We went on a Monday, and the boat and the crew were amazing. Most of the boat spoke Spanish, but my spouse and I speak English. The crew was very nice and would give instructions for snorkeling and the excursions in English and Spanish! This was a great experience read more

See all

The tour guide was a marine biologist and was very informed about the marine life We saw read more

I'm going to start writing my review as the day goes. So I'm not as likely to forget info. Know before you go. I see some of the reviews and it sounds like they were just poorly informed. We bought our ticket from a guy that spoke perfect English at the tequila store we were at. We compared the prices with the hotel we were staying at, the Marriott, and saved $15 per person and he rode with us to the marina. We took the cruise to Yelapa for snorkeling, SUP, and 2 meals and open bar. We paid $65 per person. I recommend buying through your hotel though. It's a little nerve racking not knowing who you can and can't trust. Plus, everyone here is trying to sell time share!!!! (Nightmare) They told us the ship leaves at 0930. The guy picked us up at 0915. It was a 5 minute taxi ride to the area. You walk in and to your left. At the far line there is a line that you get in to physically buy the ticket. Then you have to go back to the side you walked in at to get in another line to to pay port tax. It was $2 USD each. You can pay in pesos or US dollars. They take cash only and only small bills. If you forget this step, many do, it often isn't realized until time for boarding. You will be sent back and you may miss the ride. Then you go to a waiting room. They have lots of stores with high pressure salespersons and you will wait for your boat to be called. Be kind. They have at least 4 trips leaving from the same area in a short period of time. When we first got to the main building, they have machines that check your temp and you are required to get hand sanitizer and be wearing a mask. Everyone is pretty compliant until you get on the boat. Then, masks are optional. We pushed from dock a few minutes before 1030. There are plastic chairs set up. That's not because they are "over" sold. That's their seating. Shortly after pushing from shore they start serving breakfast. I posted a pic. It is scrambled eggs and chips with red sauce and creme Fraiche. The red sauce is more like Marinara sauce than chili sauce. I liked it. Like a cracker pizza. I didn't eat the eggs. About 5 minutes after you get the food you will get about 5 ounces of orange juice. It's good. Then a few minutes after that, they bring a napkin. 5 minutes later, they'll pick everything up. It's about 1.5 hours to the first stop. The first stop is where you snorkel, SUP, and or kayak. There are only 3 one person sit upon kayaks and 2 SUP. I saw the complaints or not having enough snorkeling gear for everyone. There were at least 30 people snorkeling yesterday and I didn't see anyone waiting in line to go. I think they have plenty now. The kayaks and SUP are low quality. The SUP I used was plugged with a trash bag shoved in the hole. The blade on the ore was flimsy and flexed both ways. But you don't have far to go or much to see. They won't rush you while you're on it. So I didn't realize that someone else was waiting to go out, when I came in. Kind of made me feel bad. When I got back on I realized the bar had opened. They don't want you drinking if you're going to get in the water again. Makes sense. It is low end alcohols. You should expect that. But it's being mixed with mixers so you don't notice it. The primary drinks were pina coladas, margaritas, and tequila sunrises. But you can make requests. The staff was circulating the boat and refilling everyone's glass before it was empty. These guys were drenched in sweat and still asking what they could do for you. You travel another 20-30 minutes to your location. Before arrival you have the choice of going to the water fall by 3 different modalities, or staying under an umbrella at that locale. You can go by donkey, atv, or foot. Donkey and atv are extra. Suddenly the "easy hike" when they were trying to sell you on this adventure becomes waist deep and rapid. I will say there were young, old, and obese with us on the hiking tour. The only person I saw fall was a 10ish aged boy that was walking really fast. Avoid the areas that you see brush growth. Those are tripping hazards and often followed by a drop. I took my shoes off and walked barefoot after crossing the River. The roads are thin and cobblestones mostly. Unlike US roads, there is no littering. So you're safe to walk barefoot. The waterfalls are cold. But once you're under, you don't notice it so much. 5 cents to use the bathroom up there. There is a bar up there also. It was less than a mile hike but some of it was a climb. 1600 is when they say to meet back. But seldom is everyone ready in time. Also the crew helps the staff at the restaurant to serve everyone. Then they eat together. We bought them a round of beers and they were so grateful. Much deserved. On the way back to your area they play music, celebrate anniversaries and birthdays. And keep the drinks coming. read more

See all

Absolutely terrible. Everything is dirty. The food is disgusting. They crowded 100 people onto a small boat. They advertised a nice boat and snorkel but this is honestly the worst experience ive ever had. read more

This boat tour wasted more than 11 hours of our day for something that should have taken 4 hours at most. And it was truly one of the most miserable experiences of my life. I felt trapped and the whole thing was pretty much plain torture (leaving us in cold water for 30+ minutes, blasting us with decibel levels that were literally deafening, etc.). There are two main issues that made this hellish cruise an 11 hour ordeal: 1) the boat is extremely slow: it took us 2 hours to go from Puerto Vallarta marina to the islands (18 miles). That's about 9 miles per hour. For reference a ferry usually goes about 32 miles an hour (that's 3.5 x as fast!!!). 2) they try and upsell you on everything once you're trapped on the boat. We spent the rest of the time waiting for others that were willing to pay more money to do the activities that were proposed (see next paragraph). The communication was extremely poor both in Spanish and in English. We were told the tour was 1400 pesos per person ($70) (+ harbor tax + government tax for the nature sanctuary that is Las Marietas). But when we got on the boat, everything except snorkeling was at a premium. To go to the hidden beach (the main -- if not only, exciting part about the tour) it was an additional 1000 pesos per person ($50). And they tried to sell us an eco tour for 200 pesos. There was an optional beach activity that we tried to do. I asked about 5 different times to the captain and the main tour guide when we could do that and despite all of that, they never told us when the boat went to the beach and we weren't able to see it except from afar when we went to pick up the people that were lucky enough to be on the right boat at the right time. The tour guide was yelling in the microphone for most of the outing and yet we didn't get anything of what he said. I speak English and Spanish and couldn't understand most of what he said in either language. When he wasn't yelling, they were blasting music though the amps at a deafening level (think nightclub level). During the snorkeling part of the tour, the main boat dropped about 100 of us near the round island but then the boat left us there to freeze in the water for 30+ minutes for some of us while their little boat made trips to bring us back 10 at a time. The snorkeling was very poor. read more

Highlights of trip: 1. No English 2. Cold breakfast 3. Slow boat 4. Safety not an option 5. Subpar dinner with no service 6. VERY loud music on boat all the time 7. Karaoke by drunks with free lap dances 8. Free booze, tequila tequila tequila 9. Best "Mexican" party boat ever 10. Not recommended for non drinkers read more

Best time ever. We went out with the Crew Geronimo. They make sure everyone is safe, and happy. Nature reserves, snorkeling, sunshine, followed by music, dancing, endless cocktails, and food (plenty of great food.) On the sanctuary island we went to, there were 87 species of birds from seagulls to Osprey's to Frigate birds. The crew had its own biologist Ruth De La Gerta. She is a treasure of information. And if you are lucky enough to have a flat sea, look for the lil sea horses. We were followed by dolphins and Humpback Whales. Momma's with there lil babies. It was awesome. As we returned the entertainment started and the crew and guests partied and danced on the back of the boat. We had so much fun on the trip. I loved it. A shout out to an amazing crew. Rolando Viurato, Javier Parra, Edwar Suarez, "Don Gato", Alejandro Gaona, Brayan Rosates, Diego Vidaurri, Marcos Nava, and "Mama Lucha." Thank you for the best time I ever had on the water. read more

See all

What a phenomenal experience!!! How did anyone not like it aha. This was the time I came closest to whales (large and small, and we passed by them several times!) in my life. It was breathtaking - they are so spectacular and magnificent :) An unforgettable experience, or at least one I hope I never forget since it was so incredible! The tour was also well run, they gave us lunch and drinks on board. It wasn't too crowded (though still a lot of people) and the others were friendly and struck up conversations with us, too. The only thing I didn't like is that I think they (the crew) asked us for more tips at the end. read more

Don't do this trip if you're prone to motion sickness and/or easily disappointed. Within minutes of stepping aboard, the nausea was all-consuming. Our package included a complimentary breakfast which we found inedible and put Mexican cuisine to shame. Upon setting sail, we were assaulted by the violent Pacific waves for 30, pain-staking, minutes. The first activity was snorkelling (if you want to call it that). The crew passed out masks and snorkels for those willing to brave the waters. We received minimal directions except for one unsettling line, "You have one minute to jump" (is this a threat?). Upon plunging into the depths of the sea, the group swam out to a sea arch. That basically sums up the activity. All in all, we were in the water for less than 15 minutes. Because we weren't in tropical waters, there were no exotic fish nor sea life and the water was slightly murky and hard to see through, generating questions as to why we were snorkelling in the first place. After 15 long, cold minutes in the water, we headed back to the boat and continued on the journey up the coast to the beach. When we got to the beach, we split off into groups based on what activity we wanted to pursue. There was an option to take a horse or ATV to a waterfall further inland. There was an additional fee added for those who chose this activity (about 200 pesos for a horse and more for an ATV). Already feeling defeated by the boat trip over, we chose to sit at the beach and regain our senses. Others chose to kayak which, from a distance, seemed to be pointless. The waves were too strong and they were basically paddling in place. When it was time to go back, we boarded the boat which proceeded to sit stationary, for 45 minutes with no explanation from the crew. We later figured out it was because they were still wrangling people up from the beach. Once we were en route back to the port, the guide got on the microphone and talked way too loud the whole trip back and if he wasn't yammering on in a mix of incomprehensible English and Spanish, there was loud music piercing the eardrums of everyone within a 10 mile radius. On the trip back to land, there was an open bar leading to some passengers being obnoxiously hammered and difficult to be around. The overall noise level was headache-inducing and fuelled the rage I'm using to write this review. While snorkelling, the guides insisted we take pictures in the water. On the trip back, they went around and showed the photos, asking if we wanted to purchase them. When we declined the hideous photos, they were notably disappointed and caught off guard. I think the only people who had fun on this trip are those who got so drunk at the end they couldn't remember how awful the start was. At the end of the tour, they walked around with a coke bottle, asking for money "for their friend". While we rummaged through our wallets for the lowest sum of money possible, the group of crew members stood around the table, leaving no personal space and refusing to leave until something had added to the bottle. We still don't understand why "their friend" needed money so desperately. The tour as a whole is a cash grab. Overall the tour was unsanitary, unprofessional, disgusting, disappointing, pointless, traumatic, infuriating, and my worst financial decision to date. Do not let street vendors convince you to go on this tour, no matter how much they knock off the original price. *if you are elderly, have a disability, or have children, this tour is the worst decision you can make. In order to get from the boat to the beach, we had to pile into smaller motor boats. The crew basically hurls you into the motor boats and on the way back from the beach, we had to launch ourselves over the edge, back into the motor boats, while being ankle-deep in icy waters and already miserable from the day. read more

DON'T DO IT!!!! Everything the negative reviews say are true. I went on one of these tours as a child and I got sick. The boat is old, rusty, unsafe, and the restrooms are filthy and have no soap. Every one has to hold onto the steep railings going up and down to the bathrooms and with no soap.....WTF! The food was not good at all. I was starving, so I ate it. But you'd get better food at a damn OXXO (Mexican 7-11) . The open bar was a joke and disgusting. The bartender was washing his hands in a bucket of water then serving people drinking with lime and all that. Nasty!! I was smart and didnt touch the mixed drinks, which they all made en masse. I stuck to beer, Indio Beer, to be exact. Not the best beer....mid to low end mexican beer, imo. Certainly better than the mixed drinks. The beach they take you to is nice, but its so overloaded with people and other restaurank shack things where the owners of the restaurants literally live behind the restaurant. And the restrooms at the beach? An absolute abomination. AGAIN...NO SOAP!!!! Disgusting!!!! Makes me also wonder about the food prep etc. It was a nightmare situation for me when my 6 year old boy needed go to #2........I had to literally lift my son while he was in a squat position while trying not to touch a thing. As I mentioned above, I went on one of these as a kid and I got sick. I even remember thinking as a kid that there was no soap, everything was dirty, etc. No wonder I got sick as a kid. Fortunately, this time I did not. Still, it seems very risky. Everything everyone says about the upselling is true. Getting on and off the boat is ridiculous, time consuming, and so unsafe. Now, did I have a decent time, all things considered? Yes, but only because I didn't want to be upset for so many hours. I "chose" to have a decent time. My son got to enjoy the beach and dance a bit on the boat. By the way, the music on the boat is super loud. This trip is not family-friendly. It's def one of those "party boats". Not relaxing at all. I can see this being more fun if you belong to a Fraternity or Sorority. I would have been better off staying at my resort and using their beach. DO NOT GET ON A BOAT BY VALLARTA BY BOAT. read more

Arcos Animas Quimixto Tour: Would do 0/5 stars if possible. Please, do not take this tour. We arrived at the dock at 9am, left a little after 10am. Boat ride down was 3 hours. Lots of people got sea sick. Food was not a buffet or all-you-can-eat, just basic eggs and a chilaquiles. They cancelled the snorkeling because there were jellyfish (which is understandable, but they didn't have a good backup plan, partial refund, etc). Any references to paddle boarding, swimming with dolphins, etc along the way are BS. It was a straight, very long, slow boat ride to either Quimixto or Playa de las Animas. At Animas, basically everything is extra. The included lunch took almost an hour to arrive. They didn't even take our tickets and start cooking for about 30min (the tour guides sat and ate themselves before even taking our tickets). The vegetarian option was just semi-raw vegetables with a tiny cheese quesadilla. Boat now leaves in about two hours and, given the current pattern, will likely arrive late back to port. Do not recommend. This tour is a waste of time and a ridiculous money grab. read more

From the customer service to the quality of the equipment, the tours offered here are top notch! There's an open bar onboard so that's a definite plus. The music was awesome and they also take song requests, which I loved. I was treated with respect from beginning to end and felt right at home. I snorkeled at Majahuitas and then kayaked at Colomitos. It was one of the best tours I've ever experienced. It was fun, professionally organized, and is a definite recommendation on my behalf. read more

Vallarta By Boat - Fish at Majahuitas near Puerto Vallarta - Snorkeling Near Me - Puerto Vallarta, JAL

See all

Short version: If you want to actually see Yelapa, google Yelapa water taxi. Eat at Fanny's (yellow umbrellas) Long: The crew tries their best! This tour is not great. You spend 80% of your time on a slow boat going to and from Yelapa. The terminal itself is a madhouse and has poor organization. It left an hour later than advertised. They leave the dock and start blasting old 70's music throughout the boat (TIP: sit on the port side, speakers are on starboard). Breakfast is cold, watery powdered eggs with some chips with marinara and cojito cheese. When you arrive at Majahuitas, there is no beach and they anchor next to rocks. They advertise providing snorkeling equipment but there are no fins, no snorkels, only masks. You have to leave a photo ID to get a mask. They require life jackets on everyone so no diving below the surface. There is no marine life, just rocks and urchins. Back on the boat, Yelapa is another 45 minutes away. We arrived at 3pm, not 1pm as advertised The boat takes a mooring and unloads into pangas, 16 people at a time. Unloading is into the beach surf so take shoes off. We reached the beach for lunch at 3:55pm. The boat crew serves lunch and I'm sure the kitchen at Tito's (red umbrellas with whom they contract) is overwhelmed gettin 160 in all at once. We got our lunch at 5pm. (TIP: if looking at the beach, sit on the left side as the serve rows left to right). The boat starts loading right away again so there is no time to walk the town or see anything. Alcohol starts after the "snorkeling" and is naturally low end. On the way back they continue to blast music and play "games" essentially embarrassing young women with the crew doing "strip moves." The boat wanders 30 degrees from the rhumb line each way (as the captain spends his time looking at his cell phone and drinking sangria in the afternoon). We arrived back at 8pm. Not worth the time or money. read more

We booked this excursion while on a trip in Puerta Vallerta. I would highly recommend that you DO NOT waste your money. We were told we would leave port at 8:30 and we waited an hour to even board the boat, we pulled out of port at 9:45 am. They keep you in a holding area surrounded by shops basically pushing merchandise on you. They load you on the boat and you sit in plastic outside chair to rides on the boat. The ride out that was 2 hours each way bc you go so slow, the "open bar" you are promised doesn't open until after all activities are complete so about 4 pm. The "Food" they say they give you is awful. Breakfast was cold powder like eggs with chips with some spaghetti type sauce on top of them. For the lunch we weren't served until almost 3:45 PM ( my family normally eats lunch at 12-1 PM) it was a side salad, tuna mix, and a ham and cheese roll. They gave announcements on the way out to destination but they were in Spanish and not followed up by an English version so we couldn't understand what they were saying. Once we arrived at the excursion destination. There wasn't enough snorkel gear for everyone so my family wasn't able to participate. The ones who were lucky enough to get gear only received a mask and snorkel, no fins. Since they had no fins they were restricted on where they could snorkel, other passengers said all they saw were rocks. Then they sold another excursion to hidden beach while we were headed out to destination($50 pp). Once everyone had to get back on the boat from snorkeling they took the other passengers to the extra excursion so if you didn't pay for that you sat on a hot boat for almost an extra 2 hours so they could go. This excursion was awful, save your money! read more

WARNING: CON JOB! This "Lo's Acos/ playa Animales" tour is a complete SCAM, from the start. There is no set price, you're forced to pay a middleman, and their cut for your fare. The inclusive breakfast and " open bar" are disgusting. The institutional dried eggs are served on a reused plastic plate, that is uncovered, and there is no "bar"... just rancid old chest coolers with pure sugar blended alcohol drink mixes! Very low quality! Don't waste your time or your family safety. This vessel and the boats that take you to the shore are not legally safe nor equipped with personal flotation devices that meet any Maritime standard! I wish I could get my money back. What a waste of a complete day with a bunch of buffoons that run this so called "excursion". There is no educational opportunity, and th snorkeling last 20to 30minutes tops on a part around los Arcos that has zero clarity and ability to see anything in front of you! I've filed a complaint with the maritime board over their ability to operate while intoxicated, and with an extremely compromised POS boat! read more

Warning!!!!! We bought tickets to Yelepa....and we did not go there!!! Total scam. We went to marietas instead. Had to snorkel with life jackets on, no fins, rushed through the whole time. Then they dropped us off at a beach for like 15 minutes? Wth!!! Phot op? Then we got back on the boat and were offered to kayak or paddle board, and you couldn't drink if you were getting back in the water. It was not relaxing and not what we paid for! Stop scamming people! read more

Highly recommend this tour. Boat is really clean and well taken care of. Fernando and there crew were really helpful and always on point during the entire trip. Snorkeling gear is a bit out dated but does the job. Snorkeling area, I would recommend for 8+ years old kid friendly, water is really peaceful and you only see small fish. Yelapa is also nice place to visit, everyone very friendly and food was good. Drinks were great, they also had a great vibe and "family party" . Highly recommend read more

See all

Its a scam the boat it's cheap,dirty bathrooms they said that all included food alcoholic drinks the food was awful cheap you are going to snorkeling in a island where there's no sand and you are going into a wall of the island also once you start rolling on the boat you have to pay for additional tours then after you leave the tour they serve cheap alcohol pre mixed also bad bad never ever again going to Puerto Vallarta! read more

Excellent Day onboard Catalina III with Vallarta by Boat. The crew were excellent, very attentive and wonderful hosts. Don't say that about many of the local tour companies. These guy were local hard working humble folks. They took us to the Humpback Whales area and immediately found a family of three. Excellent bang for the buck. read more

See all

So far not a good experience. There is fee to enter the Marina which they don't explain when you book the tour. Second the boat is old and rusty. They tell you there is Continental breakfast included and lunch, so far their version of continental breakfast is some little fruit cup, watery yogurt, and nasty orange juice. Let's see what the rest of the trip awaits.......more to come. If you book this trip don't expect top of the line..... read more

Vallarta By Boat - Really, an old plastic chair..... - Snorkeling Near Me - Puerto Vallarta, JAL

See all

Had an amazing time one the animas and quimixto trip. Got to snorkel, then hike and see a beautiful waterfall, and came back to a great meal. The entire staff was very friendly and kind, especially Fernanda. She is a sweetheart and makes sure you feel taken care of every step of the way. My only complaint was Carlos. He made me feel uncomfortable and a little harassed. If he wasn't there, I would have given this a 5 star. Great experience except for the pervert. read more

Second-rate tour company; I wouldn't bother. Boats were old, on-board entertainment was not that great though the captain was a nice guy. Included meal was complete garbage; they found the cheapest place to contract with and it showed... frozen Mexican meals taste better. The horseback riding was fine but the tour guide let my wife and I's horse go on the way back and they took off full swing (they didn't obey full pull on the reigns); it was super dangerous. No helmets and untrained horses is a bad mix. You flew all the way to Mexico to have fun, so have fun and fork over the money for first-rate companies (like Vallarta Adventures or others if there are more). Honestly it should be part of the budget. I said this on another review that was contracted by this company (oh yeah, you may have a package with Vallarta by Boat but sometimes they merge or contract with other boat companies to save money if there's low turnout). read more

This was one of the best experiences I've ever had!!! I went by myself too. the guide for the boat was hilarious and the staff was so helpful. of course you might have to pay a little extra to get a little extra but such is life. this is an amazing tour company with awesome staff. please check them out! read more

Service is horrible. Victor is really rude. Will not recommend at all. Choose a different company. Vallarta by Boat is disappointing. They will make you wait in the boat the entire day while they upsell on other activities if you choose not to pay an xtra 1000 pesos for private hidden beach you will be waiting until everyone that does goes and comes back. Bar is only open after the 3rd stop not upon arrival so you have to wait for people sober. They will act nice near the end of the ride for your tip but the entire day they had horrible attitude. If you're on a vacation I'm sure you don't come to eat can tuna salad. read more

I'm leaving this review for tourists. So I provide info based on our tourist experience. Mind you, we've been to Mexico more than once a year for the last five years and I lived here as a young adult, so I speak Spanish and I know Mexico pretty well. FYI, this tour is touted as being bilingual, but my husband doesn't speak Spanish and he wouldn't have been able to get around without me translating the Spanish parts. And even then, we were lost due to lack of direction. I hope this review helps tourists. We bought the Islas Marietas tour from a person that was walking by our resort on the beach (admitted mistake! Lol.) and the description set the tour up for failure bc the person selling it doesn't know what the tour will be like and she's just trying to make a sale. There is also a pamphlet with info on the tour but it's pretty loose. The cost was $1,100 pesos per person (with a conversion of $18 pesos to a dollar, that is $61 US per person) when we took the tour. But then they up charge you for a bunch little stuff like 1) Mexico charges you to use the port, which is another $3 (no biggie, but it'll start a pattern), 2) they charge you to pay with credit card (I know that's typical, but we weren't told beforehand), 3) then $200 pesos for I don't know what (literally when paying for the trip, they asked us for another $200 pesos and bc there were two of us, we thought the other one knew what it was for), and 4) then you get on the boat and the Emcee asks you for another $400 pesos per person to go see the beach (which is what we thought we signed up for, and I'm pretty sure this is a side hustle). The one up charge we thought was worth it were the photographers and photos. They will give you a thumb drive with all your pics for $600 pesos. A little pricey but we did it! And the women who take your pics are lovely and sweet!! We tipped them on top of the purchase Bc they were great and just had awesome attitudes. When you show up, they do not leave on time (no worries bc we didn't expect them to and you shouldn't either)! The breakfast is an egg and chilaquiles. Meh. The Emcee tells you that he's going to tell you everything about the tour but he didn't. Neither in Spanish nor English. We were left wondering what we were doing. It takes almost 2 hours to get to the islands (totally fine bc we didn't know what to expect). At the first stop, they literally rush everyone off the boat. They're on the loud speaker just yelling at people to get off the boat, so you do. And they don't tell you how long you'll be in the water. And they tell you to NOT put on sunscreen to preserve the nature. Just like other reviews, there are no fins, no snorkel (some people got them, but most didn't), just a mask and a life vest. They swim the entire boat of about 45-60 people to the island with only ONE tour guide (and a wonderful photographer that speaks English). And they are really disorganized in the water. They just swim around and expect you to follow. We didn't see any fish and there was not a biologist with you (as promised in the pamphlet). You then stay in the water for literally two hours. No sunblock, no hat, and just wading (although with a vest so it's not that hard, but it's a really really long time). No water or any refreshments so you get sunburned and dehydrated!!! Everyone felt this way, so it wasn't just us. At the end of the trip, they have you give applause to the crew and few people on our boat clapped. Get a more professional tour company! And you can pay the same! So don't get taken for a ride by this company!! read more

Don't waste your time or money on this tour! Worst Tour I have ever taken! I just kept shaking my head through this entire tour, saying to myself, you have got to be kidding me!! The entire thing is a joke! The towboat that they bring along to shuttle you around was leaking gas. The smell of the gasoline was so overwhelming it was enough to make you sick. This tour could actually be dangerous, there was absolutely no safety protocol in place. They dropped us off to snorkel, said they would be back in 20 minutes. some of us were wondering if they were ever going to come back and get us. You're basically on your own. I didn't even see anybody do a headcount, they wouldn't even know if they left somebody behind.. read more

My wife and I booked the yelpa tour for my family. We purchased the tour from some guy near our hotel. We were charged $50 a person, which we were told we had to pay in cash, given a hand written ticket and told to be at marina at 9:20am. Upon arrival at the marina we had to wait in a line for approximately one hour. The checking in process was very disorganized. The boat was over sold and their wasn't enough chairs for everyone. The crew had to place plastic chairs for my family and others. Breakfast was mediocre, consisting of eggs and chips. Snorkeling- we had enough time, there wasn't enough equipment for all the people on board. The paddle board and kayak had to be rotated every few min since there was only two of each. Once snorkeling was done, the open bar commences. At yelpa we my wife and my youngest took a horse/mule to the waterfall ($20 each) while the rest of hiked. Hike is short about 15 min. I felt we had enough time at water fall. Came back had lunch and drinks. We didn't get back to the marina until approximately 8pm. The crew was friendly and bilingual. I felt the value was adequate. read more

Absolutely horrible boat tour. They did not provide SNORKELS for the SNORKEL trip! How can you call it a snorkel trip then?! Do not waste your money or your precious vacation days. Horrible quality food that makes you want to throw up. The lunch tasted like it was literally catfood. Do yourself a favor and either get a real boat tour or just stay at your hotel. At least you won't want to throw up. read more

Took the tour to Yelapa with this company - from the ("magic") marina. Masks required to be worn at the marina are immediately removed once on the boat. The "continental breakfast" consists of a small cold sandwich, a small yogurt, a small cup of orange juice, and an apple. The first stop/activity is snorkeling near Majahuitas - where you might see whales. No fins are provided - just life jackets (worn around the waist), a face mask and snorkel. No instruction is provided. The activity only for those not only able to swim but also willing to jump off the boat - and put their mask on later. I was the only one who jumped of SCUBA style with my mask held on the entire time. The water is... wet. In the winter the bay water is far from warm but not that cold (once you start swimming). The time in the water is short: basically just a swim to the beach and back to the boat with opportunity to look at some fish along the way. After toweling off back on board, those who swam are expected to start drinking - as those who stayed about have already been doing. Next stop is Yelapa beach (by smaller a smaller boat requiring jumping into the shallow water once arriving at the beach itself). It is entirely possible to walk to the waterfall in the time allotted (as the guide does) but people are told that if they want to see it, they need to pay to ride a small horse or be driven on an ATV. Of the two options, going by ATV is probably the better (more comfortable and quicker) one. The cost is the same. The waterfall and pool below it is nice - but not amazing. Those who want can climb up in the falls itself or wade in the water below it posing for photos. There is a small ("Cascada y Bosque") restaurant there selling drinks and coconuts and charging non-customers for use of their restroom (but the restaurant for the included meal is on the beach) so maybe just buy a coconut and ask them to cut it up and put it in a bag after you drink from it). The boat crew collects all the pre-chosen meal tickets and then act as additional serving staff for Timo's Oasis. After a late lunch, small boats again are used to ferry people back to the same boat they arrived on - for more drinks and loud music on the way back to the marina - with brief detours when whales are spotted. Anyone with a birthday (anywhere near the day of the tour) is called out and acknowledged - and then becomes part of a dance contest. Next is a group conga and some line dancing followed by a lame performance by t the crew. The intent is to be fun and entertaining - but mostly just to people drinking too much. The quality of the tequila served is NOT good. It might not even be safe. I refused to drink it and ordered rum drinks instead. My Mexican girlfriend got sick from drinking their tequila. The next day we went on a tour of a tequila distillery and were told that much of the cheaper tequila sold and served by others is mostly ethanol - which might be tequila is sometimes called "Mexican gasoline". Anyway, if you choose this tour company and decide to drink from their open bar, consider a non-tequila drink. read more

See all

Very disorganized people. Boat never showed up! Don't use this tour group! We booked a tour to YeLapa at the tour desk. On the morning of the trip, we went to the pier as directed and met someone from "Vallarta by Boat" (who owns Sunset Tours). A gentleman took our ticket and told us to wait for a woman who would provide our lunch voucher. The lady showed up and told us to wait. We were told that a small shuttle boat would pick us up at the pier and take us to the catamaran that would bring us to YeLapa. We waited for more than half an hour. We saw three catamarans pass by in the distance, and we saw a shuttle loading to go to one of the catamarans. We asked if we should get on the shuttle and the tour group woman (who never gave us our lunch voucher) told us to wait because our boat was coming. A little while later, all of the "Vallarta by Boat" representatives disappeared (along with our ticket) and no boats ever showed up. We went back to the ticket booth for a refund. The salesman apologized profusely, but offered no explanation. He gave a refund, but just to be safe I disputed the charge on my credit card. Stay away from this company! read more

One of the worst experiences I have ever had in 30 years in Puerta Vallarta. Poorly organized. Didn't return home until around 8pm. Very unorganized trip. read more

DO NOT GO ON A Vallarta by boat tour! It was not what was advertised and what we paid for. There were so many reasons why my friends and I were highly unsatisfird with the tour, and are upset we wasted one of our few days here with it. We primarily purchased this tour because we wanted to kayak and snorkel. However, there was not enough time or equipment for everyone on the boat to snorkle, so that wasn't an option. Once we arrived in Animas, we were not allowed to kayak and had to ask several people to figure that out. Our physical safety was a huge concern throughout the tour. When we arrived to Animas the crew members insisted we jump off the motor boat far away from shore in the ocean water with rough waves, rather than safely unloading at the dock like every other tour boat was doing. It was clear the company just cared about convenience and not safety. This reckless expectation resulted in getting all our personal belongings wet, needing to be personally carried ashore, and a few people on boad were injured as a direct result of the lack of care for safety by the crew. One passanger got ger nails ripped off from the motor boat crushing her fingers against the larger ship, another got hit on the leg with a large metal board, another man walked around with a bloody leg all examples of how the crew was so careless, safety was not at all a priority. A women was hit, choked and verbally assaulted by her partner.. When it was reported it was clear there was no sort of protocol or proceedures in place to handle this sort of insident.  Once in Animas our time to enjoy the beach was reduced to 45 minutes because our lunch that was included with the tour took over 2 hours to arrive, in order to not lose our place we were told to sit and waste our time for over two hours. To load us back into the ship, the crew again instisted we load on the beach, but several people including my group, expressed concern in loading that way because the tide was so strong but the crew rudly ignored the request to load on the dock. I have video of how they so carelessly and forecefully loaded people on the shore rather than off the dock, including people with disabilities and children. Some, maybe 2 of the crew members cared about the safety of the people but the rest laughed as some people struggled to get on the motor boat and laughed when I expressed concern about our safety. The lack of professionalism was astounding.  The ship was disgusting , the restrooms were not cleaned at any point.  There was vomit all over a toilet in the womens restroom and no one cleaned it up. The smell was unbearable. This tour and company in general was a big disappointment, and we were not able to do the main things we had paid for. I reached out to ask about a refund but there was no attempt to communicate with me. We have friends who went on a similar tour with a different company and had a great experience, so disappointed that this experience was recommended. DO NOT waste your time and money. read more

My wife and I took a tour the tour called Arcos, Animas, and Quimixto. It was fun but I'm not sure if I would go with this company again. The boat ride was really loud. They blasted music the whole time and on the way back they had karaoke. The music was all in Spanish which I wouldn't have minded one bit except that it was so loud, and it last for the whole boat ride. (Multiple hours) The boat was also pretty dirty. The bathrooms were disgusting. The employees were all very friendly and helpful. read more

We took the day trip to Arcos, Animas and Quimixto. The staff was great and entertaining, the liquor plentiful on the ship but the destination beach left little to be desired. The lounge chairs were falling apart and there weren't enough of them. The restrooms were gross and had no running water and you had to wash your hands in a bucket of dirty water. It made me wonder how they washed before they prepared and served you lunch. We saw a couple of kayaks at the end but that was it. Supposedly this is a number one company but we would try a different one in the future. The music on the return trip was loud and in Spanish but hey, we're in Mexico. read more

Took my parents for a tour & ended being the best experience ever! Fernando was an awesome tour guy. La Negra is the best professional photographer in town. And let's not forget the dancing contest! read more