Bioluminescence & Sunset Local Boat Tour To Los Arcos Sanctuary

We wanted to try something different and this was unique. We enjoyed it, albeit it took some convincing of my 11 year old to get into the ocean at night! It was a worthwhile family adventure.

Meetup was easily, greeted with a free smoothy at a very cool margarhita bar in the "Romance Zone". Group was split into two boats where we were taken to a secluded beach to enjoy some swimming and photo ops during the sunset (stunning vistas, tropical plants/ sea life). Once it was dark enough, we embarked to the Los Arcos islands for an education on the protected wildlife and geology before jumping off the boat and into the water to experience the bioluminescent plankton. While the particular evening we booked did not have an abundance or oversaturation of this luminescent effect, we were still able to find a few areas around the islands (including inside sea caves) where it was visible enough to observe, especially when viewing underwater with the provided snorkeling goggles. In either case, swimming in the sea caves at night in this beautiful national park was worth the experience in and of itself. The guides were very friendly, knowledgeable, and extremely attentive to make sure that no one got hurt or separated from the group. After our swim, water and towels were provided. 10/10, already considering booking again in the near future to try to catch some more bioluminescence and vibes 🤙

Alejandro is so knowledgeable!

What an incredible adventure! The snorkeling and bioluminescent tour was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. From exploring the beautiful underwater world to witnessing the magical glow of bioluminescence, every moment was breathtaking! The entire experience was a perfect combination of adventure, beauty, and unforgettable memories. Seeing the water light up was absolutely surreal and something pictures could never fully capture. If you’re looking for a unique and memorable experience while visiting Puerto Vallarta, this tour is an absolute MUST! We would do it again in a heartbeat! 🌊🐠✨

We loved the tour! Victor was a wonderful guide, and his science lessons were interesting and informative. We loved the opportunity to swim in the ocean, see the bioluminescent organisms, and visit these unique areas.

Tour was great! Victor was a great host, very knowledgeable. I will choose him again if I come back to Puerto Vallarta.

Interesting and beautiful excursion. Victor was very informative and provided so much insight into the area and it’s biodiversity!

What a wonderful experience! We started out killing a bit of time to let the sun go down and get dark, we visited a nice little beach and enjoyed the natural beauty. Then we toured Los Arcos, learned about the wildlife and went to the cave for snorkeling. We were provided goggles and allowed to swim for a fair amount of time. It wasn’t too crowded which I appreciated. Just 10 people. It was like swimming in the stars, absolutely incredible! I’ll never forget it.

Amazing experience. Alex was an amazing guide! Highly recommend this tour!!!

Good overall experience. The boat was more suitable for fishing and could have been more comfortable. We went when the moon was 2/3 full, and bioluminescence is best viewed during a new moon phase.

Alex was the best guide. He made everything interesting, easy, and safe.

Our guide was fantastic, gave a very thorough tour of Los Arcos. Kept our group safe and having fun experiencing the bioluminescent plankton at night! Highly recommend.

Great time and trip! Our guide Alejandro was amazing. My only “complaint “ is I wanted to tip him but there was no digital option. Give him a Venmo or QR code for tips.

It was a wonderful experience from start to finish. The guide was fantastic and very informative. Unforgettable experience!

Absolutely perfect!!! Exactly as promised. Guide, Victor, was a marine biologist and filled with knowledge about the wildlife and ocean life. He was so personable and friendly. The bioluminescence was a totally amazing phenomenon. Well worthwhile - great memories! Carole from Vancouver Canada

Such a great guide who had great energy! The bioluminescence was super bright and it was a great time to see in the warm waters. Definitely would recommend and go again

It was definitely worth it. While there are no photos, it is definitely a memory worth it. Don’t let that part turn you away.

Awesome experience! It is hit or miss being that it’s a phenomenon in the wild. Our guide told us we saw about 60% of the illumination that it could have been, and that was pretty amazing. It was similar to the fairy godmother in Cinderella waiving her magic wand and all the sparkles come out of it. It was very magical. Our guides of the boat “Lily” were so nice, very informative, and constantly aware of our safety. Definitely worth booking!

It was deeply fun to learn about the biology of the island and get to see the bioluminescents!! Our guide, Victor, was amazing and so fun. He was also great at explaining the various biology elements.

Be prepared for a pretty physical activity. Guide was very knowledgeable and it was a lovely night!!

Effrum was extremely cooperative and made the experience fun and enjoyable by playing oldies music and taking us out on the water. As a non-swimmer, I was initially a little apprehensive, but he helped me tremendously and made me feel comfortable while wading through the water. Overall, it was a great experience, and I would highly recommend Effrum to anyone looking for a fun and enjoyable time on the water.

Insanely beautiful experience! Be prepared to swim it will make the experience magical. Our guide Alejandro was very capable, knowledgeable, and friendly.

It was fun jumping off of the boat into the water. The glowing plankton was a great sight to see if you haven’t experienced it before.

The guide and views were great! To be clear, however, this is truly a sunset and swimming tour. Bathing suits and swimming are really mandatory if you want to fully experience the bioluminescence. We wish it was more clear. Sure you can sorta of see the bioluminescence from the boat, but it is minimal. If you are intimidated with swimming, rest assured, the crew require life jackets while in the water, they have a latter to get back on the boat and a fit guide in the water with you at all times. If you decide to sit on the boat, not only will your views of the bioluminescence be limited, but then you sitting in a rocking boat, which several of my crew started to feel sea sick.

Incredible experience that began with a boat ride to a hidden beach to enjoy the water and watch the sunset. Than you head to Los Arcos and learn about the biodiversity than have an incredible swim in a cave as your arms and legs light up in beautiful colors! One of the best excursions we have done!! The guides were awesome esp Victor. He made sure you enjoyed every minute!!

The phytoplankton snorkel, cave swims, boat rides, and complimentary drinks at pickup were so nice!! It was a perfect way to enjoy the sunset on the water, get in the water seeing bioluminescence and a sting ray, and seeing the original namesake of Puerto Vallarta. Our guide also does an excellent blue-footed booby bird call!

The bioluminescence cave tour was truly one of the highlights of our trip! Our guide was bilingual, incredibly engaging, and so knowledgeable. They shared fascinating history about the area, pointed out important landmarks, and taught us about the local wildlife and their natural habitat, making the experience both fun and educational. Safety was clearly a top priority. The guide made sure every swimmer felt comfortable and confident while swimming in the cave, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The bioluminescent plankton was absolutely magical, and the beautiful scenery paired with music created such a peaceful, unforgettable atmosphere. If you're looking for a unique adventure that combines nature, history, and exceptional hospitality, I highly recommend this tour!

We went off season so there are only half as many planktons so it’s not as bright or as many. But it was still magical. We will be going back during peak season

We had the most amazing time , Alejandro our guide was amazing very informative and polite also with a great attitude and energy, he took the time to help me and other to get to the water (me not a swimmer ) took care of us and was super patient, the views were amazing and the experience was magical!! We highly recommend this tour and hopefully you’ll get Alejandro and Mario who was our captain!!

We had an excellent time! We found it to be the most unique snorkeling trip we have ever been on. Victor, our guide was so knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the ecosystem. The bioluminescense is very beautiful and feels like magic, but if you're looking for photo opportunities this will not be the trip for you. The bioluminescent plankton are so tiny, visible to the eye, but not a camera lens. Trust that this is an experience to disconnect and be present, leave your phone on the boat and just enjoy the experience. We thought that the price was very fair for our experience. Swimming in the Los Arcos cave systems without the crowds was perfect for us. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and will tell anyone coming to PV to check out this very cool experience!

Very fun and amazing, something new and perfect people to show us around.

The bioluminescence was very disappointing. It is not anything like the pictures they use for advertising. The guide and crew were good, the boat ride was nice, but the bioluminescence was less than aw inspiring.

Alex/Alejandro and Luis where amazing. Very helpful and knowledgeable. My family had a blast on this tour. One of my favorite parts was getting the chance to swim in the cave and see the bioluminescence underwater. Definitely a must do.

This experience delivered an incredible experience as advertised. Magical lights in the water, swimming in the cave, great guides.

Very cool experience! Alex was very knowledgable and the tour group was small so it feels like good value. If you are brave enough, there is a snorkeling component so make sure you are equipped accordingly.

A wonderful experience. My guide was knowledgeable and well-prepared. The tour exceeded my expectations and was one of the highlights of my overall trip.

A very unique experience. Really cool to see the bioluminescence and we got to swim at night, the water was beautiful. Alex is a great tour guide and he really knows his stuff.

Excursion was cancelled at the time of meet up due to weather, which is understandable. However, my complaint is that we were assured we would receive a refund, and it never happened.

Absolutely amazing experience. This company does a great job. From meeting place, to transportation to the actual experience we’re all flawless. Alex is extremely knowledgeable and really worked hard to explain everything in both Spanish and English. DO NOT HESITATE to book this tour or any of their other tours offered. We did a snorkeling excursion as well and it was equally amazing!!

Our guide, Alex, and boat captain, Luis, were amazing! So nice and gave us such a fun and memorable experience. The bioluminescent plankton were most visible when you go into the water. We saw the sunset on the boat and they stopped so everyone could take a picture. Love having this memory to share with my partner <3

Victor was an amazing guide—very knowledgeable, supportive, and genuinely focused on making sure everyone felt comfortable. This was a one-of-a-kind experience that we normally would never get the opportunity to do. We are very happy that we went ahead with the tour and would highly recommend it. Victor truly made the experience special! When we arrived, it was raining a little, and Victor clearly explained what to expect. He even gave us the option to cancel the tour if we didn’t feel comfortable, with absolutely no pressure. Since it was our last day, we decided to continue, and we are so glad we did! During the tour, we saw birds at night, explored the cave, and watched bats inside. We then went to the bioluminescent area, which was a truly unique experience. Victor gave us a float to hold onto and personally pulled it into the cave, making us feel completely safe and comfortable.

Alex was an incredible guide! He was very knowledgeable about all the wildlife, and the national parks, and had such a great upbeat attitude. The tour was incredible. Also, I really appreciate how conservation is kept a priority, and doesn’t break any of the rules that would harm the delicate ecosystem, like some tour companies do. He truly loves nature and respects it! Thank you Alex! I would for sure use you again for future adventures! I wish I had taken pictures, but I was just trying to stay present, and soak up all the wonderful information on the area!

Warning : you need to be a pretty good swimmer and is not for the handicapped at all. Must be able to climb in and out of a rocking boat from a high pier.

THIS WAS AMAZING! Alex was the best guide ever.

Alex was awesome and took care of the whole group. As nervous as I was he brought me to ease when getting to the point to jump in the dark ocean. Very cool experience!

An amazing experience and a fun adventure

Our guide was funny and informative. The boat ride was good, we felt safe even though the ocean was wavy. The bioluminescence experience was very cool. It was reassuring to know that it happens every night, so we would not be taking a chance on whether or not we would see it.

It's a magical experience! It's a must do. Alex was our guide and he was great! He explained everything in great detail, he was amazing and guided us through everything! Swimming was wonderful with all the little sparkles around!! I will definitely do it again and again and again

What a magical experience! We would highly recommend this relaxing tour… From the ease of booking, to the efficiency of the pick up spot, to the friendliness of Alexis (our tour guide) We didn’t know the extent of the beauty that we would encounter. We stopped off at a private beach to snorkel & watch the magnificent sunset, patiently waiting for nightfall to descend. And when it did, the bioluminescence is indescribable! Something you have to experience & see for yourself! Don’t hesitate to book this tour; you will not be disappointed 🌅💙