Island Acapulco de Juárez, Guerrero Municipality of Acapulco de Juárez Acapulco Bay
Wooded island a ten-minute boat ride off Caleta, with a calm beach, snorkelling, a trail up to the lighthouse and the sunken Virgen de los Mares on the way.
Reached by boat from Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco: 10 min each way. How to get there ↓
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Tours to Isla La Roqueta
Day trips and guided outings from Guerrero often include Isla La Roqueta; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Tours from Acapulco
Paddle Boarding At Acapulco´s Bay
★ 5.0 (246) · From US$24
How to get to Isla La Roqueta
- Reached by boat from Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco: 10 min each way.
- From Acapulco: about 5 min by road (~6 km)
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Tours from Acapulco, near Isla La Roqueta
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About Isla La Roqueta
La Roqueta is the green, hilly island that closes off the southwest corner of Acapulco Bay, just across a narrow channel from the beaches of Caleta and Caletilla on the Península de las Playas. It covers about 0.71 km² and has no permanent residents; it is a protected natural area covered in tropical forest, and its rocky shores and small beaches are the old town's easiest escape from the city. Its sheltering bulk, together with the islet just off Caleta, is what keeps the water at Caleta and Caletilla so calm.
The island has a long history as a lookout. Pirates hunting the Manila galleon are said to have hidden here, a short way from the port, and in June 1813, during the War of Independence, José María Morelos ordered the island taken from the royalist troops holding it: Hermenegildo Galeana watched from the Caleta shore as 80 insurgent soldiers were ferried across for the attack. Today the main draw is the beach facing the mainland, with calm water, restaurants, toilets and rented chairs and umbrellas; snorkelling and diving are better on the far side, and kayaks and snorkel gear can be rented. A trail of about 3 km climbs through the forest to the lighthouse on the hilltop, which looks out over the whole bay.
The crossing is part of the fun. Water taxis leave the Caleta and Caletilla pier through the day and take eight to ten minutes. Glass-bottomed boats make a slower, roughly 45-minute loop that passes the Virgen de los Mares, a bronze statue of the Virgin set about 7 m down on the sea floor near the rocky islet of La Yerbabuena, and points out sea life and celebrities' houses on the shore. Every 12 December the fishermen's boats sail out to the Virgin with music and flowers. The beach on the island gets very busy on weekends and holidays.
How to get to Isla La Roqueta
Drive from Acapulco to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco: 5 min, 6 km
La Roqueta can only be reached by boat. Boats leave daily from the pier between Playa Caleta and Playa Caletilla, at the end of the Costera in old Acapulco; the direct crossing takes eight to ten minutes, and glass-bottomed boats take about 45 minutes with stops over the Virgen de los Mares. Glass-bottomed tours also leave from near the Zócalo. To reach Caleta, take any bus marked "Caleta" along the Costera, or a taxi.
Reached by boat from Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco: 10 min each way.
Directions to Isla La Roqueta on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Isla La Roqueta
- Acapulco · 6 km by road, 5 min to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then 10 min by boat
- Chilpancingo · 111 km by road, 1 h 20 min to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then 10 min by boat
- Iguala · 216 km by road, 2 h 50 min to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then 10 min by boat
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Isla La Roqueta: hours, prices and tips
- Hours
- Boats to the island leave daily from about 11 am to 4 pm; the last boats back leave between 5 and 6 pm, before sunset. Food & Pleasure · checked Oct 2026
- Entry
- The round-trip boat costs about 200 pesos per adult (reported April 2026); children under 1.10 m ride free. ZonaTuristica · checked Oct 2026
- Best time of day
- On 12 December, the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the boats sail out to the Virgen de los Mares with music and flowers. Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- You need a boat: a water taxi or glass-bottomed boat from the Caleta–Caletilla pier. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Lonely Planet · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- Food and drinks are pricey on the island; many visitors bring their own, and you can rent chairs and umbrellas. Food & Pleasure · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Isla La Roqueta: what to see and do
Cross in a glass-bottomed boat to see the sunken Virgen de los Mares and the fish around the rocks.
Swim at the calm beach facing the mainland, with restaurants and chair rental.
Snorkel or dive on the far side of the island; gear and kayaks can be rented.
Walk the trail of about 3 km up to the lighthouse for a view over the whole bay.
Join the boat procession to the Virgin on 12 December.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Isla La Roqueta
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Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Guerrero often include Isla La Roqueta; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Guerrero: download a map of the way to Isla La Roqueta before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
Closest to Isla La Roqueta
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Playas Caleta y Caletilla · Beach · 1 km away
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Fuerte de San Diego (Museo Histórico de Acapulco) · Landmark · 3 km away
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La Quebrada · Landmark · 3 km away
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Acapulco · City · 5 km away
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Capilla Ecuménica de la Paz · Landmark · 5 km away
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Playa Condesa · Beach · 6 km away
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Playa Icacos · Beach · 6 km away
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Palma Sola · Archaeological site · 7 km away
Near Isla La Roqueta
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Pie de la Cuesta · Village · Guerrero
30 min: 10 min by boat back to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then drive -
Puerto Marqués · Village · Guerrero
35 min: 10 min by boat back to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then drive -
Laguna de Coyuca · Lagoon · Guerrero
35 min: 10 min by boat back to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then drive -
Playa Revolcadero · Beach · Guerrero
35 min: 10 min by boat back to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then drive -
Barra Vieja · Village · Guerrero
55 min: 10 min by boat back to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then drive -
Tehuacalco · Archaeological site · Guerrero
1 h 10 min: 10 min by boat back to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then drive -
Chilpancingo · City · Guerrero
1 h 30 min: 10 min by boat back to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then drive -
Chilpancingo · City
1 h 30 min: 10 min by boat back to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then drive -
Tixtla de Guerrero · Town · Guerrero
1 h 45 min: 10 min by boat back to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then drive -
El Santuario · Landmark · Guerrero
~2 h: 10 min by boat back to Playas Caleta y Caletilla, Acapulco, then drive
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.