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Majahuitas snorkeling tours
Beach in Banderas Bay on Banderas Bay
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.
Marinas
- Marina Nuevo Vallarta
- Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta
Near Majahuitas
- Snorkeling
- Scuba diving
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.
- Snorkeling
- Swimming
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.
- Snorkeling
- Swimming
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.
- Snorkeling
- Swimming
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.
Yelapa
A village in the southernmost cove of Banderas Bay, in Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, with no road fit for ordinary vehicles.
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.
- Snorkeling
- Swimming
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.
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.
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About Majahuitas
Getting there by boat
In a straight line the cove lies about 12.4 nautical miles south-west of Banderas Bay's Marina Vallarta and about 14.6 nautical miles south of Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz. At a steady 15 knots the run from Marina Vallarta takes roughly 50 minutes; dive and tour boats leaving that marina quote a ride of about 45 minutes. Las Caletas sits just to the east, Quimixto about a mile and a half east and Yelapa about 3.3 nautical miles west, so one day along this shore can take in several stops.
Under the water
The cove's rocky shores give fish shelter and somewhere to feed. Dive centres bring beginner divers here because the water is usually calm and one side stays out of the current. The same shelter makes it a good place for a first snorkel. Garden eels live here in large numbers, poking up from the sandy patches between the rocks. Moray eels and spotted eagle rays are seen here too, along with smaller reef fish such as parrotfish, damselfish and trumpetfish.
Depth depends on where the boat stops. One dive centre lists 18 to 90 feet (about 5.5 to 27 metres) for the wider Majahuitas area, which it counts together with Las Caletas; another runs its reef dive at 25 to 45 feet (about 8 to 14 metres). Visibility is quoted at 15 to 40 feet with water of 70 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit from January to April, and at 30 to 100 feet with water of 79 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit from May to December.
Ashore and in season
A lodge with a restaurant stands on the sand behind the cove. The name is said to come from the majahua tree. Humpback whales are in the bay roughly from December to March, so a winter crossing may bring a sighting on the way.
What to know
Whether a boat may anchor in the cove, and whether guests may go ashore at the lodge, are not things we can state yet. We'll confirm both with your captain before you sail. Bring a mask, sun cover and drinking water for the stop.