Marietas Islands

Welcome, curious traveler, to the open waters of the Banderas Bay. I am delighted to be your guide as we approach one of the most ecologically significant and visually arresting archipelagos in the Pacific: the Islas Marietas, or…

As our vessel glides closer to the periphery of the islands, we find ourselves drifting through a profoundly dynamic marine corridor. This surrounding sanctuary is a theater of marine megafauna, and depending on the season of…

We now transition from the open water to the sheltered coves bordering the landmass affectionately known as Long Island. It is here that we must don our masks and snorkels, slipping quietly from the world of air into the silent,…

Surfacing from the reef, we turn our attention upward to the jagged, imposing cliffs of the islands themselves. While the Marietas are uninhabited by humans, they are by no means empty. …

Navigating around the rocky perimeter, our vessel approaches an area known as La Nopalera beach. This specific coastal feature offers a striking geological contrast to the sheer cliffs we just observed. …

Continuing our circum-navigation of the archipelago, we arrive at a coastal feature that vividly demonstrates the immense, hydraulic power of the ocean: La Bufadora, or the blowhole. Here, the relentless mechanical action of the…

We now arrive at the most heavily regulated and eagerly anticipated point in our geographical survey of the Marietas: the aquatic threshold leading to the famous Hidden Beach. Before us lies what appears to be a mere dark fissure…

Emerging from the darkness of the sea tunnel, you pull yourself onto the shores of Playa del Amor, the Hidden Beach. The visual transition is nothing short of breathtaking. …

As our vessel turns its bow back toward the distant mainland of Puerto Vallarta, the rugged silhouettes of the Marietas Islands begin to shrink against the vast horizon. We have traversed an extraordinary landscape today, moving…