↑ ↓ to move ↵ to open esc to close
    Los Arcos rocks rising from the sea off Mismaloya, Jalisco

    Photo by The Cosmonaut, CC BY-SA 2.5 ca, via Wikimedia Commons

    The sea arch of Los Arcos seen from a boat, Los Arcos de Mismaloya, Jalisco

    Photo by DarkNight0917, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Boats at the arch of Los Arcos, Los Arcos de Mismaloya, Jalisco

    Photo by Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    Nature reserve Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Municipality of Puerto Vallarta Banderas Bay

    Five granite islets with sea arches off Mismaloya, a marine refuge since 1975 and the bay's favourite snorkel stop, under ten minutes by boat from the beach.

    Reached by boat from Playa Mismaloya: 10 min each way. How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    Where to stay near Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Los Arcos de Mismaloya.

    Hotels in Los Arcos de Mismaloya Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Los Arcos de Mismaloya; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Bioluminescence and sunset by boat to Los Arcos de Mismaloya From US$44
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    • Reached by boat from Playa Mismaloya: 10 min each way.
    • From Puerto Vallarta: about 20 min by road (~17 km)
    • Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
    Rent a car at PVR Flights to PVR

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Popular tours to Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    Bioluminescence and sunset by boat to Los Arcos de Mismaloya 2 h 30 min From US$44
    Paddleboard and Snorkeling Experience in Los Arcos ★ 4.9 (132) 4 h From US$64
    Snorkel & Epic Boat Ride to Los Arcos Sanctuary ★ 5.0 (49) 2 h 30 min From US$47
    Bioluminescence-Beach-rio-tasting in Mismaloya + transport ★ 5.0 (21) 4 h From US$99
    Explore Los Arcos and Playa ★ 5.0 (5) 3–4 h From US$61

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    Los Arcos de Mismaloya are a cluster of five granite islets in the south of Banderas Bay, about 12 km south of downtown Puerto Vallarta, standing in the sea between the beaches of Mismaloya and Las Gemelas. They were once coastal hills of the Sierra Madre; the sea wore away the rock around them and left their granite cores standing offshore. Waves have cut tunnels and caves through the rocks, and motorboats can pass through the largest arch. The three biggest are known as Roca de los Arcos, Roca de la Tortuga (Turtle Rock) and Roca del Diablo (Devil's Rock); the largest islet is about 250 m long and 160 m wide, and the two tallest rise 43 to 54 m above the water.

    After years of reef damage and overfishing, the waters around them were declared a refuge for marine flora and fauna by an agreement published on 28 July 1975, and the rocks have been referred to as a national marine park since 1984; there is a push for a formal national-park declaration, and since 2022 the 28th of July has been celebrated as Los Arcos de Mismaloya Day. Fishing, damaging the reef and disturbing the birds are illegal. The islets are a breeding ground for pelicans, blue-footed boobies, cormorants, ospreys and parakeets. The sea floor drops away fast, to around 480 m nearby, among the deepest water in the bay, and snorkellers see sergeant majors, king angelfish, Moorish idols, parrotfish, pufferfish, moray and garden eels and rays, with dolphins and humpback whales passing in winter.

    Almost every boat tour heading to the south shore stops here, so the water around the rocks can get busy; early morning brings calmer water and fewer boats. The quickest way out is a panga from Mismaloya beach, less than ten minutes away, where small operators beach their boats on the sand and sell snorkel trips; bigger tour boats leave from the Los Muertos pier and the marina. Divers use two sites on the steep western wall, and there are kayak and paddleboard trips, sunset cruises and night outings to see the bioluminescent plankton.

    How to get to Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    Drive from Puerto Vallarta to Playa Mismaloya: 20 min, 17 km

    Los Arcos can only be reached by boat. The shortest crossing is from Mismaloya beach, about 12 km south of the Zona Romántica on Highway 200: boats leave from the sand and reach the arches in under ten minutes. To get to Mismaloya, take the white Mismaloya/Boca bus from the corner of Basilio Badillo and Constitución in the Zona Romántica (about every 20 minutes, 10 pesos in January 2026), a taxi, or drive and park at the beach. Organised snorkel and sightseeing tours also leave from the Los Muertos pier and from the marina in the north hotel zone, and many south-shore tours to Las Ánimas, Quimixto and Yelapa stop here on the way.

    Reached by boat from Playa Mismaloya: 10 min each way.

    Directions to Los Arcos de Mismaloya on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Best with a guide Tours to Los Arcos de Mismaloya on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    • Puerto Vallarta · 17 km by road, 20 min to Playa Mismaloya, then 10 min by boat
    • Autlán · about 170 km by road, ~2 h 30 min to Playa Mismaloya, then 10 min by boat
    • Tepic · 190 km by road, 2 h 35 min to Playa Mismaloya, 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 Los Arcos de Mismaloya: hours, prices and tips

    Time needed
    A snorkel tour that takes the public bus from downtown to Mismaloya and a boat out to Los Arcos lasts about three and a half hours in all. Civitatis · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    Humpback whales pass through Banderas Bay from December to March; go early in the morning for calmer water and fewer boats. Take Me To Puerto Vallarta · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    Open all year; the dry season, November to April, usually brings calmer water and the best visibility for snorkelling and diving. Visit Puerto Vallarta · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    You need a boat: a panga or snorkel trip from Mismaloya beach, or a tour from the Los Muertos pier or the marina. Tours usually include the boat, a life vest and snorkel gear. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Visit Puerto Vallarta · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Reef-safe sunscreen and a dry bag for your phone and towel; most tours supply the snorkel gear. Take Me To Puerto Vallarta · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Protected area: fishing, damaging the reef, touching marine life and disturbing the nesting birds are prohibited. Boats must carry life jackets. Take Me To Puerto Vallarta · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Los Arcos de Mismaloya: what to see and do

    Snorkel among the rocks to see angelfish, sergeant majors, Moorish idols, eels and rays.
    Ride a boat through the largest arch and into the sea caves.
    Watch pelicans, blue-footed boobies and ospreys on the islets.
    Dive the deep western wall, which has two dive sites.
    Go out on a night trip to see the bioluminescent plankton, or on a sunset cruise.
    Look for humpback whales passing in winter.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Los Arcos de Mismaloya.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Los Arcos de Mismaloya; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PVR (Puerto Vallarta): about 41 min by road to Sayulita, then 39 km more to Los Arcos de Mismaloya, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puerto Vallarta (PVR), about 41 min by road from Sayulita, the base for Los Arcos de Mismaloya.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on hiking at Los Arcos de Mismaloya, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Sayulita: download a map of the way to Los Arcos de Mismaloya before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Photos

    When to go to Los Arcos de Mismaloya warm

    Los Arcos de Mismaloya shares the climate of Sayulita, 39 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.

    See the month-by-month climate of Sayulita

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Sayulita

    Palm-shaded street of shops and stalls in the center of Sayulita, Nayarit warm
    Nayarit Sayulita

    Sayulita is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Los Arcos de Mismaloya, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    Near Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Los Arcos de Mismaloya

    Nature Parks in Jalisco · 17 Nature Parks near Puerto Vallarta · 7 Nature Parks near Mascota · 4 Nature Parks near Talpa de Allende · 5

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.