10 Best Boat Tours and Yacht Rentals in Puerto Vallarta

From a 300-peso water taxi to a private yacht for the day, Banderas Bay runs on boats. The ten trips worth taking, what a private charter actually costs you in decisions, and which marina you leave from depending on where you are staying.

Banderas Bay is one of the largest bays in the Pacific, and a good part of its coastline has no road. Yelapa, Las Ánimas, Quimixto, Majahuitas, Colomitos — you get there by boat or you do not get there. Which is why a week here without a day on the water is a week half spent.

The options run from a shared water taxi that costs less than a resort cocktail to a private yacht with a crew. Here is the full range.

1. The Boca de Tomatlán water taxi

The cheapest and most useful boat in the bay. Turn up at the beach in Boca, pay in cash, and a panga drops you at Las Ánimas, Quimixto or Yelapa. Agree your return time with the driver. No booking, no guide, no schedule — and it is how locals get around the south shore.

2. A catamaran day trip to the Marietas Islands

The classic full-day excursion: sail out to the protected islands off Punta de Mita, snorkel, lunch aboard, come back. Access is permit-controlled, so book with an authorised operator — the cheap ones without permits do not take you where they said.

3. Sunset cruise

Two to three hours out of the marina, drinks aboard, the sun going into the Pacific and the city lighting up behind you. The least demanding good thing you can do here, and the one that photographs best.

4. Whale watching (December to March)

Humpbacks come into Banderas Bay to calve every winter and the encounters are close and frequent. This is a regulated activity with legal minimum distances — a boat that races at whales is breaking the law, not giving you better value.

5. Sport fishing charter

The bay and the offshore banks hold sailfish, marlin, dorado and tuna depending on the season. Half-day inshore trips work for families; the offshore grounds at El Banco and Corbeteña are a serious full-day run. Compare boats and captains through Fish and Tours rather than booking the first flyer at the marina.

6. Private yacht charter

The whole boat, a crew, and you decide the route. For six to twelve people this is often less per head than everyone paying for a shared tour, and it is a completely different day: you stop where you want and stay as long as you like.

7. Yelapa day trip

A village at the far south of the bay with no road connection, a waterfall walk, and pie sold on the beach by women who have been doing it for decades. Go by water taxi or on a tour boat from the marina.

8. Rincón de Guayabitos and Islas Marietas combo

North-end trips out of La Cruz that combine islands, snorkeling and a beach stop. Useful if you are staying in Bucerías or La Cruz.

9. Sailing lesson or a crewed sailboat

Quieter than a catamaran party boat and better on a windy afternoon, when the bay's thermal breeze fills in reliably from the west.

10. Speedboat to Las Caletas

A private cove on the south shore, formerly John Huston's home, now run as a day and evening destination — the day-trip version and the night-time dinner-and-show version are very different products.

Party boat or small boat? Decide this first

The single biggest determinant of whether you enjoy the day.

• Large catamaran, 60–120 people. Open bar, loud music, a host with a microphone, dancing on deck. Cheapest per person. Snorkel time is short and crowded. Excellent if that is the day you want.
• Small boat, 8–20 people. Earlier departure, longer in the water, an actual guide who names what you are looking at. Costs more. This is the one to pick if you came for the bay rather than the bar.
• Private charter. Your route, your timings, your music. Makes sense from about six people up.

Operators and marketplaces such as Tours Vallarta and PV Tours list boat size and group numbers, which is the specification that actually matters and the one resort tour desks tend to leave out.

Where you leave from

• Marina Vallarta — the main departure point for catamarans, fishing charters and sunset cruises. If boats are your priority, staying here removes an hour of transfer every trip.
• Boca de Tomatlán — water taxis to the south shore villages. Closest to South Shore resorts.
• Marina Riviera Nayarit, La Cruz — whale watching, sailing and north-end trips.
• Punta de Mita / Anclote — the shortest run to the Marietas.
• Nuevo Vallarta marina — convenient if you are staying in Nuevo Vallarta, though the bigger trips still leave from Marina Vallarta.

Practical advice from people who have had the bad version of this day

• Take the earliest departure. The bay is flat in the morning and choppy after 1pm, almost every day of the year.
• Take seasickness medication before you board, not when you feel it. An hour ahead is the rule.
• Confirm what "all-inclusive" means on the boat. Some open bars are domestic spirits only; some lunches are a sandwich.
• Ask about the permit for the Marietas explicitly. If the operator is vague, book someone else.
• Cash for the crew. Tipping is normal and cards do not work at sea.
• Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat. Six hours of reflected sun off water is a different exposure to six hours on a lounger.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best boat tour in Puerto Vallarta?

For a first visit, a small-boat trip to the Marietas Islands or to Los Arcos and the south shore villages. For a special occasion, a private charter. For the best value in the bay, the Boca de Tomatlán water taxi.

How much is a yacht charter?

It scales with boat size, crew and hours, and it moves with the season — we do not publish figures that will be wrong in six months. Get two or three quotes for the same boat size and day length and you will see the market quickly.

Can I book a boat tour when I arrive, or should I book ahead?

In high season, book the specific trips ahead — permitted Marietas operators and whale-watching boats fill up in February. Sunset cruises and water taxis you can arrange the day before.

Are boat tours suitable for young children?

Small-boat trips and short cruises, yes. Full-day offshore fishing and the big party catamarans, generally not. Ask about life jackets in child sizes before you book.

What is the sea like?

Banderas Bay is sheltered and usually calm in the morning. The afternoon westerly makes it lumpy inside the bay and genuinely rough outside it. Offshore fishing trips to Corbeteña can be a hard ride.

Do the boats run in the rainy season?

Yes, most days. Rain here tends to come late in the day or overnight rather than all morning. Trips are cancelled for storms, and reputable operators reschedule or refund.