Islas Marietas is a national park off Punta Mita. Birds, snorkel water, a hole in a rock that Instagram named Hidden Beach / Playa del Amor. You do not get there in a kayak you found. Licensed boat. CONANP wristband.
The rules that actually run the morning
- Park fee: 125 MXN on CONANP's own page (seniors, under-12, disability ID exempt; students/teachers often half). Usually bundled in the tour.
- Park hours: Tuesday–Sunday 8:00–18:00. Closed Monday.
- Hidden Beach: typically Wednesday–Sunday, 8:00–17:00. Closed Tuesday as well as Monday on the official schedule.
- Daily cap: operators still work off 116 people. A late-August 2026 note said the beach reopened after an April–August coral closure with talk of 161 and 15 people on the sand at a time. Either way: small, counted, first boats win.
- The tunnel swim is required. Life jacket on, no fins, no snorkel in the hole. Age windows get quoted 10–65. Twenty minutes, then out.
- No lotion in the park. Rashguard.
When Los Arcos is the smarter snorkel
If you cannot swim that tunnel. If you're here on a Monday. If the cap is blown. If July–September weather is already cancelling mornings. Los Arcos is closer to town, still a rock full of fish, no lottery.
Buy Marietas for the park. Buy the hidden beach only if the operator will say, out loud, what happens to your money when the rangers close the hole.
Book Marietas Islands Tours from Puerto Vallarta
Compare licensed operators with verified permit access and current 2026 pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Playa del Amor (Hidden Beach) is a small beach inside the partially collapsed crater of one of the Marietas Islands, accessible only by swimming through a 25-meter rock tunnel at low-to-mid tide. The dome-shaped rock cavity gave the beach its 'donut' Instagram fame around 2015. As of 2026, access is permit-restricted (only 125 visitors per day on the island, closed Mondays and Tuesdays), and reaching the beach requires moderate swimming skill plus tide-dependent access.
Yes, conditions permitting. Park permits limit daily visitors to 125 total across all approved operators. The swim through the rock tunnel requires a life jacket, a snorkeling helmet (sometimes provided), and a 30-meter swim against currents that can be strong. Pregnant women, weak swimmers, and people with mobility limitations should consider the boat-loop tour instead, which sees the islands without the swim.
Standard group boat tours from Puerto Vallarta or Punta Mita: $60–95 USD per person. Eco-tour operators (smaller boats, certified naturalists): $80–140 USD. Private boat charters: $400–800 USD for a half-day. Hidden Beach access adds $15–30 USD to most tours when permits are available. The Marietas park entrance fee (~80 pesos) is sometimes separate.
Explore Vallarta (5.0 rating, marine biologist guides — best for whale season Dec–Mar) and Vallarta Adventures (large operator, reliable logistics) are the most-recommended. Avoid the cheapest group-boat operators on the Malecón — they overcrowd boats, rush stops, and upsell aggressively. Rivera Mita Tours and the small operators departing from Punta de Mita are closer to the islands (30-min boat vs 90-min from PV).
December through March for whale watching (humpbacks calve in the bay). November–April for the best weather and water visibility. May–November has rougher seas, more rain risk, but lighter crowds and lower prices. Mondays and Tuesdays the island is closed; book Wednesday–Sunday only.
From Puerto Vallarta Marina or downtown: 75–90 minutes each way. From Punta de Mita / La Cruz de Huanacaxtle: 25–35 minutes. The Punta de Mita departure cuts a full hour off each leg, leaving more island time. The boat ride itself crosses Banderas Bay — manageable seas typically but waves pick up after 11 AM.
Yes if you understand what you're booking. The islands themselves — volcanic formations, snorkeling at La Nopalera beach, dolphins and whales in season — are genuinely spectacular. The Hidden Beach is photogenic but heavily crowded with permit-restricted access; for the photo alone, expectations sometimes exceed reality. Best for nature-focused travelers and whale-watchers Dec–Mar.
Reef-safe sunscreen (required), swimsuit, towel, rash guard or UV shirt, hat with strap (windy on boats), waterproof phone case, motion sickness medication if susceptible, cash for tips and any upsells, refillable water bottle. Snorkel gear typically provided but bringing your own ensures fit. Skip cotton clothes (slow to dry); favor quick-dry.
