Private Snorkeling Adventure: Los Arcos & Colomitos Beach

The best part of this Puerto Vallarta outing is the combination of coastal scenery and small-group freedom. You ride a motorboat from Marina Vallarta to Los Arcos, spend about two hours in one of the area’s favorite snorkeling spots, then finish at Colomitos Beach.

I like the private format, since you avoid a crowded boat and can get more direct help in the water. I also like the guide support, especially with Michael, who leads the snorkeling clearly and helps you find a quieter area with more fish. The main consideration is that this is a water activity, so rough weather can cancel it and there is a separate $5 port fee.

Key details that shape the experience

• Los Arcos gets the longest visit: You have about two hours for snorkeling around Puerto Vallarta’s famous rock formations.
• Colomitos adds a beach stop: The final hour is spent at a smaller beach accessible by boat.
• A private boat keeps things personal: Only your group participates, rather than joining a large shared excursion.
• Marine life can include turtles and rays: Sightings are never guaranteed, but the tour has produced sea turtles, spotted rays, fish, urchins, and coral.
• A certified guide leads the water time: Mask, snorkel, fins, and a life vest are supplied, with water available for refills.
• The meeting point is Marina Vallarta: You check in at the Ecotours Vallarta office and return there after roughly four hours.

Why this private Puerto Vallarta boat trip works

Puerto Vallarta is easy to admire from shore, but its best coastal views arrive once you leave the marina. The motorboat gives you a fresh look at the city and the shore south of it, including sections where small villages are reached only by boat.

That ride is not just transportation. It is part of the appeal. You get open-water views, changing rock formations, and a sense of how the coast fits together. The supplied details describe a route extending from Nueva Vallarta toward the point where the highway ends, with more remote coastal communities beyond it.

The private setup matters here. A large boat can make a snorkeling stop feel like a queue for equipment and a crowded swim. On this trip, your group travels alone, so the guide can pay attention to your comfort and swimming ability. That is particularly useful if one person in your group is confident in the water and another needs a little more help.

The excursion is about four hours, which is a good middle ground. You get a proper snorkeling session and a beach stop without giving up an entire day. I would plan it as a half-day activity, leaving room for a relaxed meal or another Puerto Vallarta plan afterward.

Meeting at Marina Vallarta

You begin at the Ecotours Vallarta office at Proa 20 in Marina Vallarta. The check-in takes about 15 minutes, and the activity ends back at this same meeting point.

Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you need to arrange your own way to Marina Vallarta. The meeting point is near public transportation, which helps if you are not staying nearby. Allow yourself enough time to locate the office and arrive ready for the check-in rather than cutting it close.

A $5 port fee is also separate. This is a small but important budget detail, since the advertised tour cost does not cover every expense connected with departure.

At the office, you receive your snorkeling equipment and meet the certified guide. The gear includes a mask, snorkel, fins, and life vest. Water is available for refilling, and soda is also provided according to the tour details, so you do not need to depend entirely on what you brought with you.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. Most people can participate, but you should be comfortable with a boat outing and time in the water. The guide can help with the snorkeling, but this is not presented as a fully land-based sightseeing tour.

The motorboat ride to Los Arcos

Once you leave Marina Vallarta, the trip shifts from city logistics to open coast. The motorboat lets you cover the shoreline quickly and gives you views that are difficult to get from a road or beach.

Los Arcos de Mismaloya is the main stop and the heart of the outing. The rock formations create a memorable setting for the snorkeling session, with the boat positioned near a natural park known for marine life. You have about two hours here, giving the guide time to explain the water activity and help you search rather than rushing through a short swim.

The boat ride also gives you useful geographic context. You see how Puerto Vallarta’s developed marina area gives way to more rugged stretches farther south. One detailed account of the trip described the route toward the point where the highway ends, then beyond to villages that can only be reached by water.

That is one reason I prefer this kind of excursion to a poolside or resort snorkeling session. You are not only looking down through a mask. You are seeing the coast as a connected place, with the boat providing the link between the city and the less accessible shore.

Boat conditions can vary with the weather. The operator requires good weather, and a poor-weather cancellation brings either a different date or a full refund. That policy is sensible for a water excursion, though you should keep some flexibility in your schedule.

Two hours around Los Arcos

Los Arcos is where the marine part of the experience gets serious attention. The supplied equipment makes it possible to concentrate on the fish and rock formations instead of arranging your own mask or fins. The life vest is useful for anyone who wants extra support while floating and looking below.

The guide’s role is more than handing out gear. Michael is specifically identified as a snorkeling instructor who explains the activity, helps swimmers in the water, and guides the group toward a quieter area with more fish. That one-on-one attention is one of the strongest reasons to choose a private trip.

Marine sightings are never fixed, but the reported possibilities here are appealing. You might find several kinds of fish, a sea turtle, spotted rays, urchins, and coral. It is best to treat these as possible sightings rather than promises. Ocean conditions, visibility, and animal behavior all affect what you see on a particular day.

The two-hour window gives you a better chance than a quick 20-minute stop. You can settle into the equipment, spend time scanning the water, rest when needed, and return to the water without feeling hurried. It also lets the guide adjust the outing for your group instead of keeping everyone on a rigid shared-boat schedule.

Still, keep expectations reasonable. Los Arcos is a popular natural park, and the outing does not promise empty water or guaranteed wildlife. The private boat reduces crowding within your own group, but it does not mean you will have the entire area to yourself.

A quieter hour at Colomitos Beach

After Los Arcos, the boat continues to Playa Colomitos for about an hour. This changes the pace. Instead of spending the whole trip in the water, you have time on a beach that is reached by boat and offers a more secluded feel than the main Puerto Vallarta shoreline.

The beach stop is useful for a simple reason: snorkeling can be tiring. An hour at Colomitos gives you a chance to relax, enjoy the coast from land, and take a break from the mask and fins. It also adds variety to a trip that would otherwise focus entirely on one marine site.

The exact beach activities are not specified, so I would not expect a formal beach program or a long list of included services. Think of this as time to enjoy the setting with your own group. The beach stop is included, and the boat then returns you to Marina Vallarta.

This final stop also helps the four-hour schedule feel balanced. Los Arcos supplies the main activity, while Colomitos gives the excursion a slower ending. If you want a full-day beach-hopping cruise with several long shore visits, this is not that. If you want one strong snorkeling location plus a beach break, the timing makes sense.

The private format and guide support

The biggest practical advantage is control. Only your group participates, so the experience does not depend on the needs of a busload of strangers. You can ask questions, receive direct instruction, and spend more time in the areas that suit your group.

Michael receives special credit for being polite, informative, and helpful in the water. The strongest detail is his effort to guide the group toward a quieter beach area with more fish. That suggests an active guide rather than someone who simply points out the site and watches from the boat.

The captain and office staff are also part of the experience, and the available feedback describes the operation as friendly from check-in through the boat ride. Those details matter because a private tour has a higher value only if the crew handles the practical side well.

You should also remember that private does not mean luxury. The tour supplies standard snorkeling gear, water, soda, insurance, and a certified guide. It does not include hotel transportation, and the $5 port fee remains your responsibility. The value is mainly in the private boat and personal attention, not in premium extras.

What the four-hour schedule really gives you

The schedule breaks down roughly like this:

• About 15 minutes for check-in at Marina Vallarta
• About two hours at Los Arcos
• About one hour at Colomitos Beach
• The remaining time for the boat ride between the marina and coastal stops

That is enough time to experience both water and beach, but not enough to linger indefinitely. You should arrive ready to move through the morning or afternoon at a steady pace.

The schedule suits couples, families with older children, and small groups of friends who want a focused outing. It is also a sensible choice if your Puerto Vallarta stay includes other plans and you do not want to surrender a full day.

I would be more cautious if you dislike boats, cannot take part in water activities, or want a guaranteed wildlife encounter. The tour is built around the sea, and the quality of the snorkeling depends on conditions beyond anyone’s control.

Value, practical costs, and who should book

The tour’s value comes from three things: the private group, the guide’s direct assistance, and the combination of Los Arcos with Colomitos Beach. A shared boat may cost less, but it can also mean less room and less personal guidance. If your group values flexibility and a calmer pace, paying more for a private outing may be worthwhile.

The separate $5 port fee is easy to overlook. Hotel transportation is also not included, so add the cost and time of reaching Marina Vallarta. Water and soda are provided, along with travel insurance and the snorkeling gear, which keeps the extra planning fairly simple.

I would choose this trip for:

• A couple wanting a private coastal outing
• Families whose children are accompanied by an adult
• Small groups that prefer not to share a crowded boat
• First-time snorkelers who want help from a certified guide
• Swimmers hoping to see fish, rays, turtles, urchins, or coral
• Anyone who wants both a natural rock site and a beach stop

I would look elsewhere if you need hotel pickup, a full-day schedule, guaranteed sea turtle sightings, or a completely dry sightseeing experience.

Should you book the Los Arcos and Colomitos tour?

Book it if you want a focused half-day on the water with a private group, a certified guide, and two different coastal stops. The strongest case is the personal attention: Michael’s instruction and the ability to seek out quieter water can make the snorkeling more comfortable and rewarding.

The high rating of 4.9 from 20 reviews and 100 percent recommendation are encouraging, but the more useful point is what the experience actually offers. You get a practical four-hour route, supplied gear, water, a naturalist guide, and a chance to see Puerto Vallarta’s coast from the boat rather than only from shore.

Skip it if the $5 port fee, lack of hotel transport, or weather risk creates too much hassle. For everyone else, this is a well-focused way to pair Los Arcos snorkeling with a quiet hour at Colomitos Beach without committing to a long group cruise.

FAQ

How long does the snorkeling and beach tour last?

The activity lasts approximately four hours. The schedule includes about two hours at Los Arcos and one hour at Playa Colomitos, plus check-in and boat travel.

Where does the tour begin?

You meet at the Ecotours Vallarta office at Proa 20 in Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.

Where does the activity end?

The boat returns you to the same meeting point at Marina Vallarta.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you must make your own way to the Marina Vallarta meeting point.

What snorkeling equipment is provided?

The tour includes a mask, snorkel, fins, and life vest. Water is available for refilling, and soda is also provided.

Is the tour private?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

Are children allowed to join?

Children may participate, but they must be accompanied by an adult.

Is there an extra fee?

Yes. A $5 port fee is not included in the tour price.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

The experience requires good weather. If poor weather causes a cancellation, you will be offered a different date or a full refund. You can also cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not refunded or accepted.