Puerto Vallarta or Punta Mita?

How far are the Marietas Islands from Puerto Vallarta?

About 34 km, or 18 nautical miles, according to CONANP. From Punta de Mita it is only 9 km.

The CONANP park page lists distances from each town around the bay. Combined with the crossing times operators quote, this is the pier map of the Marietas:

Distances are straight lines over water; boats follow the coast a little and slow down for whales in winter. The islands themselves, Isla Redonda and Isla Larga, are uninhabited and have no dock, restaurant or shop.

How long is the boat ride from Puerto Vallarta to the Marietas Islands?

About 45 minutes to 1.5 hours each way, depending on the size and speed of the boat and the sea that day.

A fast boat from the Marina Vallarta area can do it in about 45 minutes; Vallarta Adventures quotes that for its Puerto Mágico departures. A bigger, slower boat, often with breakfast on board, takes closer to 1.5 hours. Add the same again to get back, plus the check-in, which operators usually want 30 to 45 minutes before departure.

It is a long ride for a short beach, and guests notice. One wrote: "It's a very good experience, the place is amazing, the transfer takes a bit long". In winter the crossing is often the best part of the day, with humpbacks in the middle of the bay. In a summer afternoon chop, it is the part seasick travellers dread.

How long is the boat ride from Punta Mita to the Marietas Islands?

About 15 to 20 minutes. The Punta de Mita safari lists 15 minutes each way.

Punta de Mita is the closest town on the mainland, 4.85 nautical miles from the islands. Tours here use small, fast boats, often with a roof, run by the local fishing cooperative and a few licensed operators. The short crossing is why a 3.5-hour tour can spend about 2.75 hours at the islands, as the Marietas safari does.

A short ride also means less time to feel queasy, smaller groups (ten at most on the safari), and an easy morning: you can be back at the pier before lunch. The trade-off is that you have to get to Punta de Mita first.

Fifteen minutes on the water, close to three hours at the islands, Hidden Beach entrance and the park fee listed.

★ 4.5 · 3.5 hours · from $154

Explore the Marietas safari from Punta de Mita → Tour details

How do you get from Puerto Vallarta to Punta de Mita?

By road, about an hour from downtown and about 45 minutes from the airport in normal traffic. Taxis, Uber and a cheap local bus all make the trip.

Punta de Mita is in Nayarit, north of the airport, along the coast road past Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías and La Cruz. Lonely Planet puts it about an hour north of town. Transfer companies quote about 45 minutes from the airport in normal traffic and 55 to 75 minutes at peak times, according to The Traveler. Morning traffic through Nuevo Vallarta and Bucerías is the slow part.

• Taxi: fares run by zone, so agree the price before you get in. Airport taxis to Punta Mita are quoted at roughly $50 to $100 one way, depending on the address and the vehicle.
• Uber and other ride apps: work in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta. Ride apps cannot always pick up at the airport terminal, so you may need to walk out to the road.
• Bus: the white ATM bus marked "Punta Mita" runs along the coast highway. Visit Vallarta describes catching a city bus to the Walmart stop and changing there, at a few dozen pesos in total. Fares have risen since that page was written; bring small peso notes and ask the driver.

Some tours include transport to the pier, among them the Nuevo Vallarta Hidden Beach tour. Check before you book a taxi.

Which pier for Nuevo Vallarta and La Cruz?

Nuevo Vallarta tours use the marinas inside the resort zone, such as the Paradise Village pier. La Cruz de Huanacaxtle has a large marina on the north shore.

The Hidden Beach tour leaves from the Paradise Village public pier, next to the Paradise Village hotel in Nuevo Vallarta, and returns to the same pier. From Nuevo Vallarta the crossing is about 30 to 45 minutes or more, depending on the boat.

La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, about 12 nautical miles from the islands, is a fishing town with a large marina. The snorkel and kayak boat day offers two start options on the north shore of the bay; one guest mentions Sayulita as their pick-up area. The tour page gives the exact meeting points.

If you stay in Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías or La Cruz, you are already partway to Punta de Mita, and the short tours are a much easier drive than from Puerto Vallarta.

Is Punta Mita worth visiting?

Yes, beyond the boat. It is a small fishing and surf town with calm beaches, seafood on the sand and the shortest crossing to the islands.

Punta de Mita (Punta Mita for short) is two things: a gated resort peninsula with luxury hotels and golf, and a public village with a long beach, El Anclote, a row of seafood restaurants and the pier where the fishing cooperative keeps its pangas on Avenida Anclote, as Live Punta Mita describes. Learners surf the gentle waves off El Anclote; better surfers head for the reef breaks along the point.

An early Marietas tour followed by a long lunch on El Anclote beach is a good day. Book a morning slot, and you get the calmer sea and the afternoon free.

Can you go to the Marietas Islands from Sayulita?

Yes. Sayulita is 12.68 nautical miles from the islands, but most visitors drive about half an hour to Punta de Mita and board there.

Sayulita has no proper marina, so boats launch from the beach and depend on the surf. Most Sayulita operators either drive guests to Punta de Mita or meet them there. If you stay in Sayulita, Punta de Mita is your pier: close by road, and the shortest crossing on the bay.

Getting back to Puerto Vallarta from Sayulita, green-and-white Compostela buses run along the highway; Lonely Planet gives about 50 pesos and an hour to the Walmart stop opposite the cruise terminal.

Which departure should you choose?

Stay north of the airport or want a short morning: Punta de Mita. Stay in town and want no road transfer: Puerto Vallarta. Want the Hidden Beach from Nuevo Vallarta: Paradise Village pier.

• Punta de Mita suits Sayulita, Bucerías, La Cruz and Punta Mita stays, anyone prone to seasickness, and anyone who wants the afternoon free. Marietas Islands Safari from Punta de Mita, or the private safari for your own boat.
• Nuevo Vallarta suits resort guests there and in Flamingos. Hidden Beach Tour from Nuevo Vallarta.
• Puerto Vallarta suits the Hotel Zone, downtown and cruise passengers. Marietas Snorkeling Trip from Puerto Vallarta for snorkelling, the open bar day for meals on board.

Winter visitors can add whales to any crossing; see the best time to visit. For what each tour does at the islands, read which Marietas tour to book.

Frequently asked questions