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Islas Marietas National Park: What It Is and How to Visit Responsibly

Costa · Local guide to the Mexican Pacific coast · Updated October 2026

The Marietas Islands are uninhabited volcanic islands in federal waters about 8 kilometers southwest of Punta de Mita. They are a national park, a Ramsar wetland of international importance and a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere reserve, and visits are controlled to protect them.

Why the islands are protected

The islands were used for military bombing practice in the early 1900s. In the late 1960s Jacques Cousteau led an international campaign to protect them, and the government declared them a national park, closed to fishing, hunting and uncontrolled human activity. The islands were designated a Ramsar wetland on 2 February 2004.

The Hidden Beach

The Hidden Beach, also called Playa del Amor, sits inside a crater-like opening in the rock, formed by the old bombing and later erosion. It can be reached only at low tide. By 2016 daily visits were three or four times the limits that studies had recommended (about 116 a day for the beach and 625 for the whole park), and the beach was closed to the public on 9 May 2016. It reopened on 31 August 2016 with controls: 116 visitors a day, groups of up to 15, about 30 minutes on the beach, life vests required, no fins and no diving. Rules have changed before, so confirm the current ones with your operator.

Turquoise water and the golf peninsula seen from the air, Punta Mita

What lives there

The islands are a nesting and feeding site for blue-footed boobies and red-billed tropicbirds, and the water around them holds dolphins, manta rays, sea turtles and reef fish. Humpback whales pass through between December and March. See our guides to whale watching and sea turtle releases.

How to visit

The islands are about 15 minutes by boat from Punta Mita. Landing is restricted: only authorized operators with the right permits bring guests ashore, so book with an operator that holds them and ask what your tour includes. Read the practical side in our Marietas Islands tour guide, and for diving see the scuba diving guide.

Staying nearby

Las Marietas is also the name of a condo community inside Punta Mita, named for the islands. See the Las Marietas community guide.

Questions people ask

Is Islas Marietas a national park?

Yes. The islands are a national park, a Ramsar wetland designated in 2004 and a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere reserve.

Can you walk on the Marietas Islands?

Landing is restricted. Only authorized operators with permits bring guests to the designated beach, under controlled conditions.

How far are the Marietas Islands from Punta Mita?

About 15 minutes by boat, and roughly an hour from Puerto Vallarta.

What wildlife can I see at the Marietas Islands?

Blue-footed boobies and red-billed tropicbirds, plus dolphins, manta rays, sea turtles and, from December to March, humpback whales.

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Wikipedia: Islas Marietas National Park · PV Angels: Hidden Beach reopening restrictions (2016). Details as published and checked in October 2026; dates, status and conditions can change.