as bad as everyone says (maybe we had a calm day) but I’m an okay swimmer and did just fine. Yes, the helmets are funky and a bit annoying however it’s the park rangers that supply them and it def wasn’t enough to ruin the trip. Life vests weren’t a perfect fit but they’re adjustable and they did the job to get you through the cave to hidden beach and back out to the boat. I’d recommend bringing ear plugs, they helped a lot! The water may not be crystal clear, yet we found so much enjoyment snorkeling 🤿 and swimming amongst the fishes and seeing them up so close - it was actually very magical and relaxing. You can expect a 45 - 60 min boat ride there and back. our wonderful captain Andres, had a great eye and spotted a whale so we got to see it come up for air and a huge super pod of about 300 dolphins. I was amazed how he was able to spot them and take us closer so we could see these beautiful magnificent creatures. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable and didn’t gab away the whole time, he let us enjoy a wonderful ride but when appropriate, shared w us amazing geographical and historical facts about the bay and the area and the animals. It was fascinating! Hidden beach was just as great as the positive reviews say and there’s even a secret cave off to the side you can wade through but make sure you duck so you don’t bang your head on the jagged rocks. You only get 30 min total and that includes the swim from the boat to the island, so the slow swimmers had less time to enjoy the beach. The park rangers only allow 116-118 ppl per day onto the hidden island beach. So consider yourself lucky if you actually make it to the beach! I felt really good about booking this tour. As far as ppl saying they got scammed by having to pay addt’l fees, I’d say they failed to read fine print bc these are all listed in the description of the excursion. I’d def recommend booking your hidden beach tour w Ecoexplorer!! This is an experience of a lifetime!

Hidden Gem worth the trip

Corinne_D, Apr 2023

When I saw pictures of the Hidden Island in Puerta Vallarta, I knew that was a place I wanted to visit. Eco Explorer did an outstanding job of making sure everyone was safe and had a great experience. No one can ask for a better staff than Carlos, Hector and Rodrigo. We got some great photos and had an amazing time. Thank you.

Best water excursion in all of Puerto Vallarta!

Denise_T, Apr 2023

Being able to explore a hidden island with one of my besties was an absolute dream. We both enjoyed our ride there with real the good taste in music. The host was awesome! Good energy and vibes! I highly suggest this to anyone looking for a water adventure! Would definitely do this again!

Amazing adventure

Nicholas_R, Mar 2023

An amazing experience! Our boat captain and Guide Rodrigo were awesome, they explained everything to us very throughly and guided us from start to end.

Discover a Good Time

Sam_H, Mar 2023

WOW! My husband and I really enjoyed ourselves on this tour. As a bonus, on the 1-hour boat ride to the beach, we saw dolphins and hump back whales! The water was a bit chilly as it's early in the year, but we had a calm day so the swim to the beach wasn't terrible PSA: ride the tide and don't fight it - you'll get to the beach. I get motion sick super easily and did great on this trip. Our tour guides were AMAZING - providing loads of insight, always watching out for us, and providing tons of laughs. We even received some great restaurant recs too. We saw some cool fish too - not a ton, but some.

Family trip to the Marietas

Anda_M, Mar 2023

The water was choppy but that made it much more “real”. A great trip with great views. Highly recommended.

Hidden Beach is awesome to see in person

Collin_M, Mar 2023

We were a family of 4, w/2 girls, 17 & 18 who had never snorkeled before. So, they were excited for the Hidden Beach and seeing all the fish underwater. Our snorkling tour guide, Nahum, was really knowledgeable about the fish, islands and shared much info about the area in general, he was great. The swim into the Hidden Beach was a bit unexpected but once there you forget all about that as the beauty of the location is really unbelievable and we had plenty of time to get pics and explore the relatively small area. The snorkeling around Marietas was also fun and we did get to see a lot of different fish but it was kind of cloudy that day in the water but still a great experience and the girls really enjoyed it. On the ride out to the islands we did pass some dolphins and a couple of whales, so, that was kind of cool. would recommend for families no problem....

This Claustrophobic had a blast

Paula_W, Mar 2023

The experience was super fun and a intense. You’re given a helmet and told that you got a jump in the water quickly and swim fast through the cave. At one point shown in the first pic the above water space is scarce you start to wonder what would happen if it fills up while you’re in there. It’s an easy swim overall. I am not in shape and had no problem. Snorkeling that followed was wonderful, our guides were all about safety and very informative about the island. The birds with the blue feet were really cool.

Great experience

Sarah_W, Mar 2023

We booked this excursion for 3 of us. I will say we didn't read the part that we would have to bring in additional $28 pp. So we were a little shocked when we got an email about that of course its not their fault but ours for not reading all the fine print. We had an amazing experience on the way to the islands seeing whales and dolphins. The tour guides were amazing. I will also say you should be a stronger swimmer however if you are not they will help you to get you to the island. The current their was no joke. But it was absolutely beautiful. The snorkeling was spectacular. I would definitely do it again maybe after a few swim lessons.

Worth it!

Alicia_A, Mar 2023

We had a great day visiting the Marietas. We saw mommy and baby whales breaching on the ride out, our guide Ricky and crew were incredibly knowledgeable - and funny— and the setting was beautiful. Snorkeling was a bit chilly this time of year with limited visibility, but we still saw lots of tropical fish.

Love EcoTours

Marketta_B, Mar 2023

We had such an amazing time! The guides were fantastic, extremely informative and very nice. They stopped the boat several times so we could see the whales and their babies. The hidden beach was beautiful!!! This is an experience i wont forget.

Recommended Excursion

Nicole_N, Mar 2023

We saw whales, dolphins, and turtles on our way to hidden beach. Hidden beach was magical (no other way to explain it). We saw puffer fish, dory fish, schools of other fish, an eel and beautiful coral. Our guides, Luis and Alexis, answered so many ecological questions (questions about PRV) they were so friendly…highly recommend this excursion.

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