Marietas Islands: Cavern Swim and Snorkel Cruise from Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

The Bay of Banderas and the Mexican Pacific offer a vast array of wildlife and are available for you to explore during this exciting day tour. You'll have the opportunity to discover the wonders of nature while looking out for dolphins, whales, giant manta rays, sea turtles and tropical fish, all in their natural environment! Complete with bird watching, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving and kayaking in the warm waters that surround the Marietas Islands, this eco-adventure provides for an exciting itinerary on your Puerto Vallarta vacation!

This day tour successfully combines a day of fun in the sun with the wonderful opportunity to learn more about the ideal ecosystem and diverse sea life that Banderas Bay has to offer. Gaze at Pacific Bottlenose dolphins, spotted dolphins and spinner dolphins as they swim in their luxurious Banderas Bay habitat. Watching them all-year round is a great way to learn more about these beautiful and intelligent mammals.

Encounter other marine life such as whales, giant manta ray and tropical fish as well as indigenous birds including the blue-footed booby and red-billed tropic bird that are situated at the Northern end of Banderas Bay.

During the day, you'll have time to explore the islands' rocky caverns and archways while on a kayak, snorkeling or even scuba diving! For your comfort and safety, knowledgeable and bilingual eco-guides are always on hand to help, advise and entertain you! 

USD $85.00

Review by:   Terri L,    June 2018
It was a beautiful day, if a bit chilly. The water was quite cold, and fortunately my husband and I brought our dive suits so we were fine. They tour line offered dive suits for those that wanted them, which was nice. Water was murky but we knew this since I had dived in Mexico before, so not much to see in terms of fish, etc. The tour required us to wear flotation devices, and weren't happy if we took them off, so no free diving unfortunately, not that we would have seen much. Was fun, though.

Review by:   Bob M,    May 2018
What a fantastic trip! I highly recommend it.

Review by:   Karen T,    March 2018
We arrived early at Vallarta centre had a nice breakfast to start, then was allocated our boat ours was num 4 . Is a was our tour guide we went out yo the island spotted a couple of dolphins no whales. Once we hot thrre we went snorkling , the water was fine, saw lots of colourful fish, you could also do paddle boarding , kayaking rec, we was tired after our snorkling,. Then back on board for light lunch which was very good. Lots of drink. We enjoyed the margaritas. On way to a different island I spotted the tail of a humpback , then it diisappeared for a few minutes then I saw again to the left side , by the time the boat stopped it was away from us but stilll put on a tremendous show in the distance think it was a mother and calf. Amaxing made my year_br/_ We hgen went to a different island where we hot off the boat thre was a bananna boat, more jayaks padfle biarfinh. We haf rubbing rings hac an hour at ghis beach,Then back on board for the journey back. Also spotted loads of Manra Rays, The crew entertained us. Fantastic trip really enjoyed. We got 3 more trips booked with this company. Excellent value for money, Thank you.

Review by:   Delvin H,    March 2018
My first time in Puerto Vallarta and my first time doing an activity like this and I must say, from someone will really high standards for things, this was fun and my friends and I had a blast. The trip took roughly 5-6 hours but that gave us plenty of time to enjoy the activities at hand and enjoy every moment. Especially, being on the boat with the crew members, who were awesome and very friendly. I came to like them and my friends and I enjoyed their company. Take advantage of this. Make friends out in the sun, on a boat making memories, that is what this trip is about. The best part, in my opinion, is the boat ride itself and just enjoying the company of friends, crew, and strangers. Enjoy it because when I come back, I'll be doing it again.

Review by:   truscottcj,    March 2018
This tour was exceptional. Every crew member was fun, positive, professional, thoughtful, and caring. I traveled with another single mom and these guys did every possible thing they could to help us have a safe and exciting time. The weather didn't cooperate, but that didn't slow them down - they brought us blankets to be warm until the sun came out, kept our kids smiling and cheerful, and did the most amazing job. Of all the tours I've been on, this was hands down the very best. I can't thank Benjamin, Donny, Beto and the rest of the crew enough. You guys are amazing!!!

Review by:   Pavitra P,    March 2018
This tour was amazing!

Review by:   Sharon L F,    February 2018
This was a great trip. I didn't go snorkeling but my husband did. We saw so many whales on the way and the trip back. It was fantastic. The food was great the guides were entertaining. A big shout out to Allen!!

Review by:   Melody F,    February 2018
This is a tough review to write. First the staff service on board was very good but the weather was less than cooperative thus 1/3 of the people on board were VERY sea sick. The first stop was for snorkeling which was unorganized compared to other snorkeling tours I have been on. The guide jumped in the water and didn't wait for everyone. The water was very rough so you needed a guide to show you the areas otherwise your really would not see much. I didn't see anything and just bobbed around out in the ocean until I got tired and could barely make it back tot he boat. There was no kayaking or other water activities. The lunch was quite good considering on board. The one great thing was that we did get to see whales on our way back. Originally I thought, and so did others who booked the tour, that we would be swimming at the hidden beach at the time I booked this that was the photo that was displayed for the tour. Do not be fooled. You will not see the hidden beach or even hear a story about the hidden beach much to our disappointment. Seeing as many whales as we did on the way back made up for this but we were really excited to see the hidden beach apparently you need to book this 1 month in advance. Also, our tour was nowhere near 7 hours. So unfortunately mother nature made this tour experience not that great for us so the best I can give is a 3.

Review by:   Keith D,    February 2018
We saw dozens of whales and dolphins heading to the Islands, several different kinds of birds on and around the Islands, would have preferred more time to snorkel. They give you a close up view of the Island and it's wildlife inhabitants with a commentary. The meals provided were excellent, drinks were non stop after the activities and the crew put on a good performance on the trip back with plenty of stopping for more whale sightings.

Review by:   Matt G,    February 2018
The details do not reflect the true nature of this trip. Its approximately 5-6 hours, but youre only snorkeling for 30 minutes or so. Most of the time is spent going to or from the islands. The stylish vessel is a large ship packed to the seems with a lot of people perhaps 100-150? There is a ton of confusion about what to do and where to go when you first check in youre told to sit in a dining area where you can get coffee and food but surprise, its not the included continental breakfast. Be ready to pay for it. You also have Scuba divers on this trip, kayakers, etc. Its just mass hysteria. You also linger for a long time waiting for the Scuba divers to return, wasting your time.

Review by:   glennstuart,    January 2018
We had a great day on the boat. The service was outstanding and the crew was friendly and fun. The finally, a show put on by the staff was very entertaining. _br/_ The snorkeling could have been better. The water was not real clear and there wasn't many fish. We did see lots of humpbacks and ever witnessed 3 breaches. The captain was able to get us close to the whales but not too close that they would be affected. It was a wonderful day and I would recommend it

Review by:   Shauna,    January 2018
I had a ton of fun with this tour! The guides and people working on the boat were great. About my only complaint was the water, due to the storms in the area snorkeling was really rough and I actually didn't stay out as much as I normally would have. So other than the weather playing a small factor in that the overall tour was great. Fun, energetic, great food and playful staff and company!

Review by:   judylapointe,    December 2017
This was one of the best snorkelling experiences we've ever had! There were so many beautiful fish!! The day we went it was raining and stormy but even with nasty conditions the snorkelling was absolutely amazing! The water was warmer than the air! The boat ride was long, but entertaining. The food was good and staff were fantastic! They entertained us with a fabulous show! The bonus part of this trip were the whales! We say so many! Even breaching whales! It was truly spectacular! If you go to Puerto Vallarta you absolutely MUST do this trip!

Review by:   Eric F,    December 2017
we loved this. just my hubby and i and the crew was just amazing!!! the food was ok and the drinks were plenty...but the water and the views were just amazing. we found ourselves just wanting to sit in the water and rest...it was peaceful, enjoyable and quite pleasant. lots of great history shared and appreciated the crew's knowledge. a definite highlight was the crew's closing out show with lip syncing and dancing....i was bummed i ran out of storage on my phone. they were charismatic, funny, and well rehearsed. they were definitely unsung MUSIC ARTISTS as they sang songs from Prince, Bruno Mars and maybe...Elvis. I don't know...it was all a good time and i would do this AGAIN!!!

Review by:   Nancy H,    October 2017
This was a perfect trip. Absolutely wonderful snorkeling a delightful tour guides. Lots of time in the water in different places. Absolutely wonderful day. I highly recommend this tour.

Review by:   Rhonda G,    October 2017
Sadly, this tour was not anything like what it was billed to be. I had called to ask some questions specifically about the snorkel swim through the tunnel to get to the hidden beach. I had a long conversation with the representative on the phone about the difficulty and duration of this swim in order to gage if it was within our group's capabilities and interests. After chatting and getting a better idea of the requirements, I went ahead and booked this excursion for three. It was one of the only excursions I booked in advance because I'd also been told that visits to the hidden beach were limited by the Mexican government so I wanted to make extra certain we would be able to enjoy this remarkable experience.

Review by:   Ricardo J,    September 2017
My family originally signed up for the Snorkel activity. A couple of days prior we decided to do the Scuba Diving activity. Viator made it extremely inconvenient and difficult for us to make the change from one to the other. I would HIGHLY recommend you stick to your original planned activity so you do not spend many hours and money changing plans. Other than that, we had a great time.

Review by:   Alexandre P,    August 2017
amazing team and fun tour

Review by:   Shauna V,    July 2017
What a fun day! The crew were awesome, the islands were beautiful. The food and atmosphere were just a delight. Fun for the whole family.

Review by:   Carmelo S,    July 2017
I got sick cause of the food. I don't normally get sick from foreign food or even get seasick for that matter. I didn't get my potential experience there as I was just lying down for the most part. Most people seemed to have enjoyed it given that they didn't get sick. I'm sure you'll enjoy it too. It's just my luck that I got sick. Hopefully, if you do choose to do this, you don't get sick too. Have fun!

Review by:   PV,    July 2017
We had a great time on the snorkeling adventure. The staff and crew were a blast and very helpful. The food was great and there were drinks. I got a little seasick so didn't have as good of a time as I was hoping. The snorkeling itself was just OK. The water was a little murkey so we couldn't see very well. They told us the captain was the best in all of Mexico and I'm pretty sure he was.

Review by:   Debra E,    July 2017
This tour was amazing!

Review by:   Debra E,    June 2017
This tour was amazing!

Review by:   Heidi G,    June 2017
The snorkeling itself was OK we had to stay in a group which made it a bit difficult to enjoy things at your own pace. The visibility was not great and I did not see much variety of sea life. They offered standup paddle boards and kayaks, which was fun, if you didn't mind waiting in line to use them. The crew was fantastic and really made the trip for us. They were all very friendly and attentive and made sure that we were enjoying ourselves. A member of the team noticed my niece was itching she has eczema and offered her a cream to help, which I thought was so thoughtful. The performance on the way back totally made the trip!

Review by:   Roxanne B,    June 2017
Only fun part of the trip was the return portion and an entertaining crew. Food was mediocre at best, snorkeling was horrible and the long ride out and back for only around 35 minutes of time in the water was really disappointing. Nothing to really see. Water was extremely cold and murky with no visibility. Told before hand that each person must bring an additional 114 pesos for additional fees, but ended up being up charged to even get on the boat. Would not recommend or do this trip again. Nice crew was the only good thing about the day. Would have much preferred staying at the resort and not wasting an entire day on this.

Review by:   Lisa M,    May 2017
With a few hiccups along the way, boat broke down we were offered an exceptional back up plan and upgraded tour. Food was exceptional and service on the island as well as the on the boat was superior.

Review by:   EDMUIND P C,    April 2017
Seeing this beautiful area by boat is certainly the way to go and a must do! We are from Hawaii and love to snorkel plus obviously be on the water. We appreciated the friendly staff prior to boarding and on the boat. The boat crew were extremely helpful, polite and went above and beyond to assist and insure that everyone's experience was positive. Yet, as I read on a post prior to booking the water is terribly murky I mean bad!! and the fish scarce. I sincerely believe that even though the scenery below the water line was terrible, we should have at least gotten more time to swim and use kayaks, boards, etc. It was really short probably 30-40 minutes...and since it was almost a 2 hour trip to our destination, more time is logical isn't that why we booked and is advertised? And it wasn't schedule issue either. On our return trip the boat stopped so many times, I thought we would never come ashore! How about less stopping and more swimming? The crew performed funny skits that made the return trip go a bit faster with the distractions, but why all the stopping? This is not the area to expect interesting snorkeling and probably not the excursion to book if you want to enjoy water activities.

Review by:   Daniel,    April 2017
세계 자연유산으로 지정된 마리에타 섬의 바다에서 스노클링와 카약킹 등 물놀이를 즐길 수 있고 다양한 생태계를 관찰할 수 있습니다. 푸에르토 바야르타 선착장에서 출발하여 약 한 시간 정도 배를 타고 가면 마리에타 섬이 나타납니다. 섬 가까운 바다에 배가 멈추고 스노클링이나 카약킹, 웨이크 보드 중 원하는 물놀이를 선택하여 장비를 챙겨 물로 들어갑니다. 스노클링의 경우 뭍에 가까운 쪽까지 수영해가면 다양한 종류의 물고기들과 산호초들을 구경할 수 있습니다. 물놀이 이후에는 햇볕에 몸을 말리며 선상 뷔페를 즐깁니다. 휴식 후 다시 출발하는 배는 섬 주변을 돌며 새 군락지와 섬주변 기암괴석들을 둘러봅니다. 다만 흔히 알려져있는 천장이 뚫린 지형을 직접 상륙하여 볼 수 없었던 것이 아쉬웠습니다. 푸에르토 바야르타로 돌아오는 뱃길에서 고래들을 볼 수 있었습니다. 작은 무리의 고래들이 꼬리로 물장구를 치며 장난치는 모습을 보았습니다. 고래들은 보통 이 지역에 11월3월 사이에 서식한다고 합니다. 이 여행의 백미는 가이드와 선원들의 몸을 아끼지 않는 코믹 음악/댄스 공연입니다. 푸에르토 바야르타에 가까워갈수록 더 흥겨워지고 신이 납니다. 선상에서는 음식과 간식, 알코올음료 등이 무제한 제공되며 남녀 구분된 화장실을 갖추고 있습니다. 신나는 공연으로 마무리된 여행은 유쾌한 기억으로 남았습니다.

Review by:   kimbra_922,    March 2017
NO TRANSPORTATION LIKE IT SAID. WE HAVE TO BE THERE FOR 7:00 AM. LIKE I SAID NO TRANSPORTATION. WATER IS COOL YOUR THERE BY 9:00. VERY COLD ON THE WAY OUT. I DID HAVE A GOOD TIME.

Review by:   Keriann L,    February 2017
The waters were murky but we still got to see fish, Birds, whales and dolphins. The boat ride out was really choppy so I got seasick along with many other people but the crew was vee accommodating and prepared. The ride back was perhaps the most fun part the crew was fun and entertaining!

Review by:   vim,    January 2017
I was going to rate this 4 stars because there were 100 Pesos fees that had to be paid upon arrival that I was not aware of. But, the experience was great, so I can't complain too much. You get rent kayaks, paddle boards and snorkel gear to check out some of the island's sea life. The water was pretty murky on the day I went, so I wasn't able to see much. Not sure if that is typical. Nevertheless, it was still a very pleasant experience. The on board breakfast and lunch was... sufficient. The staff was friendly and entertaining. I enjoyed the experience and would recommend it to others.

Review by:   michael h,    January 2017
Great trip. Crew was great. In spite of what the home office said, they do provide wet suits. I travel the Caribbean side, snorkeling does not compare - water murky, but you can see fish. The crew located a great pod of whales. Food on board was good. I would recommend this tour if visiting the area. Water temp was 75 degrees

Review by:   Robert P,    January 2017
It is titled Cavern Swim. There is no Cavern and there will not be a cavern anytime soon, so it MUST be renamed. We wanted a snorkelling experience like those of the past in different parts of the world. This was 1 hour with 160 people 3 boats in a tiny space with snorkel masks. I got kicked in the head multiple times we were so close together. Definitely not as pictured. Do not do this if you have never snorkelled. No instruction, choppy water, it won't be a pleasant experience. They tried to make up for the lack of snorkelling by spending 15 minutes talking about 2 species of birds. The only went 25 around a single island. So there was no seeing the islands. They stopped to watch whales on the way back to make up for the snorkelling. The crew put their heart into entertaining us. But we were looking for a 4 hour snorkelling experience. We got this weird mis-mash of entertainment, lets drink and party, look at some birds and you can swim for an hour with a bunch of other people. Do not do this if you are looking for a snorkelling experience. Otherwise they are nice professional people. It is just a very mislabeled trip.

Review by:   Darwin A,    January 2017
Memorable moments with my girlfriend.

Review by:   Tessa A,    January 2017
The crew was great and it was a really fun trip!

Review by:   Sheri M,    January 2017
The boat ride to the Islands was nice and the food was fine but nothing fancy. It was a bit disappointing that the beach was still closed so we weren't allowed to go there, but they added on some whale watching instead which is was nice. It was nice to have some time to snorkel and kayak although there wasn't too much to see snorkeling. The boat tour around the Island was nice ... there were a lot of birds nesting there! ... but the guide didn't point out as much as he could have or share much information. My daughter and I signed up to do one scuba dive and were a bit disappointed with that. We were only allowed to go under for 20 minutes and there really wasn't much to see. Our dive expert was more interested in doing breathing tricks for us then pointing out interesting underwater life. Perhaps if you signed up for 2 dives it would have been a better experience as they traveled out to another location. If you're interested in diving, I would advise signing up for an activity that is strictly diving and not this combination tour.

Review by:   Kevin L,    January 2017
I must say that I may be spoiled from traveling all these years to where this excursion wasn't that exciting. The video and description is a little misleading. I thought we would be snorkeling in caves. Instead, we rode a catamaran an hour out to Mariatas, went in to the water which was cold for 90 minutes to either snorkel, paddle board or kayak, drove up to the cave to take a picture, did whale watching and headed back. The Vallarta Adventure Tour company is hands down the best in the business and the whale watching was great. The highlight of the trip though was Isa and his crew doing a song and dance as we headed back. That was FUN! Boat 4. All in all it was an ok excursion for the money, but after doing the Outdoor Adventure two days before, which was incredible, this was didn't live up to the expectations.

Review by:   Alex D,    January 2017
So the tour is not what I expected it to be, but I loved it and would highly recommend to everyone, children and adults alike.

Review by:   Vim,    January 2017
I was going to rate this 4 stars because there were 100 Pesos fees that had to be paid upon arrival that I was not aware of. But, the experience was great, so I can't complain too much. You get rent kayaks, paddle boards and snorkel gear to check out some of the island's sea life. The water was pretty murky on the day I went, so I wasn't able to see much. Not sure if that is typical. Nevertheless, it was still a very pleasant experience. The on board breakfast and lunch was... sufficient. The staff was friendly and entertaining. I enjoyed the experience and would recommend it to others.

Review by:   Larry O,    November 2016
Kevin and the crew on boat 5 were excellent and very happy to help in any way they could. The water was crystal clear and so warm. So many different types of fish to see. Even saw a few dolphins on the way back.Kevin did a great job explaining the birds and showing us around. Would definitely do this again. The entertainment on the way back kept us in stitches laughing. Don't know where the crew gets their energy.

Review by:   Arpana H,    November 2016
This was an unbelivable experience. While the actual excursion was a lot of fun, the staff made the trip...I have never been so impressed by this level of service. Food was good, drinks were great, staff was on top of everything and very knowledgeable and it was a very well planned trip. The only downside, which has nothing to do with the company, was that they closed off touring of the beach on the island, but that was a governmental decision, so nothing could be done. I still highly recommend the experience.

Review by:   rstevenson.gbit,    October 2016
The water was wonderful and they kept me very entertained! It was a great ocean adventure.

Review by:   Tammy B,    October 2016
We enjoyed the trip but we were disappointed we did not get to go to hidden beach or swim in the cavern. They do not tell you that until you are already out on the boat. The crew was great though and we enjoyed the entertainment on the way back.

Review by:   Todd C,    October 2016
Even though we did not get to see the hidden beach, this trip was SO MUCH FUN!!! Between the snorkeling, kayaking, and paddle boarding, and bird watching, there was more than enough to do. Top that off with a nice lunch, awesome crew, the open bar, and the fantastic show the crew members put on during the trip back to shore, this is a day of fun the whole family will enjoy and remember for years to come!

Review by:   Thomas C,    September 2016
Incredible!!! although the hidden beach is closed for another 4 months... wish I had known bu it was an amazing experience none the less!

Review by:   Bruce V,    September 2016
was disappointed in that we booked this tour, only to find on the day just before we left port that we were not going to go to the Island or beach as the park had been closed to public access. We ended up doing an eco discovery tour which was not what we signed up and paid for. The crew however were very good. provided great assistance with using the equipment and the put on a fantastic show on the return journey. The weather was clear but there had been a lot of recent rain which made the waters in the bay very cloudy. Not a lot of wildlife around. There were good amounts of birds in and around the island.

Review by:   Richard N,    August 2016
The entertainment was by far the best part of this trip. The snorkeling was just so so, but snorkeling on the Pacific side is nothing like the Caribbean. But for the cost, it was a fun trip.

Review by:   Miriam E,    July 2016
I went to this trip on a Thursday and it was amazing. I took my aunt my 3yr old niece and grandma! The crew was very sweet and took well care of my grandma always made sure she was okay. Given she wasn and #39;t able to snorkel paddle board or kayak she still had a great time with the show drinks and food.

Review by:   David M,    July 2016
Crew good, nice snorkeling, too long of lines to wait to use paddle boards or canoes, food not great for price of a five hour trip.

Review by:   Wendy C,    July 2016
Great tour! A must do for the family.