The 10 Best Snorkeling Spots in Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay

Banderas Bay is deceptively large -- one of the deepest bays in Mexico -- which means the ten snorkeling spots below are not really variations on the same swim. Some are rocky arches twenty minutes from a public beach; others are boat-only coves with no road in or out. What they share is water clear enough, for at least half the year, to see straight to the sand. For the rest of the bay's coastline -- the parts better suited to sunbathing than snorkeling -- see our full rundown of Puerto Vallarta's beaches.

1. Los Arcos

If you only have one morning, spend it here. Los Arcos is a cluster of granite islets and underwater arches just off Mismaloya, protected as a national marine park, and it is the most reliable snorkel in the bay -- close enough that small pangas make the run from Boca de Tomatlán in about twenty minutes, and deep enough on the seaward side that the rock walls drop into genuinely clear blue water. Expect angelfish, parrotfish, moray eels tucked into crevices, and on a calm morning, visibility that stretches ten meters or more. Because it's a protected park, boats are not allowed to anchor on the reef itself, which keeps the coral in better shape than almost anywhere else in the bay.

2. Islas Marietas

The Marietas get the photographs -- the sunken crater beach reachable only by swimming through a short tunnel at low tide -- but the snorkeling around the islands themselves is arguably the better reason to book the trip. Expect to share the water with sea turtles and, outside the crater, schools of tropical fish moving along the rock faces. Access is strictly limited by a daily visitor quota, so this is the one spot on this list that has to be booked in advance rather than decided the morning of; most operators build the national park fee into the price, and the islands are closed to visitors part of the year to protect nesting seabirds, so confirm current dates when you book.

3. Playa Las Ánimas

There's no road to Las Ánimas -- you arrive by water taxi or tour boat from Boca de Tomatlán, which is exactly why it still feels undeveloped. The swimming beach itself is mostly sand, but the rocky points at either end hold enough structure for a solid hour of snorkeling, and a string of palapa restaurants right on the sand means lunch is never more than a few steps from your towel.

4. Playa Colomitos

Colomitos is often described as the smallest beach in the bay, and it earns the description -- a horseshoe cove barely wide enough for a few dozen people, reached either by a short jungle trail from Las Ánimas or dropped off directly by a small boat. The payoff is water so sheltered it barely moves, which makes it one of the gentlest, most forgiving snorkels on this list -- genuinely good for a nervous first-timer.

5. Majahuitas

Majahuitas sits a little further down the coast, known mostly for the small eco-lodge tucked into the jungle above its beach. The cove in front of it is calm, clear on a good day, and rarely crowded since most day-trip itineraries skip past it in favor of Las Ánimas or Yelapa -- if solitude matters as much as the fish do, this is the spot.

6. Quimixto

Quimixto is a working fishing village before it's a tourist stop, which gives it a different rhythm -- pangas pulled up on the sand, a waterfall walk (by foot or, if you'd rather, horseback) inland from the beach, and snorkeling along the rocky points that frame the bay. Pair the swim with the waterfall hike and you've got a half-day that doesn't feel like a checklist item.

7. Playa Careyeros, Punta de Mita

On the Punta de Mita side of the bay, Careyeros is a rocky point with a reef close enough to shore that you can walk straight in rather than book a boat. It's a favorite with surfers when the swell is up, but on a calm day the same structure that makes the point break also shelters a genuinely good beach-entry snorkel.

8. Conchas Chinas

Conchas Chinas is the answer if you're staying in town and don't want to book anything at all. A short walk down from the road below the South Shore resorts drops you onto a run of small rocky coves that, at low tide, look almost like natural tide pools -- it's the closest good snorkeling to downtown Puerto Vallarta, full stop, and it costs nothing but the walk down.

9. Playa Anclote Reef, Punta de Mita

Anclote is the low-key, family-friendly cousin of Careyeros -- a shallow reef just offshore from the beach town of the same name, calm enough for a first-time snorkeler, and conveniently also the jumping-off point for boats heading out to the Marietas. It's easy to turn into a two-part morning: snorkel Anclote, then walk to the dock for the island trip.

10. Isla Cangrejo / La Corbeteña -- for the ambitious

This one is not for beginners. Isla Cangrejo and the nearby seamount of La Corbeteña, off Punta de Mita, sit in open water with real current, and most operators who run it are dive shops rather than snorkel tours. The reward for confident swimmers is bigger animals -- rays, larger schools, occasionally more -- than anywhere else on this list. If you're already comfortable in deep water, ask a local dive operator whether conditions are right; if you're not, this is one to admire from the boat.

Booking a trip from your resort

You'll generally choose between three routes. The resort tour desk sells seats on a large catamaran -- easy, sociable, usually loud, and with the shortest actual time in the water since the boat is built for turnover. A specialist operator running a smaller boat -- local outfits such as Fish and Tours and Tours Vallarta are typical examples of the type -- costs a bit more but leaves earlier, carries fewer people, and gives you a real guide rather than a crew focused on the open bar. And at Boca de Tomatlán, independent water taxis to Las Ánimas, Colomitos, Quimixto and Majahuitas run all morning for around 300 pesos cash, no booking required, for travelers happy to skip the tour altogether.

Boat vs. beach: the two things that decide your day

Before picking a spot off this list, it helps to know which of two categories it falls into, because that decides your whole morning. Half the entries here -- Conchas Chinas, Careyeros, Anclote -- are walk-in: no boat, no schedule, just a beach and a reef close enough to reach by swimming out from the sand. The other half are boat-only, whether that means a short panga ride from Boca de Tomatlán or a longer run out to the Marietas or Punta de Mita, and that means committing to a departure time, a return time, and usually a group. Neither category is better -- it's a question of whether you want the freedom to show up whenever the water looks good, or the extra reach a boat gives you into coves that no road will ever touch.

Gear, and why you should bring your own mask

Fins and snorkels are easy to rent everywhere; a mask that actually seals against your face is not, so it's worth packing your own if you have one. Reef-safe sunscreen matters more here than it sounds -- oxybenzone-based products are explicitly banned and enforced at the Marietas -- and a rash guard is a smart call for anyone planning to float on the surface for the better part of two hours. Water temperature swings more than you'd expect across the year: it's warmest, around 28-29°C, from August through October, and coolest, 22-24°C, in February and March, when a shorty wetsuit stops being optional for most people.

Rules in the marine parks

Los Arcos and the Marietas are both federally protected marine parks, and the rules are enforced, not suggested: no standing on or touching coral or rock, nothing leaves the water with you, no feeding fish, and no chasing or touching sea turtles even when they seem entirely unbothered by your presence.

Which zone to stay in for water time

If snorkeling is the priority, the South Shore -- Conchas Chinas and the neighborhoods around it -- puts you within walking distance of one spot and a short boat ride from Los Arcos, Las Ánimas and Colomitos. Staying in Nuevo Vallarta or on the Punta de Mita side trades that convenience for easier access to the Marietas, Anclote and Careyeros.

Timing your morning right

Almost every operator on the bay leaves before 9am, and that's not just habit -- it's the water. The bay is close to flat in the early morning and starts picking up a sea breeze by around 1pm, which stirs up sediment and turns a clear morning swim into a murky afternoon one. If you're going independent from Boca de Tomatlán rather than booking a tour, the same rule applies: go early, and you'll get calmer water and a quieter beach before the day-trip crowds arrive.

What's actually in the water

Sea turtles are close to a year-round sighting along the south shore, gliding past divers and snorkelers alike without much concern for either. Humpback whales pass through the bay roughly from December through March, on a migration that draws its own dedicated whale-watching trips -- if you're snorkeling from a boat during those months, don't be surprised if the captain slows down for a distant breach on the way out. Regulations keep both boats and swimmers at a set minimum distance.

FAQ

FAQ

What's the best snorkeling spot in Puerto Vallarta?

Los Arcos is the most reliable and closest option, with a short boat ride and consistently clear water inside the marine park. Islas Marietas is the best single-day trip if you book ahead, since access is capped by a daily quota.

Can you snorkel straight from the beach, without a boat?

Yes, at a handful of spots: Conchas Chinas, Playa Careyeros and Playa Anclote reef all have walk-in access with real structure close to shore. Most Hotel Zone beaches like Nuevo Vallarta and Flamingos are flat sand with nothing to see.

When is the water clearest?

Visibility is best from November through May. From July through October, storm runoff clouds the bay, especially after heavy rain, so plan snorkeling trips for the drier months when you can.

Do I need to be a strong swimmer?

For most spots, being comfortable in deep water with a life vest is enough, and operators provide flotation. A few calm, shallow coves -- Colomitos in particular -- work well for non-swimmers who want to float and look rather than swim.

What might I see besides fish?

Sea turtles show up year-round along the south shore. Humpback whales pass through roughly December to March, at a regulated distance from swimmers and boats.