Nature reserve 24 km southwest of Sayulita
A protected island park off Punta de Mita, home of the famous Hidden Beach inside a crater-like hollow.
The Marieta Islands are two small, uninhabited volcanic islands about 8 kilometers off Punta de Mita. They have been a national park since 2005 and are part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve, protected for their seabirds, including blue-footed boobies, and for the reefs around them.
The islands are best known for Playa del Amor, the Hidden Beach: a patch of sand inside a hollow in the rock, open to the sky, that you reach by swimming through a short tunnel from the sea. So many people came that the beach was closed in 2016 to let the reef recover. It reopened with strict limits: about 116 visitors a day, in small groups with authorized guides, for a short stay, and it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Even without the Hidden Beach, a day around the islands means snorkeling over clear water, watching the birds on the cliffs, and in winter often seeing humpback whales on the way.
What to see and do
Snorkel around the islands with an authorized tour.
Visit the Hidden Beach (Playa del Amor) if you book one of the limited permits ahead; you swim in through a tunnel, so you need to be comfortable in open water.
Watch for blue-footed boobies and other seabirds nesting on the cliffs.
In winter, look out for humpback whales on the boat ride.
Getting there
Only authorized tour boats may visit. The shortest trips leave from Punta de Mita (about 25 minutes from Sayulita), with a ride of roughly 15 minutes to the islands; longer tours leave from Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta. Landing on the islands is not allowed except at the Hidden Beach with a permit.
24 km southwest of Sayulita
Directions from Sayulita on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Islas Marietas
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Tours & activities
Guided tours, tastings, and day trips in and around Islas Marietas.
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Weather warm
Islas Marietas shares the climate of Sayulita, 24 km away. The best months to visit are Mar, Apr, May, Nov.
Make Sayulita your base
Islas Marietas is an easy trip from Sayulita, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Sayulita
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Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.