Where to take a yacht in Mexico

Cabo San Lucas

A top luxury yachting destination, famous for its Marina Cabo San Lucas. It offers a vibrant nightlife, world-class fishing, diving spots, and the iconic Arch rock formation.

Cancún

Known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife, and luxury resorts. The city has several marinas and offers activities like diving, snorkeling, and exploring the nearby Mayan ruins.

Puerto Vallarta

A resort city on the Jalisco shore of Banderas Bay, and a base for boat days to Los Arcos, Yelapa and the Marietas Islands.

La Paz

Situated on the Sea of Cortez, known as "The Aquarium of the World." The city offers marinas, beautiful beaches, and opportunities for whale watching, swimming with sea lions, and exploring Espiritu Santo Island.

San José del Cabo

The Puerto Los Cabos marina offers state-of-the-art facilities. The city is more tranquil than Cabo San Lucas, known for its art scene, colonial architecture, and nature reserves.

Puerto Morelos

A quiet town located between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. It offers a marina, beautiful coral reefs, and a more laid-back experience compared to its more famous neighbors.

Boca de Tomatlán

A small fishing village at the mouth of the Horcones River, about 17 km south of downtown Puerto Vallarta. Its pier is the main departure point for the public water taxis to the beaches and villages of the southern shore.

Bucerías

A beach town of about 16,000 people on the north shore of Banderas Bay, in Nayarit. Yacht days along its shore start from Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz, about 2.3 nautical miles away.

Boca de Tomatlán

A small fishing village at the mouth of the Horcones River, about 17 km south of downtown Puerto Vallarta. Its pier is the main departure point for the public water taxis to the beaches and villages of the southern shore.

Bucerías

A beach town of about 16,000 people on the north shore of Banderas Bay, in Nayarit. Yacht days along its shore start from Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz, about 2.3 nautical miles away.

Cabo Corrientes

Cabo Corrientes is the point of land that closes Banderas Bay to the south, with a lighthouse on it that dates from the early 1900s. It lies 26.9 to 29.2 nautical miles in a straight line from the bay's marinas, a full day out and back.

Colomitos Beach

A tiny cove a short way along the coast from Boca de Tomatlán, on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, often called the smallest beach in Mexico. Guests reach it by water or on foot, and it is a known stop for snorkelling.

Hidden Beach (Playa del Amor), Marietas Islands

A small beach inside one of the Marietas Islands, in Islas Marietas National Park, that can only be reached from the sea. Here is how a visit works by yacht: the days, the fee, the daily limit and the swim in.

La Cruz de Huanacaxtle

A fishing village on the northern shore of Banderas Bay, in the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, about 25 km from Puerto Vallarta.

Las Ánimas Beach

A broad stretch of sand south-west of Puerto Vallarta, on the far side of Banderas Bay from the marinas, that works well as a lunch and swim stop on a day out by boat.

Las Caletas

A small boat-only cove on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, below a nature preserve, where the film director John Huston once lived. One tour company runs the beach and grounds as its own day trip, and the sources do not settle whether a charter yacht's guests may go ashore.

Litibú Beach

A Pacific-facing beach on the north shore of the Punta de Mita peninsula, reached by boat around the point from the Banderas Bay marinas.

Lo de Marcos

A quiet beach-town stop for a long day out by yacht from La Cruz, away from the crowds of Sayulita and Puerto Vallarta.

Los Corrales

A small fishing village at Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco, just around the cape at the southern point of Banderas Bay. It can be reached by boat, or overland by a long trip and then a hike, and it is known for its oysters.

Majahuitas

Majahuitas is a small cove on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, between Quimixto and Yelapa. No road reaches it, so guests arrive by boat.

Mismaloya

A small village and beach on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, south of Puerto Vallarta, looking out to the Los Arcos rocks. The Night of the Iguana was filmed here in 1963.

Nuevo Vallarta

A planned resort town on the north shore of Banderas Bay, built around canals, golf and a long white-sand beach.

Pizota

Pizota sits on the far southern shore of Banderas Bay, 2.4 nautical miles west of Yelapa. Yachts anchor off its quiet cove for a swim and a snorkel in calm, clear water.

Playa Caballo

On the south shore of Banderas Bay, Playa Caballo sits just north-east of Las Ánimas, on the Boca de Tomatlán side. No road reaches the sand, so it is a swimming and snorkelling stop that guests land at from the boat or walk to on a trail.

Playa La Lancha

A sandy beach on the Punta de Mita side of Banderas Bay with a gentle surf break that suits longboards and newer surfers. The sand is reached on foot or by small boat.

Playa La Nopalera (Nopalera Beach), Marietas Islands

A beach on Isla Larga, the Large Island of the Marietas, inside Islas Marietas National Park off the Nayarit side of Banderas Bay.

Punta de Mita

The headland that closes Banderas Bay to the north, in the Mexican state of Nayarit.

Quimixto

A small village on the southern shore of Banderas Bay that has no road and is reached only by boat. Palapa restaurants face the water on its beach, and a trail up the river valley behind it leads to a seasonal waterfall.

Rincón de Guayabitos

Rincón de Guayabitos is a beach resort village on Jaltemba Bay, on Nayarit's Pacific coast. Visitors come for its gentle waves and swimming, and for baby turtle releases and whale watching boat tours.

San Pancho

A small town on the open Pacific coast of Nayarit, north of Sayulita and outside Banderas Bay. Yachts reach it on longer coastal trips from the north-shore marinas, roughly 22 nautical miles by sea from La Cruz.

Sayulita

A surf and fishing town on the Nayarit coast just north of Banderas Bay, and a long day out by boat from the bay's marinas.

Yelapa

A village in the southernmost cove of Banderas Bay, in Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, with no road fit for ordinary vehicles.

Puerto Vallarta

A resort city on the Jalisco shore of Banderas Bay, and a base for boat days to Los Arcos, Yelapa and the Marietas Islands.

El Cielo, Cozumel

Puerto Morelos

A quiet town located between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. It offers a marina, beautiful coral reefs, and a more laid-back experience compared to its more famous neighbors.

Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres

Paamul

Playa del Carmen

Known for its beautiful beaches, luxury resorts, and vibrant nightlife. Offers marinas, water sports, and close proximity to the island of Cozumel.

Puerto Aventuras

Akumal

Known for its beautiful bay where you can swim with sea turtles. Offers tranquility, natural beauty, and is nearby to other famous destinations like Tulum and Playa del Carmen.

Punta Sur, Isla Mujeres

Tulum

Famous for its cliffside Mayan ruins and beautiful beaches. Tulum offers a unique blend of cultural heritage and natural beauty, although it's more limited for yachting compared to Cancun or Cozumel.

Cancún

Known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife, and luxury resorts. The city has several marinas and offers activities like diving, snorkeling, and exploring the nearby Mayan ruins.

Chileno Bay

Lover's Beach

Medano Beach

San José del Cabo

The Puerto Los Cabos marina offers state-of-the-art facilities. The city is more tranquil than Cabo San Lucas, known for its art scene, colonial architecture, and nature reserves.

Santa Maria Bay

Palmilla Beach

La Ribera

A small town on the Gulf of California shore of the East Cape, in Los Cabos Municipality, Baja California Sur.

Cabo San Lucas

A top luxury yachting destination, famous for its Marina Cabo San Lucas. It offers a vibrant nightlife, world-class fishing, diving spots, and the iconic Arch rock formation.

Balandra Beach

Ensenada Grande

La Paz

Situated on the Sea of Cortez, known as "The Aquarium of the World." The city offers marinas, beautiful beaches, and opportunities for whale watching, swimming with sea lions, and exploring Espiritu Santo Island.

San Juanico

A fishing village on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, on the Bahía San Juanico, known to surfers as Scorpion Bay. Its point break can give very long rides when the swell is right.

Todos Santos

Todos Santos is a small town on the Pacific side of the Baja California Peninsula in Baja California Sur, about an hour north of Cabo San Lucas. It is known for its history, surfing and arts scene.

Loreto

A town on the Gulf of California in Baja California Sur, Mexico, and seat of Loreto Municipality. It is known for sport fishing and for its 1697 Jesuit mission.

Cozumel

Known for its world-class scuba diving spots and beautiful coral reefs. The island offers several marinas, beaches, and proximity to the mainland.

Isla Mujeres

A beautiful island offering relaxed vibes compared to Cancun. Known for its beautiful beaches, snorkeling at the underwater museum MUSA, and swimming with whale sharks.

Isla Espíritu Santo

Isla del Carmen

An island of about 15,000 hectares in the Gulf of California, in Loreto Municipality, Baja California Sur. It lies within Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto.

Isla Jacques Cousteau

An uninhabited island about 29 km long, some 65 km east of La Paz across the Cerralvo Channel from La Ventana and El Sargento. It was Isla Cerralvo until 2009, when Mexico renamed it for Jacques Cousteau, and on the coast it is still called Cerralvo.

Isla María Cleofas

The southernmost of the four Islas Marías. It is part of the biosphere reserve and closed to visitors: of the four islands, only María Madre may be visited.

Isla María Madre

The largest of the Islas Marías, and the only one of the four that visitors may land on. Visits are run by the Mexican Navy, on its ships from Mazatlán or San Blas, and stay at Puerto Balleto from Friday to Sunday.

Isla María Magdalena

The second-largest of the Islas Marías, south-east of María Madre. It is part of the biosphere reserve and closed to visitors: of the four islands, only María Madre may be visited.

Isla San José

A volcanic island in the Sea of Cortez, some 60 km north of La Paz and the sixth-largest island in Mexico. It is about 30 km long, with a peak of 633 m near its middle.

Isla San Juanito

The smallest of the four Islas Marías, off the north-west end of María Madre. It is part of the biosphere reserve and closed to visitors: of the four islands, only María Madre may be visited.

Islas Marías

An archipelago in the Pacific some 100 km off the coast of Nayarit: four islands and a few large rocks, a biosphere reserve since 2000. A federal prison until 2019, the islands now take visitors on María Madre alone, on trips the Mexican Navy runs.

Marietas Islands

Two small islands at the western mouth of Banderas Bay, reached only by boat, with seabirds to watch and water to snorkel and dive.

Santa Maria Bay

Palmilla Beach

Hidden Beach (Playa del Amor), Marietas Islands

A small beach inside one of the Marietas Islands, in Islas Marietas National Park, that can only be reached from the sea. Here is how a visit works by yacht: the days, the fee, the daily limit and the swim in.

Las Ánimas Beach

A broad stretch of sand south-west of Puerto Vallarta, on the far side of Banderas Bay from the marinas, that works well as a lunch and swim stop on a day out by boat.

Las Caletas

A small boat-only cove on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, below a nature preserve, where the film director John Huston once lived. One tour company runs the beach and grounds as its own day trip, and the sources do not settle whether a charter yacht's guests may go ashore.

Litibú Beach

A Pacific-facing beach on the north shore of the Punta de Mita peninsula, reached by boat around the point from the Banderas Bay marinas.

Majahuitas

Majahuitas is a small cove on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, between Quimixto and Yelapa. No road reaches it, so guests arrive by boat.

Pizota

Pizota sits on the far southern shore of Banderas Bay, 2.4 nautical miles west of Yelapa. Yachts anchor off its quiet cove for a swim and a snorkel in calm, clear water.

Playa Caballo

On the south shore of Banderas Bay, Playa Caballo sits just north-east of Las Ánimas, on the Boca de Tomatlán side. No road reaches the sand, so it is a swimming and snorkelling stop that guests land at from the boat or walk to on a trail.

Playa La Lancha

A sandy beach on the Punta de Mita side of Banderas Bay with a gentle surf break that suits longboards and newer surfers. The sand is reached on foot or by small boat.

Playa La Nopalera (Nopalera Beach), Marietas Islands

A beach on Isla Larga, the Large Island of the Marietas, inside Islas Marietas National Park off the Nayarit side of Banderas Bay.

Playa Linda

Playa Linda is a beach at the north end of Ixtapa, on Guerrero's Pacific coast. Its rougher, steady waves attract surfers, and it is the departure point for boats to Isla Ixtapa.

Zipolite

Zipolite is a beach community on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, between Huatulco and Puerto Escondido. It is known for a long open beach with strong currents, rustic cabins and Mexico's first legal public nude beach.

Chileno Bay

Lover's Beach

Medano Beach

El Cielo, Cozumel

Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres

Colomitos Beach

A tiny cove a short way along the coast from Boca de Tomatlán, on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, often called the smallest beach in Mexico. Guests reach it by water or on foot, and it is a known stop for snorkelling.

Balandra Beach

Ensenada Grande

Acapulco

Acapulco is a major city and seaport on a deep, semicircular bay on Guerrero's Pacific coast. Visitors go for its beaches, scuba diving, sailfish fishing and the La Quebrada cliff divers.

Corbeteña

A white, jagged rock that stands alone in open water about 17 nautical miles (32 km) west of Punta de Mita, outside Banderas Bay. Charts name it Roca Corbeteña and fishermen call it the Rock. It is about 26 nautical miles (48 km) from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and 34 nautical miles (63 km) from Puerto Vallarta, with deep water and strong currents around it. It is known for yellowfin tuna, black and blue marlin, sailfish and dorado.

El Chimo

A deep dive site on the south side of Banderas Bay, where rock columns and formations rise from the seabed. It is a dive for experienced divers, reached by boat in around an hour or a little more.

El Morro

A small rock at the northern edge of Banderas Bay, near the Marieta Islands, dived by experienced divers for the tunnel that runs through it and the manta rays that pass. Fishing boats work the water around it too.

Las Caletas

A small boat-only cove on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, below a nature preserve, where the film director John Huston once lived. One tour company runs the beach and grounds as its own day trip, and the sources do not settle whether a charter yacht's guests may go ashore.

Los Arcos de Mismaloya

Five granite islets just off Mismaloya, about 12 km south of Puerto Vallarta in Banderas Bay, with arches cut through the larger rocks and reef walls below.

Majahuitas

Majahuitas is a small cove on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, between Quimixto and Yelapa. No road reaches it, so guests arrive by boat.

Nuevo Vallarta

A planned resort town on the north shore of Banderas Bay, built around canals, golf and a long white-sand beach.

Princesa Vallarta Wreck

A sunken boat on the floor of Banderas Bay, a little under 200 metres off the Las Gemelas beaches south of Puerto Vallarta. It is a deep dive for certified divers, about 6 nautical miles by boat from the Puerto Vallarta marinas.

Sayulita

A surf and fishing town on the Nayarit coast just north of Banderas Bay, and a long day out by boat from the bay's marinas.

Cabo Pulmo

A coral reef on the East Cape of Baja California Sur, inside Cabo Pulmo National Park. Divers and snorkellers come for the reef and the fish that crowd it.

Caleta de Campos

Caleta de Campos is a small coastal town in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas, on Michoacán's Pacific coast, set on Bahía Bufadero. Visitors go for its calm bay, swimming, diving and fishing.

El Bajo (Espíritu Santo Seamount)

A seamount in the Gulf of California north of Isla Espíritu Santo, about 33 nautical miles (61 km) north of La Paz. It rises more than 890 m from the sea floor and is also called El Bajo de Espíritu Santo. Researchers have recorded striped, blue and black marlin, yellowfin tuna and dorado there, and it has been studied since the 1980s for its schools of hammerhead sharks. Sport-fishing boats run out to it for the billfish and tuna, and divers go down on it for the hammerheads.

Los Anegados

A submerged rock bank in the northern part of Banderas Bay, lying about midway between El Morro and the Marieta Islands. It is a boat dive, best suited to divers with some experience.

Manzanillo

Manzanillo is Colima's main city and Mexico's busiest Pacific port, with beaches on Manzanillo and Santiago bays. Visitors go for sailfish fishing, swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving.

Marietas Islands

Two small islands at the western mouth of Banderas Bay, reached only by boat, with seabirds to watch and water to snorkel and dive.

Maruata

Maruata is a small coastal village in the municipality of Aquila, on Michoacán's Pacific coast. It is listed among the state's beaches and is described as a place for diving and spearfishing.

Palancar Reef, Cozumel

A reef off the southwest coast of Cozumel, inside the Cozumel Reefs National Park. Divers drift along its coral walls, and snorkellers swim over its shallower heads.

San Carlos

San Carlos is a beachfront town within the municipality of Guaymas, Sonora, on the Sea of Cortez. It is known for clear, warm water in shallow bays and for scuba diving, fishing and beach days.

Cabo San Lucas

A top luxury yachting destination, famous for its Marina Cabo San Lucas. It offers a vibrant nightlife, world-class fishing, diving spots, and the iconic Arch rock formation.

Cancún

Known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife, and luxury resorts. The city has several marinas and offers activities like diving, snorkeling, and exploring the nearby Mayan ruins.

Cozumel

Known for its world-class scuba diving spots and beautiful coral reefs. The island offers several marinas, beaches, and proximity to the mainland.

Las Caletas

A small boat-only cove on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, below a nature preserve, where the film director John Huston once lived. One tour company runs the beach and grounds as its own day trip, and the sources do not settle whether a charter yacht's guests may go ashore.

Los Arcos de Mismaloya

Five granite islets just off Mismaloya, about 12 km south of Puerto Vallarta in Banderas Bay, with arches cut through the larger rocks and reef walls below.

Majahuitas

Majahuitas is a small cove on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, between Quimixto and Yelapa. No road reaches it, so guests arrive by boat.

Nuevo Vallarta

A planned resort town on the north shore of Banderas Bay, built around canals, golf and a long white-sand beach.

Pizota

Pizota sits on the far southern shore of Banderas Bay, 2.4 nautical miles west of Yelapa. Yachts anchor off its quiet cove for a swim and a snorkel in calm, clear water.

Playa Caballo

On the south shore of Banderas Bay, Playa Caballo sits just north-east of Las Ánimas, on the Boca de Tomatlán side. No road reaches the sand, so it is a swimming and snorkelling stop that guests land at from the boat or walk to on a trail.

Playa La Nopalera (Nopalera Beach), Marietas Islands

A beach on Isla Larga, the Large Island of the Marietas, inside Islas Marietas National Park off the Nayarit side of Banderas Bay.

Quimixto

A small village on the southern shore of Banderas Bay that has no road and is reached only by boat. Palapa restaurants face the water on its beach, and a trail up the river valley behind it leads to a seasonal waterfall.

Sayulita

A surf and fishing town on the Nayarit coast just north of Banderas Bay, and a long day out by boat from the bay's marinas.

Los Islotes

Rocks off the north end of Isla Partida, in the Espíritu Santo archipelago north of La Paz, home to a colony of California sea lions. Boats anchor off the colony so guests can snorkel near the sea lions, except from June 1 to August 31, when the park closes it to swimmers while they breed.

San Rafaelito

A small rock with a lighthouse on it, about nine nautical miles north of Marina Cortez in La Paz, where California sea lions rest. Half-day boats stop beside it so guests can snorkel near the sea lions.

Cabo Pulmo

A coral reef on the East Cape of Baja California Sur, inside Cabo Pulmo National Park. Divers and snorkellers come for the reef and the fish that crowd it.

Ixtapa

Ixtapa is a planned beach resort on Guerrero's Pacific coast, five kilometers from Zihuatanejo. Visitors go for its beaches and nearby Isla Ixtapa, with swimming, snorkeling and surf on the open-ocean side.

Manzanillo

Manzanillo is Colima's main city and Mexico's busiest Pacific port, with beaches on Manzanillo and Santiago bays. Visitors go for sailfish fishing, swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving.

Marietas Islands

Two small islands at the western mouth of Banderas Bay, reached only by boat, with seabirds to watch and water to snorkel and dive.

Palancar Reef, Cozumel

A reef off the southwest coast of Cozumel, inside the Cozumel Reefs National Park. Divers drift along its coral walls, and snorkellers swim over its shallower heads.

Zihuatanejo

Zihuatanejo is a port town on a sheltered bay on Guerrero's Pacific coast, next to Ixtapa. Visitors go for its calm beaches, snorkeling at Las Gatas, sport fishing and winter whale watching.

Cabo San Lucas

A top luxury yachting destination, famous for its Marina Cabo San Lucas. It offers a vibrant nightlife, world-class fishing, diving spots, and the iconic Arch rock formation.

Cancún

Known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife, and luxury resorts. The city has several marinas and offers activities like diving, snorkeling, and exploring the nearby Mayan ruins.

Isla Mujeres

A beautiful island offering relaxed vibes compared to Cancun. Known for its beautiful beaches, snorkeling at the underwater museum MUSA, and swimming with whale sharks.

Colomitos Beach

A tiny cove a short way along the coast from Boca de Tomatlán, on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, often called the smallest beach in Mexico. Guests reach it by water or on foot, and it is a known stop for snorkelling.

Las Ánimas Beach

A broad stretch of sand south-west of Puerto Vallarta, on the far side of Banderas Bay from the marinas, that works well as a lunch and swim stop on a day out by boat.

Land's End Whale Grounds

Open water off Land's End where humpback and gray whales pass each winter, and where boats from Cabo San Lucas go out to look for them. It is an area, not a spot: the whales move every day, and a sighting is never certain.

San José del Cabo Whale Grounds

Open water in the Sea of Cortez off San José del Cabo, a short run from Puerto Los Cabos, where humpback whales pass each winter. It is an area, not a spot: the whales move every day, and a sighting is never certain.

Banderas Bay Whale Grounds

The open water of Banderas Bay, where humpback whales spend the winter, a short run from Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta and La Cruz. It is an area, not a spot: the whales move every day, and a sighting is never certain.

Rincón de Guayabitos

Rincón de Guayabitos is a beach resort village on Jaltemba Bay, on Nayarit's Pacific coast. Visitors come for its gentle waves and swimming, and for baby turtle releases and whale watching boat tours.

Sayulita

A surf and fishing town on the Nayarit coast just north of Banderas Bay, and a long day out by boat from the bay's marinas.

Zihuatanejo

Zihuatanejo is a port town on a sheltered bay on Guerrero's Pacific coast, next to Ixtapa. Visitors go for its calm beaches, snorkeling at Las Gatas, sport fishing and winter whale watching.

Cabo San Lucas

A top luxury yachting destination, famous for its Marina Cabo San Lucas. It offers a vibrant nightlife, world-class fishing, diving spots, and the iconic Arch rock formation.

La Paz

Situated on the Sea of Cortez, known as "The Aquarium of the World." The city offers marinas, beautiful beaches, and opportunities for whale watching, swimming with sea lions, and exploring Espiritu Santo Island.

Lo de Marcos

A quiet beach-town stop for a long day out by yacht from La Cruz, away from the crowds of Sayulita and Puerto Vallarta.

Punta de Mita

The headland that closes Banderas Bay to the north, in the Mexican state of Nayarit.

Sayulita

A surf and fishing town on the Nayarit coast just north of Banderas Bay, and a long day out by boat from the bay's marinas.

Arrowsmith Bank

A submerged bank in the Caribbean, about 22 nautical miles (42 km) east of Cancún and 21 nautical miles (39 km) southeast of Isla Mujeres. It is about 17 nautical miles long and 1.5 to 5 nautical miles wide, with about 16 to 38 m of water on top and a strong current that sets north across it. Sport-fishing boats go there for wahoo and dorado (mahi-mahi).

Boca del Cielo

Boca del Cielo is a small fishing town and beach in Tonalá, Chiapas, on the Pacific coast of the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Visitors come for the La Joya lagoon, boat tours, sport fishing and a turtle sanctuary.

Cabrillo Seamount

A seamount in deep water at the mouth of the Gulf of California, about 27 nautical miles (50 km) southeast of San José del Cabo and 37 nautical miles (68 km) east of Cabo San Lucas. Its summit is far below the surface, so the fishing there is in open water: fishing reports name it for blue marlin and for yellowfin tuna travelling with porpoise.

Caleta de Campos

Caleta de Campos is a small coastal town in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas, on Michoacán's Pacific coast, set on Bahía Bufadero. Visitors go for its calm bay, swimming, diving and fishing.

El Bajo (Espíritu Santo Seamount)

A seamount in the Gulf of California north of Isla Espíritu Santo, about 33 nautical miles (61 km) north of La Paz. It rises more than 890 m from the sea floor and is also called El Bajo de Espíritu Santo. Researchers have recorded striped, blue and black marlin, yellowfin tuna and dorado there, and it has been studied since the 1980s for its schools of hammerhead sharks. Sport-fishing boats run out to it for the billfish and tuna, and divers go down on it for the hammerheads.

El Banco

An offshore fishing ground far beyond the mouth of Banderas Bay, reached on a full-day trip from Marina Vallarta. Anglers make the long run for marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna and dorado.

Ensenada

Ensenada is a port city in Baja California on the Pacific coast, set on the Bahía de Todos Santos. It is a major tourist destination and Mexico's second-busiest port, with bay and coastal waters nearby.

Golden Gate Bank

An underwater bank on the Pacific side of the cape, about 21 nautical miles (40 km) northwest of Cabo San Lucas and 12 nautical miles (22 km) north of San Jaime Bank. Its shallowest charted point is about 11 m below the surface. It is known for striped marlin, and for yellowfin tuna.

Gordo Banks

Two underwater banks off San José del Cabo, charted as Banco Gorda de Adentro (the Inner Gorda Bank) and Banco Gorda de Afuera (the Outer Gorda Bank). The inner bank rises to about 15 m below the surface, about 9 nautical miles (16 km) east of the San José del Cabo marina and 23 nautical miles (43 km) from Cabo San Lucas. The outer bank lies about 3 nautical miles (5 km) farther out and is deeper, about 62 m at its shallowest. The banks are known for yellowfin tuna, wahoo and marlin, and for bottom fish such as snapper, grouper and amberjack.

Manzanillo

Manzanillo is Colima's main city and Mexico's busiest Pacific port, with beaches on Manzanillo and Santiago bays. Visitors go for sailfish fishing, swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving.

Maruata

Maruata is a small coastal village in the municipality of Aquila, on Michoacán's Pacific coast. It is listed among the state's beaches and is described as a place for diving and spearfishing.

Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido is a port city and tourist center on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca. It is known for surfing at Zicatela Beach, calmer beaches nearby and a lagoon area popular for fishing and birdwatching.

Puerto Peñasco

Puerto Peñasco is a small city in northwestern Sonora on the northern shore of the Sea of Cortez, about 100 km from the Arizona border. It is a beach and tourist destination on the upper gulf.

San Carlos

San Carlos is a beachfront town within the municipality of Guaymas, Sonora, on the Sea of Cortez. It is known for clear, warm water in shallow bays and for scuba diving, fishing and beach days.

San Jaime Bank

An underwater bank in the Pacific, about 19 nautical miles (35 km) west of Cabo San Lucas, past Cabo Falso. Its shallowest charted point is about 9 m below the surface, with deep water all around. Fishing reports from Cabo San Lucas name it for yellowfin tuna, and it is one of the seamounts of the region where marlin and other large open-water fish gather.

Zihuatanejo

Zihuatanejo is a port town on a sheltered bay on Guerrero's Pacific coast, next to Ixtapa. Visitors go for its calm beaches, snorkeling at Las Gatas, sport fishing and winter whale watching.

Cabo San Lucas

A top luxury yachting destination, famous for its Marina Cabo San Lucas. It offers a vibrant nightlife, world-class fishing, diving spots, and the iconic Arch rock formation.

Puerto Vallarta

A resort city on the Jalisco shore of Banderas Bay, and a base for boat days to Los Arcos, Yelapa and the Marietas Islands.

Acapulco

Acapulco is a major city and seaport on a deep, semicircular bay on Guerrero's Pacific coast. Visitors go for its beaches, scuba diving, sailfish fishing and the La Quebrada cliff divers.

Cabo Corrientes

Cabo Corrientes is the point of land that closes Banderas Bay to the south, with a lighthouse on it that dates from the early 1900s. It lies 26.9 to 29.2 nautical miles in a straight line from the bay's marinas, a full day out and back.

Corbeteña

A white, jagged rock that stands alone in open water about 17 nautical miles (32 km) west of Punta de Mita, outside Banderas Bay. Charts name it Roca Corbeteña and fishermen call it the Rock. It is about 26 nautical miles (48 km) from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and 34 nautical miles (63 km) from Puerto Vallarta, with deep water and strong currents around it. It is known for yellowfin tuna, black and blue marlin, sailfish and dorado.

El Morro

A small rock at the northern edge of Banderas Bay, near the Marieta Islands, dived by experienced divers for the tunnel that runs through it and the manta rays that pass. Fishing boats work the water around it too.

Nuevo Vallarta

A planned resort town on the north shore of Banderas Bay, built around canals, golf and a long white-sand beach.

Loreto

A town on the Gulf of California in Baja California Sur, Mexico, and seat of Loreto Municipality. It is known for sport fishing and for its 1697 Jesuit mission.

Land's End (The Arch)

Los Islotes

Rocks off the north end of Isla Partida, in the Espíritu Santo archipelago north of La Paz, home to a colony of California sea lions. Boats anchor off the colony so guests can snorkel near the sea lions, except from June 1 to August 31, when the park closes it to swimmers while they breed.

San Rafaelito

A small rock with a lighthouse on it, about nine nautical miles north of Marina Cortez in La Paz, where California sea lions rest. Half-day boats stop beside it so guests can snorkel near the sea lions.

Punta Sur, Isla Mujeres

The Cove, Punta de Mita

A surf break at Punta de Mita, on the north-west point of Banderas Bay. Surfers reach it by boat from the Punta de Mita shore or on foot over the rocks.

Cabo Corrientes

Cabo Corrientes is the point of land that closes Banderas Bay to the south, with a lighthouse on it that dates from the early 1900s. It lies 26.9 to 29.2 nautical miles in a straight line from the bay's marinas, a full day out and back.

Corbeteña

A white, jagged rock that stands alone in open water about 17 nautical miles (32 km) west of Punta de Mita, outside Banderas Bay. Charts name it Roca Corbeteña and fishermen call it the Rock. It is about 26 nautical miles (48 km) from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and 34 nautical miles (63 km) from Puerto Vallarta, with deep water and strong currents around it. It is known for yellowfin tuna, black and blue marlin, sailfish and dorado.

El Morro

A small rock at the northern edge of Banderas Bay, near the Marieta Islands, dived by experienced divers for the tunnel that runs through it and the manta rays that pass. Fishing boats work the water around it too.

Los Arcos de Mismaloya

Five granite islets just off Mismaloya, about 12 km south of Puerto Vallarta in Banderas Bay, with arches cut through the larger rocks and reef walls below.

Playa La Lancha

A sandy beach on the Punta de Mita side of Banderas Bay with a gentle surf break that suits longboards and newer surfers. The sand is reached on foot or by small boat.

Celestino Gasca

Celestino Gasca (also spelled Gazca) is a small beach village in the Elota municipality of Sinaloa, on the Pacific coast about 70 km south of Mazatlán. Visitors go for quiet beaches, surf, paddling and turtle release.

Huatulco

Huatulco is a tourist development of nine bays on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, centered on the town of La Crucecita, at the eastern end of the Oaxacan coast. It is known for its bays, cruise calls and surf.

Ixtapa

Ixtapa is a planned beach resort on Guerrero's Pacific coast, five kilometers from Zihuatanejo. Visitors go for its beaches and nearby Isla Ixtapa, with swimming, snorkeling and surf on the open-ocean side.

Playa Azul

Playa Azul is a beach town in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas, on Michoacán's Pacific coast. Visitors go for its long sandy beach and surfing, and for local sea turtle protection work.

Playa Linda

Playa Linda is a beach at the north end of Ixtapa, on Guerrero's Pacific coast. Its rougher, steady waves attract surfers, and it is the departure point for boats to Isla Ixtapa.

Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido is a port city and tourist center on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca. It is known for surfing at Zicatela Beach, calmer beaches nearby and a lagoon area popular for fishing and birdwatching.

Rosarito

Rosarito is a coastal city in Baja California on the Pacific coast, about 16 km south of the US border. Visitors come for its long beaches and the beach events and resorts along the shore.

San Blas

San Blas is a historic port town on Nayarit's Pacific coast. Visitors go for its beaches and surfing, long known for the Matanchén Bay waves.

Tecomán

Tecomán is an agricultural city in Colima, a short drive inland from the Pacific coast. Its beaches, such as El Real and Boca de Pascuales, are known for surf and for sea turtle conservation projects.

The Cove, Punta de Mita

A surf break at Punta de Mita, on the north-west point of Banderas Bay. Surfers reach it by boat from the Punta de Mita shore or on foot over the rocks.

Punta de Mita

The headland that closes Banderas Bay to the north, in the Mexican state of Nayarit.

Sayulita

A surf and fishing town on the Nayarit coast just north of Banderas Bay, and a long day out by boat from the bay's marinas.

San Juanico

A fishing village on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, on the Bahía San Juanico, known to surfers as Scorpion Bay. Its point break can give very long rides when the swell is right.

Todos Santos

Todos Santos is a small town on the Pacific side of the Baja California Peninsula in Baja California Sur, about an hour north of Cabo San Lucas. It is known for its history, surfing and arts scene.

Bay of Campeche

The southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico, closed on three sides by the states of Veracruz, Tabasco and Campeche. The Cantarell oil fields lie beneath it.

Caribbean Sea

The sea of the Atlantic that washes the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second-largest barrier reef in the world, runs some 1,000 km along it from Mexico to Honduras.

Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a large marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by the United States, Mexico and Cuba. Its Mexican shore runs from Tamaulipas through Veracruz, Tabasco and Campeche to Yucatán.

Gulf of Tehuantepec

A wide gulf of the Pacific off southeastern Mexico, between Oaxaca and Chiapas, from Puerto Ángel in the west to the mouth of the Suchiate River in the east. Boca del Cielo lies on its shore. From November to February a strong wind from the Gulf of Mexico, the Tehuano, blows out across it.

Pacific Ocean

The largest and deepest of the world's oceans, along Mexico's west coast. The Sea of Cortez is an arm of it.

Sea of Cortez

The arm of the Pacific between the Baja California peninsula and the Mexican mainland, also called the Gulf of California. It runs some 1,126 km from north to south and is 48 to 241 km wide, and parts of it are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Princesa Vallarta Wreck

A sunken boat on the floor of Banderas Bay, a little under 200 metres off the Las Gemelas beaches south of Puerto Vallarta. It is a deep dive for certified divers, about 6 nautical miles by boat from the Puerto Vallarta marinas.

Wild Dolphins of Banderas Bay

Wild dolphins share Banderas Bay with the boats that cross it, and a morning spent looking for them is one of the quieter ways to see the bay. It is a search on open water, so a sighting is never certain.

Altata

Altata is a small coastal town in Navolato municipality, Sinaloa, about 62 km from Culiacán, connected to the Pacific. It is a small fishing port and a family beach spot on the bay.

Banderas Bay

The Pacific bay itself, closed by Punta Mita to the north and Cabo Corrientes to the south, with Puerto Vallarta on its shore. Its islands, rocks and dive sites sit in this water.

Barra de Navidad

Barra de Navidad is a small fishing and tourist town on the Bahía de Navidad, on Jalisco's Pacific coast in the Costalegre. Visitors come for its beachfront on a sandbar and boat rides across the lagoon.

Boca del Cielo

Boca del Cielo is a small fishing town and beach in Tonalá, Chiapas, on the Pacific coast of the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Visitors come for the La Joya lagoon, boat tours, sport fishing and a turtle sanctuary.

Boca del Río

Boca del Río is a city and municipality in central Veracruz, immediately south of the port of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico coast. It is the metropolitan area's center for business travel, hotels and restaurants.

Cabo Pulmo

A coral reef on the East Cape of Baja California Sur, inside Cabo Pulmo National Park. Divers and snorkellers come for the reef and the fish that crowd it.

Cabrillo Seamount

A seamount in deep water at the mouth of the Gulf of California, about 27 nautical miles (50 km) southeast of San José del Cabo and 37 nautical miles (68 km) east of Cabo San Lucas. Its summit is far below the surface, so the fishing there is in open water: fishing reports name it for blue marlin and for yellowfin tuna travelling with porpoise.

Caleta de Campos

Caleta de Campos is a small coastal town in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas, on Michoacán's Pacific coast, set on Bahía Bufadero. Visitors go for its calm bay, swimming, diving and fishing.

Campeche

San Francisco de Campeche is the capital of the state of Campeche, a walled colonial city on the shore of the Bay of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site visited for its fortifications.

Celestún

Celestún is a town in the northwest corner of Yucatán on the Gulf of Mexico coast, next to a coastal estuary lined with mangroves. Its flamingos are the main attraction for visitors.

Ciudad del Carmen

Ciudad del Carmen is the second-largest city of Campeche, on Carmen Island between the Gulf of Mexico and the Laguna de Términos. It is a Gulf oil-industry port that has begun promoting tourism.

Coatzacoalcos

Coatzacoalcos is a major port city in southern Veracruz, at the mouth of the Coatzacoalcos River on the Bay of Campeche, the southern Gulf of Mexico coast. It is mainly an industrial and shipping port.

El Bajo (Espíritu Santo Seamount)

A seamount in the Gulf of California north of Isla Espíritu Santo, about 33 nautical miles (61 km) north of La Paz. It rises more than 890 m from the sea floor and is also called El Bajo de Espíritu Santo. Researchers have recorded striped, blue and black marlin, yellowfin tuna and dorado there, and it has been studied since the 1980s for its schools of hammerhead sharks. Sport-fishing boats run out to it for the billfish and tuna, and divers go down on it for the hammerheads.

El Banco

An offshore fishing ground far beyond the mouth of Banderas Bay, reached on a full-day trip from Marina Vallarta. Anglers make the long run for marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna and dorado.

Ensenada

Ensenada is a port city in Baja California on the Pacific coast, set on the Bahía de Todos Santos. It is a major tourist destination and Mexico's second-busiest port, with bay and coastal waters nearby.

Golden Gate Bank

An underwater bank on the Pacific side of the cape, about 21 nautical miles (40 km) northwest of Cabo San Lucas and 12 nautical miles (22 km) north of San Jaime Bank. Its shallowest charted point is about 11 m below the surface. It is known for striped marlin, and for yellowfin tuna.

Gordo Banks

Two underwater banks off San José del Cabo, charted as Banco Gorda de Adentro (the Inner Gorda Bank) and Banco Gorda de Afuera (the Outer Gorda Bank). The inner bank rises to about 15 m below the surface, about 9 nautical miles (16 km) east of the San José del Cabo marina and 23 nautical miles (43 km) from Cabo San Lucas. The outer bank lies about 3 nautical miles (5 km) farther out and is deeper, about 62 m at its shallowest. The banks are known for yellowfin tuna, wahoo and marlin, and for bottom fish such as snapper, grouper and amberjack.

Isla Aguada

Isla Aguada is a small town at the tip of the Palmar Peninsula in Carmen municipality, Campeche, between the Laguna de Términos to the south and the Gulf of Mexico to the north. It joined the Pueblos Mágicos program in 2020.

Isla Jacques Cousteau

An uninhabited island about 29 km long, some 65 km east of La Paz across the Cerralvo Channel from La Ventana and El Sargento. It was Isla Cerralvo until 2009, when Mexico renamed it for Jacques Cousteau, and on the coast it is still called Cerralvo.

Isla María Cleofas

The southernmost of the four Islas Marías. It is part of the biosphere reserve and closed to visitors: of the four islands, only María Madre may be visited.

Isla María Madre

The largest of the Islas Marías, and the only one of the four that visitors may land on. Visits are run by the Mexican Navy, on its ships from Mazatlán or San Blas, and stay at Puerto Balleto from Friday to Sunday.

Isla María Magdalena

The second-largest of the Islas Marías, south-east of María Madre. It is part of the biosphere reserve and closed to visitors: of the four islands, only María Madre may be visited.

Isla San José

A volcanic island in the Sea of Cortez, some 60 km north of La Paz and the sixth-largest island in Mexico. It is about 30 km long, with a peak of 633 m near its middle.

Isla San Juanito

The smallest of the four Islas Marías, off the north-west end of María Madre. It is part of the biosphere reserve and closed to visitors: of the four islands, only María Madre may be visited.

Islas Marías

An archipelago in the Pacific some 100 km off the coast of Nayarit: four islands and a few large rocks, a biosphere reserve since 2000. A federal prison until 2019, the islands now take visitors on María Madre alone, on trips the Mexican Navy runs.

Kino Bay

Kino Bay (Bahía de Kino) is a small coastal town in the Hermosillo municipality of Sonora, on the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez). It sits on a bay facing Tiburón Island, with beaches along the shore.

La Paz Bay

The largest bay on the east coast of Baja California, opening east onto the Sea of Cortez. Isla Espíritu Santo and Isla Partida lie across its mouth, and the port of La Paz sits at its southern end, behind the sand spit of El Mogote.

Los Anegados

A submerged rock bank in the northern part of Banderas Bay, lying about midway between El Morro and the Marieta Islands. It is a boat dive, best suited to divers with some experience.

Manzanillo

Manzanillo is Colima's main city and Mexico's busiest Pacific port, with beaches on Manzanillo and Santiago bays. Visitors go for sailfish fishing, swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving.

Marietas Islands

Two small islands at the western mouth of Banderas Bay, reached only by boat, with seabirds to watch and water to snorkel and dive.

Maruata

Maruata is a small coastal village in the municipality of Aquila, on Michoacán's Pacific coast. It is listed among the state's beaches and is described as a place for diving and spearfishing.

Mazatlán

Mazatlán is a port city in Sinaloa on Mexico's Pacific coast, facing the southern tip of Baja California. It is one of the country's main beach destinations, with a long waterfront.

Mazunte

Mazunte is a small beach town on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, about 10 km west of Puerto Ángel. It is famous for sea turtles and is home to the Mexican National Turtle Center.

Melaque

Melaque, also called San Patricio, is a beach town on the Bahía de Navidad along Jalisco's Pacific coast. Its main beach is known for swimming, with calmer water at the sheltered west end.

Palancar Reef, Cozumel

A reef off the southwest coast of Cozumel, inside the Cozumel Reefs National Park. Divers drift along its coral walls, and snorkellers swim over its shallower heads.

Playa Azul

Playa Azul is a beach town in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas, on Michoacán's Pacific coast. Visitors go for its long sandy beach and surfing, and for local sea turtle protection work.

Playa Linda

Playa Linda is a beach at the north end of Ixtapa, on Guerrero's Pacific coast. Its rougher, steady waves attract surfers, and it is the departure point for boats to Isla Ixtapa.

Puerto Arista

Puerto Arista is a small beach community in Tonalá, Chiapas, on the Gulf of Tehuantepec coast of the Pacific. It is the most visited beach in the state and has a marine turtle sanctuary.

Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido is a port city and tourist center on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca. It is known for surfing at Zicatela Beach, calmer beaches nearby and a lagoon area popular for fishing and birdwatching.

Puerto Peñasco

Puerto Peñasco is a small city in northwestern Sonora on the northern shore of the Sea of Cortez, about 100 km from the Arizona border. It is a beach and tourist destination on the upper gulf.

Rosarito

Rosarito is a coastal city in Baja California on the Pacific coast, about 16 km south of the US border. Visitors come for its long beaches and the beach events and resorts along the shore.

San Blas

San Blas is a historic port town on Nayarit's Pacific coast. Visitors go for its beaches and surfing, long known for the Matanchén Bay waves.

San Carlos

San Carlos is a beachfront town within the municipality of Guaymas, Sonora, on the Sea of Cortez. It is known for clear, warm water in shallow bays and for scuba diving, fishing and beach days.

San Felipe

San Felipe is a coastal city in northern Baja California on the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez). A historic fishing town, it is now a tourist destination known for its beaches and warm gulf waters.

San Jaime Bank

An underwater bank in the Pacific, about 19 nautical miles (35 km) west of Cabo San Lucas, past Cabo Falso. Its shallowest charted point is about 9 m below the surface, with deep water all around. Fishing reports from Cabo San Lucas name it for yellowfin tuna, and it is one of the seamounts of the region where marlin and other large open-water fish gather.

Sisal

Sisal is a small fishing village and former seaport on the northwest coast of Yucatán, on the Gulf of Mexico, about 53 km from Mérida. It was Yucatán's main port in the henequen era and is visited for its beach.

Tecomán

Tecomán is an agricultural city in Colima, a short drive inland from the Pacific coast. Its beaches, such as El Real and Boca de Pascuales, are known for surf and for sea turtle conservation projects.

Tehuamixtle

A small bay and community in the municipality of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, on the open Pacific south of the cape that closes Banderas Bay. It is a long run by sea from the Puerto Vallarta marinas, best kept for a trip of more than one day.

The Cove, Punta de Mita

A surf break at Punta de Mita, on the north-west point of Banderas Bay. Surfers reach it by boat from the Punta de Mita shore or on foot over the rocks.

Tijuana

Tijuana is the largest city in Baja California, on the northwestern Pacific coast right at the US border. Its Pacific shoreline, with beaches such as Playas de Tijuana, lies at the western edge of the municipality.

Veracruz City

Veracruz, also called Heroica Veracruz, is Mexico's oldest and largest port city, on the Gulf of Mexico in the state of Veracruz. Visitors come for its seafront, historic fortress and city beaches.

Zihuatanejo

Zihuatanejo is a port town on a sheltered bay on Guerrero's Pacific coast, next to Ixtapa. Visitors go for its calm beaches, snorkeling at Las Gatas, sport fishing and winter whale watching.

Zipolite

Zipolite is a beach community on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, between Huatulco and Puerto Escondido. It is known for a long open beach with strong currents, rustic cabins and Mexico's first legal public nude beach.

Cozumel

Known for its world-class scuba diving spots and beautiful coral reefs. The island offers several marinas, beaches, and proximity to the mainland.

Acapulco

Acapulco is a major city and seaport on a deep, semicircular bay on Guerrero's Pacific coast. Visitors go for its beaches, scuba diving, sailfish fishing and the La Quebrada cliff divers.

Land's End (The Arch)

Land's End Whale Grounds

Open water off Land's End where humpback and gray whales pass each winter, and where boats from Cabo San Lucas go out to look for them. It is an area, not a spot: the whales move every day, and a sighting is never certain.

San José del Cabo Whale Grounds

Open water in the Sea of Cortez off San José del Cabo, a short run from Puerto Los Cabos, where humpback whales pass each winter. It is an area, not a spot: the whales move every day, and a sighting is never certain.

Isla Mujeres

A beautiful island offering relaxed vibes compared to Cancun. Known for its beautiful beaches, snorkeling at the underwater museum MUSA, and swimming with whale sharks.

Banderas Bay Whale Grounds

The open water of Banderas Bay, where humpback whales spend the winter, a short run from Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta and La Cruz. It is an area, not a spot: the whales move every day, and a sighting is never certain.

Corbeteña

A white, jagged rock that stands alone in open water about 17 nautical miles (32 km) west of Punta de Mita, outside Banderas Bay. Charts name it Roca Corbeteña and fishermen call it the Rock. It is about 26 nautical miles (48 km) from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and 34 nautical miles (63 km) from Puerto Vallarta, with deep water and strong currents around it. It is known for yellowfin tuna, black and blue marlin, sailfish and dorado.

El Chimo

A deep dive site on the south side of Banderas Bay, where rock columns and formations rise from the seabed. It is a dive for experienced divers, reached by boat in around an hour or a little more.

El Morro

A small rock at the northern edge of Banderas Bay, near the Marieta Islands, dived by experienced divers for the tunnel that runs through it and the manta rays that pass. Fishing boats work the water around it too.

Los Arcos de Mismaloya

Five granite islets just off Mismaloya, about 12 km south of Puerto Vallarta in Banderas Bay, with arches cut through the larger rocks and reef walls below.

Isla Espíritu Santo

Los Islotes

Rocks off the north end of Isla Partida, in the Espíritu Santo archipelago north of La Paz, home to a colony of California sea lions. Boats anchor off the colony so guests can snorkel near the sea lions, except from June 1 to August 31, when the park closes it to swimmers while they breed.

San Rafaelito

A small rock with a lighthouse on it, about nine nautical miles north of Marina Cortez in La Paz, where California sea lions rest. Half-day boats stop beside it so guests can snorkel near the sea lions.

Arrowsmith Bank

A submerged bank in the Caribbean, about 22 nautical miles (42 km) east of Cancún and 21 nautical miles (39 km) southeast of Isla Mujeres. It is about 17 nautical miles long and 1.5 to 5 nautical miles wide, with about 16 to 38 m of water on top and a strong current that sets north across it. Sport-fishing boats go there for wahoo and dorado (mahi-mahi).

Celestino Gasca

Celestino Gasca (also spelled Gazca) is a small beach village in the Elota municipality of Sinaloa, on the Pacific coast about 70 km south of Mazatlán. Visitors go for quiet beaches, surf, paddling and turtle release.

Huatulco

Huatulco is a tourist development of nine bays on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, centered on the town of La Crucecita, at the eastern end of the Oaxacan coast. It is known for its bays, cruise calls and surf.

Isla del Carmen

An island of about 15,000 hectares in the Gulf of California, in Loreto Municipality, Baja California Sur. It lies within Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto.

Ixtapa

Ixtapa is a planned beach resort on Guerrero's Pacific coast, five kilometers from Zihuatanejo. Visitors go for its beaches and nearby Isla Ixtapa, with swimming, snorkeling and surf on the open-ocean side.