Islas Marietas Marine Park & Biosphere Reserve, Nayarit
The complete 2026 travel guide to Hidden Beach (Playa del Amor): permits, seasons, wildlife, and the safest, smartest way to book your tour from Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.

📍 Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit
🐋 Whale Season Dec–Mar
🎫 116 Visitors/Day to Hidden Beach
⛔ Closed Mon & Tue

Few places on Mexico’s Pacific coast generate as much curiosity as the Islas Marietas — a scatter of small, uninhabited volcanic islands sitting just off Punta Mita in Bahía de Banderas. They are famous the world over for one extraordinary feature: a sand beach tucked inside a collapsed rock crater, reachable only by swimming through a narrow tunnel. But the islands are far more than a photo op. They are a federally protected national park and a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere reserve, home to nesting seabird colonies, migrating humpback whales, and some of the healthiest coral in Banderas Bay.

This guide covers everything a traveler needs before booking: how Hidden Beach came to look the way it does, the daily visitor cap and permit system, the two very different tour types, when to go for whales versus underwater visibility, where tours depart from, and the conservation rules every visitor is expected to follow.

Islas Marietas at a Glance
Location: Bahía de Banderas, off Punta Mita, Nayarit
Status: National Marine Park & UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
Signature site: Playa Escondida / Playa del Amor (Hidden Beach)
Daily Hidden Beach cap: ~116 visitors
Park closed: Mondays and Tuesdays
Whale season: December through March
Best visibility for snorkeling: Roughly May–June
Nearest launch points: Punta Mita, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Sayulita, Puerto Vallarta marinas
Crossing time: ~30–45 minutes from Punta Mita
Minimum age for Hidden Beach swim: Not recommended under 4

What Are the Islas Marietas?

The Islas Marietas are a small archipelago of uninhabited islets rising out of the Pacific at the mouth of Banderas Bay, roughly across the water from the Punta Mita peninsula. Geologically volcanic and shaped over millennia by wave erosion, the islands were declared a national park in 2005 and later recognized under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program in acknowledgment of their unusually concentrated marine and bird biodiversity for such a small land area.

No one lives on the islands, and beyond Hidden Beach itself, stepping ashore is not permitted anywhere else in the reserve — the surrounding waters and cliffs are left undisturbed for nesting birds, coral, and marine life. Almost every visitor experiences the Marietas the same way: from a licensed tour boat, snorkeling mask in hand, camera ready for the crater beach reveal.

Good to know: You’ll often see the islands referred to as Islas Marietas, Marieta Islands, or Marietas Islands National Park — and Hidden Beach called Playa Escondida or Playa del Amor (Love Beach). They all mean the same destination.

Hidden Beach (Playa del Amor / Playa Escondida)
The park’s signature feature is a circular pocket of white sand sitting inside what looks, from above, like a collapsed volcanic crater open to the sky — with turquoise water lapping in through a rock tunnel at one end. Photographs of this crater beach have circulated so widely online that many travelers plan an entire Puerto Vallarta or Riviera Nayarit trip around seeing it in person.

Access is intentionally restricted. Visitors reach Hidden Beach by jumping from the tour boat a short distance offshore, then swimming through the tunnel entrance wearing a life jacket. Fins are not allowed on the swim, specifically to prevent contact damage to the surrounding coral. Once inside, you can wade, swim, and snorkel in the sheltered lagoon before swimming back out the way you came. Because of the swim and the confined entrance, the experience isn’t recommended for children under four years old.

Two Very Different Tour Options

1) Island & Snorkeling Tour (no Hidden Beach)
Covers the exterior beaches and reefs of the islands — including Playa La Nopalera, prized for its clear water and colorful fish — plus snorkeling around the rock formations. This option does not include the wristband required for Hidden Beach, but it’s a relaxed, family-friendly way to see the park.

2) Island Tour + Hidden Beach Access
The tour everyone asks for by name. Includes everything in the standard tour plus the guided swim into Playa Escondida/Playa del Amor. Because access is capped at roughly 116 people per day, this option requires advance reservations, especially in high season (December–April) and around Mexican holidays.

Flora & Fauna of the Marine Reserve
The Marietas punch well above their size for wildlife density. Depending on the season, boat crossing, and a bit of luck, visitors regularly spot:

Birdlife
Blue-footed booby
Brown-footed (Nazca) booby
Magnificent frigatebird
Brown pelican
Gray-breasted martin
Seagulls and shorebirds
Marine Life
Humpback whales (seasonal, Dec–Mar)
Olive Ridley sea turtles
Manta rays and dolphins (occasional)
Yellow snapper & butterfly barber fish
Humphead parrotfish
Coral, including cauliflower coral

The blue-footed booby colony in particular has become one of the park’s calling cards — the Marietas are among the more accessible places in Mexico to see this famously odd-footed seabird nesting in the wild.

Best Time to Visit Islas Marietas

Season Months What to Expect
Whale-watching window December – March Humpback whales are frequently sighted en route to and around the islands; pair a Marietas tour with whale watching for a two-in-one excursion.
Best snorkel visibility May – June Warmer, calmer, clearer water generally offers the best underwater viewing of the year.
Rainy/warm season July – October Warm water, occasional tropical showers and swell; check conditions and operator advisories before booking.
Peak crowds Dec 20 – Jan 5, Semana Santa (Easter week) Book Hidden Beach access well ahead — the 116-person daily cap fills quickly during Mexican school holidays.
Reminder: the national park is closed to all visitors on Mondays and Tuesdays year-round to allow the ecosystem to rest — plan your visit for Wednesday through Sunday.

How to Get to Islas Marietas

Because the park sits inside a protected federal reserve, independent boating is not an option — every visit runs through a licensed tour operator with an official park concession. Tours depart from several points around Banderas Bay and the southern Riviera Nayarit coast:

Punta Mita / Corral del Risco — the closest launch point; crossing time is roughly 30–45 minutes each way, making this the shortest overall tour.

La Cruz de Huanacaxtle — a popular marina departure for Riviera Nayarit-based travelers.
Sayulita — a scenic, slightly longer crossing, often bundled with a morning in Sayulita town itself.

Marina Vallarta & Marina Puerto Vallarta — the longest crossing, but convenient for travelers staying in the Puerto Vallarta hotel zone or Zona Romántica.

Nuevo Nayarit — several operators based around Nuevo Nayarit’s marina corridor run combined Marietas/whale-watching packages.

Total tour length runs roughly two hours on the water plus transportation time to and from your departure marina, so budget a half-day at minimum, longer if you’re combining it with whale watching or a stop in a coastal town.

Islas Marietas vs. Los Arcos Marine Park
Puerto Vallarta travelers often ask how the Marietas compare with the closer-in Los Arcos Marine Park near Mismaloya. They’re both protected marine parks in Banderas Bay, but they serve different trip goals:

Feature Islas Marietas Los Arcos Marine Park

Signature feature Hidden Beach crater cove Natural granite sea arches & tunnels
Distance from Puerto Vallarta Farther — off Punta Mita, north side of the bay Closer — 15–20 min south of downtown

Access restrictions Daily visitor cap for Hidden Beach; closed Mon/Tue Open access by boat, no daily cap
Best for: Bucket-list photo destination, birdwatching, half/full-day excursion Snorkeling, scuba diving, quick half-day trip

Whale watching Excellent, Dec–Mar Good, Dec–Mar
Many travelers with a longer stay in the region do both — Los Arcos for an easy, closer-in snorkel and dive day, and the Marietas for the full Hidden Beach experience with a Punta Mita or Sayulita day trip attached.

Conservation & Responsible Travel
The Marietas’ protected status is precisely why the islands still look the way they do. Visitors are asked to:

Wear a life jacket (required) and skip fins on the Hidden Beach swim to avoid contact with coral
Use reef-safe, biodegradable sunscreen only
Never touch, stand on, or collect coral, shells, or marine life
Pack out all trash — no single-use plastics left behind
Book only with licensed operators holding an official park concession
Respect nesting bird areas and keep noise levels down near colonies

🎥 See it before you go: Promovision’s YouTube channel features 220+ Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit video guides, including boat-tour and Banderas Bay wildlife footage that gives you a real preview of the crossing, the Hidden Beach swim-through, and the surrounding islands. Subscribe and watch on YouTube →

Insider Tips Before You Book

Reserve Hidden Beach access several days ahead in high season
Confirm whether your tour includes the Hidden Beach wristband — many don’t by default
Check that your operator holds an official park concession
Ask about departure point — Punta Mita is the shortest crossing

What to Pack

Reef-safe sunscreen (required at most marine parks in the bay)
A rash guard or swim shirt for sun protection during the swim
A waterproof phone case or action camera
Cash for tips, water, or snacks at the marina
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a permit to visit Islas Marietas?

What is the best time of year to visit?

Can you swim into Hidden Beach on your own?

How do you get there from Puerto Vallarta or Punta Mita?

Is it good for families and beginners?

Plan the Rest of Your Riviera Nayarit Trip
Pair your Islas Marietas day with a stay in Punta Mita, a surf-and-taco afternoon in Sayulita, or a base in Nuevo Nayarit.

Explore the Full Riviera Nayarit Guide
Continue Planning on PromovisionPV
Los Arcos Marine Park Reserve, Puerto Vallarta
Punta Mita Travel Guide
Sayulita Travel Guide
Nuevo Nayarit Travel Guide
Riviera Nayarit Destination Hub
External Resources
Riviera Nayarit CVB — Official Marietas Island & Hidden Beach Tour Page
UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme
Visit Nayarit — Official Tourism Board

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