🌊 The Best Snorkeling and Diving Spots in Puerto Vallarta Bay 🌊 Puerto Vallarta, located along the beautiful Banderas Bay, offers some of the best snorkeling and diving spots on Mexico’s Pacific coast. The bay’s warm waters, vibrant marine life, and underwater formations make it a prime destination for underwater exploration. Whether you’re a seasoned diver or a beginner snorkeler, here’s a guide to the top spots in the area, as well as certified professionals who can guide you on your adventure. 🐠 Top Snorkeling and Diving Spots in Puerto Vallarta Bay Los Arcos Marine Park 🏞️ Located just south of Puerto Vallarta in the Mismaloya area, Los Arcos Marine Park is one of the most popular snorkeling and diving destinations in the bay. This protected marine reserve is famous for its towering granite rock formations, underwater caves, tunnels, and diverse marine life. You’ll find colorful schools of fish, manta rays, eels, and sometimes dolphins swimming around the arches. • Best for: Snorkeling and beginner to advanced diving. • Highlights: Unique rock formations, vibrant marine life, and the opportunity to see turtles and rays. Majahuitas Beach 🏝️ Located a bit further south, near the village of Quimixto, Majahuitas Beach is a pristine, secluded beach that’s perfect for snorkeling and diving. The waters here are crystal-clear, offering excellent visibility. Majahuitas is home to tropical fish, sea urchins, and sometimes stingrays. The peaceful atmosphere and relatively shallow waters make it an ideal spot for beginners. • Best for: Snorkeling and diving. • Highlights: Calm, clear waters, abundant sea life, and a tranquil environment. Marietas Islands ⛵ The Marietas Islands, located at the northern end of Banderas Bay, are an ecological paradise. These islands are a protected national park, offering some of the most stunning underwater scenery. Famous for their hidden beach, the Playa del Amor (Lover’s Beach), the surrounding waters are filled with vibrant corals, tropical fish, sea turtles, and occasionally, humpback whales during the migration season. • Best for: Snorkeling and diving. • Highlights: Rare bird species, beautiful coral reefs, and the famous hidden beach. Las Caletas 🌅 Las Caletas is a secluded beach accessible only by boat, known for its excellent snorkeling and diving opportunities. This private beach is often part of day tours, and its calm, clear waters provide a perfect spot for observing marine life like starfish, octopuses, and a variety of fish. • Best for: Beginner to intermediate snorkelers and divers. • Highlights: Peaceful waters, secluded beach, and diverse marine life. El Morro 🦈 For experienced divers, El Morro offers a more adventurous dive site with deeper waters and dramatic underwater landscapes, including pinnacles and tunnels. Located farther out in the bay, El Morro is teeming with large fish like jacks, snappers, and sometimes even sharks. It’s recommended for advanced divers due to its depth and sometimes strong currents. • Best for: Advanced diving. • Highlights: Deep dives, caves, and larger marine species. 🤿 Certified Professionals Offering Snorkeling and Diving Services Exploring the underwater wonders of Puerto Vallarta is made easy with the help of certified professionals who ensure safe and enjoyable experiences. Here are some well-known providers: Vallarta Adventures 🚤 Vallarta Adventures is one of the largest and most reputable tour operators in Puerto Vallarta, offering guided snorkeling and diving tours. Their certified dive instructors lead tours to all the top spots, including Los Arcos, the Marietas Islands, and Las Caletas. They offer diving courses for all levels, from beginners to advanced. • Tours Offered: Snorkeling at Marietas Islands, scuba diving at Los Arcos and El Morro. • Website: Vallarta Adventures PV Sea Dive 🛥️ This local dive shop specializes in small, personalized dive tours in Puerto Vallarta. PV Sea Dive is run by a team of experienced and certified dive instructors who focus on creating a more intimate and customized diving experience. They offer PADI courses and guided dives at Los Arcos, El Morro, and other top spots. • Tours Offered: Small-group diving trips, PADI certification courses. • Website: PV Sea Dive Silent World Divers 🌊 Silent World Divers has been providing dive services in Puerto Vallarta for over 25 years. They offer PADI-certified dive courses, along with daily trips to dive sites like Los Arcos, Marietas Islands, and beyond. Their team of experienced dive masters ensures a safe and educational experience for divers of all levels. • Tours Offered: Snorkeling and diving at Los Arcos, Marietas Islands, and beyond. • Website: Silent World Divers Chico’s Dive Shop 🐚 A long-standing dive shop in Puerto Vallarta, Chico’s Dive Shop has been operating since 1968. They offer snorkeling and scuba diving tours to Los Arcos, Majahuitas, and the Marietas Islands. Chico’s Dive Shop provides PADI certification courses and specializes in small-group tours to ensure personalized attention. • Tours Offered: Snorkeling, scuba diving, and PADI courses. • Website: Chico’s Dive Shop 🏖️ Conclusion Puerto Vallarta is a treasure trove of underwater experiences, from the magical rock formations of Los Arcos to the remote beauty of the Marietas Islands. Whether you’re looking to dip your toes into snorkeling or take the plunge with deep diving, the bay offers something for everyone. Be sure to connect with one of the trusted, certified professionals for an unforgettable underwater adventure! 📸 Photo courtesy of www.freepick.com