Los Arcos

1-7-22

I did some research into tours before my visit and decided to hold off before booking anything. In December, the weather in Puerto Vallarta was not threatening to be anything other than warm and perfect. But prices online and prices you will find offered by locals are often very different, in my experience. On the way to the beach is Mismaloya Adventure. I booked a tour out to the islands with them on the spot the day I had time to go. It was only $60 per person for a boat ride out to Los Arcos for an hour, and they provided the snorkel gear.

An hour was plenty of time for me. I don't exactly have the stomach for bobbing around in the ocean anyway. The boat ride from the shore to Los Arcos only takes 10 or 15 minutes. Once off the boat and into the sea, I was by the reef and surrounded by schools of fish. Pelicans, and other birds that call the islands home, nest along the rocky cliffs. There's a distinct smell in the air when you take your mask off, and I can only imagine it has something to do with all the birds. I explored the reef and swam through one of the arches. I was able to see so many different species of tropical fish on my trip, but the reef is home to many different kinds of marine life. Eels, octopuses, and stingrays also live here in this reef.