Imagine a wide, sandy cave with water from the Pacific Ocean creating a picturesque scene… that's where the Mexican Marietas Islands are famous!
The Marietas Islands, a small archipelago in the Bay of Banderas, are about an hour offshore from the Riviera Nayarit in Mexico. These rocky islands are known for their diversity of marine life, birds and interesting hidden beaches. This is a famous tourist destination in Mexico with a unique beach in the world!
Introduction to the Marietas . Islands
To understand a little bit about the Marietas Islands and the war, below is a brief history. The Marieta Islands are a group of uninhabited islands formed by underwater volcanic eruptions. In the early 1900s, the Mexican military was looking for a convenient location for target practice and realization. that because these rocky outcrops in Banderas Bay and just a few miles offshore are uninhabited, they're going to bomb here. that's why these islands have a few more caves and hidden beaches.
Islas Marietas is recognized as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO.
When the famous French marine biologist Jacques Cousteau was circling Mexico and deciding if there was anything interesting on these small volcanic islands. And the Marietas Islands are not inhabited by humans, but they are home to nearly 100 different species of birds. He even found the blue-legged booby, which is why the Marietas Islands are sometimes called the Galapagos of Mexico.
A blue-footed bird
Jacques Cousteau begins a campaign to save the islands. The Mexican government stopped shelling the place, designated it a national park, and began efforts to preserve and protect the area.
A few decades forward, and people start posting pictures of the "hidden beach" or "secret beach," which is actually La Playa del Amor (Lover's Beach). The sandy area with the nearly perfect circular opening above it has exploded on social media and thousands of people have boarded boats to visit this cool natural wonder every day.
Lover's Beach in the Marietas . Islands
Hidden Beach Playa del Amor
Picture a cave opening to the sky, which contains a white sand beach and the brilliant blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. Once upon a time, this area of Islas Marietas National Park was completely enclosed - not visible from the sea but this is not a natural wonder.
That tiny circle of sand receives hundreds of visitors a day, all of whom swim back and forth through a narrow tunnel at low tide.
The Hidden Beach is a private oasis with crystal blue waters and white sand, nestled within a lush tropical island. Only accessible at low tide, the beach itself is a dreamer's or lover's paradise - although it's less secret today than it used to be.
But does that really matter when you're bathing on the beach when the sun shines through the roof of a vegetated cave? You won't be alone, but you will feel like you are a million miles away from your everyday life.
Entrance to Lover's Beach is for people over 12 years old only
One thing that promotes this sense of isolation is the fact that the hidden beach is only accessible through a water tunnel that you have to swim or kayak with. It is relatively easy to get across (about 6 feet above water level) but some visitors find navigating against the currents of the Pacific Ocean difficult and so the hidden beach gives you the feeling of being Conquer a natural wonder.
How to get to the hidden beach? Visitors must first travel from Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, or from Punta de Mita, Nayarit, to the Marieta Islands by boat. The hour-long trip to Marietas Islands National Park from Puerto Vallarta is an exciting journey that culminates in an exciting swim upstream through an incredible sea cave.
Kayaking to the beach
A visit to the hidden beach of the Marietas Islands is one of the best ways to see this amazingly ecologically diverse paradise on earth, but since a visit to Hidden Beach requires safe ocean conditions. so access to the beach is never guaranteed.
Islas Marietas . National Park
For nature enthusiasts, there is no more perfect spot! Visitors can snorkel the reefs, watch whales en route to the islands from mid-December to late March, swim to a sandbar perfect for sunbathing and then retreat into the shade to enjoy the atmosphere. clean air.
It takes about an hour and a half to navigate the calm waters of the bay to the Marietas . Islands
All the simple activities around The Hidden Beach are all that is allowed in this national park to protect the flora and fauna from the kind of devastation that has afflicted the archipelago. The rest of the islands are not allowed to visitors. The Marieta Islands' national park status means there is no fishing or hunting, and visitors also have to pay a national park fee to preserve this part of Mexico's national heritage. Conservation efforts have included temporarily closing the islands and their beaches to allow time for coral replanting and finding ways to limit visitor impact on the island's natural beauty and Habitat of 100 species of birds and fish call the archipelago home.
This tour of the Marieta Islands is all-inclusive, from food to drinks
Islas Marietas consists of 3 main islands and 6 smaller islands forming an archipelago. The archipelago is completely uninhabited and has been classified as a national park since 2005, called Parque Nacional Islas Marietas. In addition, they are also recognized as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. As you would expect, there is a wealth of sea life, flora and fauna on the islands. Famous as a bird sanctuary, the archipelago is home to 92 bird species, of which 40% are classified as endangered. Furthermore, in the surrounding waters there are more than 115 different species of fish including the King Angel Fish.
If you travel to the Marietas Islands between November and March, you are likely to see humpback whales visiting Banderas Bay during this time. We recommend taking an excursion to be able to swim and enjoy the beaches here and also see whales, it's truly a once in a lifetime adventure!
