Private Los Arcos & Colomitos Snorkeling Experience

Micheal & Martin the very best relaxing experience

The hiking and snorkeling adventure was so much fun! Francisco was our tour guide and he was so kind and made the experience great! Learned about a ton of birds from him which was awesome!

We had a wonderful day with Ecotours Vallarta visiting Colliminas to go snorkling and then to Yalapa to explore the area and have lunch. Yalapa is a private tour so you pay for the guide and the boat captain and the boat can take around 10 people. There was just the two of us in this trip. Mike was our guide and Raphael was the boat captain. We had been with Mike in an earlier trip and he is a fantastic birder and a super nice person. He also know a lot about whales and marine life. We started out from the marina and within 15 minutes we came upon about 6 humpback whales and watched them for awhile. Raphael was careful to keep a respectable distance. They come here in the winter to have there babies and then migrate back to the west coast of United States in the warmer weather. We then snorkeled at Colliminas for half hour. The water was in the 70s and calm and we saw many types of fish. Then on to Yalapa which is nestled in a beautiful bay and very picturesque. We walked up to a beautiful waterfall that did not have a huge amount of water as it was the dry season The town has lots of restaurants along the beach and lots of things to buy in the way up to the waterfall. We then had lunch at The Marlin. My girlfriend had fish tacos and I had shrimp tacos and we shared guacamole. The food was good but not fantastic. Mike pointed out several sea going birds(turns, pelicans ) and we also spotted grackles and a beautiful Trogon. My girlfriend was delighted to hold an iguana for a photo(100 pesos). We took some nice pictures at the waterfall. We left at 9 am and returned about 3:30. It was a wonderful day to do something different as we have been in Puerto Vallarta for a month, Ecotours does a great job and Mike and captain Rapheal could not have been better. Highly recommended.

Amazing day out. The guide Fransisco and captain Martin were very knowledgeable. We saw so many fish snorkelling and Fransisco was great at identifying the birds. Martin even found us the rays jumping out of the water. Highly recommend the private boat tour with a small group. On the way back we went close to downtown and Fransisco knew the history of the area

I booked a private snorkel tour with EcoTours Vallarta for myself and my two young kids (ages 7 and 8), and I honestly can’t say enough good things about the experience. From the very first phone call, the team was accommodating, flexible, and incredibly kind. I explained our situation—first-time snorkelers, not the strongest swimmers, and two easily overwhelmed kids—and they immediately made it clear they could create something safe, manageable, and special for us. They absolutely delivered. Our guide, Margarita, was extraordinary. Calm, patient, encouraging, and endlessly kind with my kids (who were… not easy!). They had never snorkeled before, and she handled every little panic, fogged mask, gear adjustment, and mid-ocean meltdown with complete grace and professionalism. She had this amazing ability to make them feel safe and capable without any pressure. She also happens to be a skilled diver, a knowledgeable marine biologist, and just an overall exceptional human being. We also had an excellent captain, Martín, who navigated smoothly and helped with gear and logistics behind the scenes, making the whole experience feel seamless and safe. The tour itself was gorgeous—we snorkeled at Los Arcos and saw a wide variety of fish, including pufferfish, a moray eel, and a beautiful spotted ray. The timing was perfect, the spots were uncrowded, and the boat was clean, shaded, and very comfortable. This trip completely exceeded my expectations. It was easily the highlight of our week in Puerto Vallarta, and I’ll be recommending EcoTours (and especially Margarita and Martín!) to anyone traveling with kids—or anyone who wants a thoughtful, well-run, truly memorable marine experience.

Joined a small group (4 of us) to go snorkelling at 2 locations. Our guide Cynthya was amazing, as well as our Captain (I unfortunately forget his name). We had a lot of fun. Conditions were excellent for seeing fish, and the emphasis of the tour was to go to the spot with the best conditions and least crowds. We were lucky enough to see whales and dolphins on the way. Cynthya spotted a ray and s turtle gor us to see while snorkelling.

We had an amazing trip! Michael, the guide, was fabulous and very knowledgeable. The boat captain and the office staff were great too. Highly recommend this tour. It is well worth the money. It’s also a great way to see the PV coast from Nueva to “where the highway ends” and beyond where the villages are only accessible by boat. We saw many kinds of fish, a sea turtle, spotted rays, and urchins and coral. And all this without the hassles of a large tour group on a cramped boat. The personalization of the tour is a great selling point.

This was scheduled independent of but as part of a cruise that stopped for a day in PV. It was WAY better than a shore excursion through the ship. It was easy to schedule, great communication, very fair pricing, excellent staff. Our guide Michael was amazing. The captain of the boat was really wonderful as well. If you arrive by cruise ship their offices are within walking distance. I would definitely recommend this tour company.

We had a great private tour with Cristina and Rafa to swim through Los Arcos and then on to snorkel in a magical private cove. They made sure we found clear water and pointed out dolphin, lobster, eel, turtle and more! Highly recommend this smaller company rather than one of the big tours. Very professional, friendly and knowledgeable!

This was such an awesome hike. Maggie was a fantastic guide and knew so much about the area. The path you walk along isn't terribly steep but you will want to be in decent shape. The snorkeling is beautiful and we even saw a turtle and heard whales!!!

Eco Tours and Maggie made for an amazing experience on our private snorkeling tour. There were six of us in the family and I was wanting a more personal experience than our previous group tours. Because Arcos was so crowded as we neared, Maggie opted to take us to a secluded cove. We saw a mantra ray, stingrays, and so many colorful fish as she guided us along the cove. After our snorkeling we headed out to sea and saw whales, dolphins, and a sea turtle by Arcos. Wonderful day and our whole family enjoyed how knowledgeable Maggie and her team were. They truly knew how to optimize the experience, avoid annoying crowds, and always took extra care for anything we needed. Couldn't recommend more!

We had a beautiful private tour with Cynthia today. Everything was punctual. We ended up snorkeling at a different spot than Los Arcos - our choice as Los Arcos was busy. It was beautiful and secluded. We got to see Los Arcos on the way back. Non alcoholic drinks and light lunch were provided. Cynthia was very knowledgeable but not intrusive. We thought the price was fair for having the boat to ourselves. We recommend this company!

Captain Martin & guide Cynthia were extremely knowledgeable, friendly, experienced and fun!! We were a party of 4 & went in the off season so we were the only ones on the tour. It was like a private tour. Cynthia gave us the option to go to a nicer & more private place to snorkel where the water was clearer than Los Arcos, so we did and we we were very happy we did! We saw teems of a variety of colorful fish, including a stingray. On the way back we rode closer to the coast so we could see the several villages, resorts, hotels & buildings along the coastline accessible only by boat. We also stopped at Los Arcos to take pictures and observe the bird wildlife living on the rocks, we did not snorkel there because of limited visibility. We were pleasantly surprised they provided with homemade sandwiches, fresh fruit, sodas & bottled water. Lockers were provided at no charge to keep personal items, the only thing not provided were towels. The customer service was outstanding and we ALL highly recommend this trip! Ask for Cynthia & captain Martin.

We had a fantastic time on this excursion. Cynthia was our guide & was very informative & attentive. We had a blast. On our way back to the marina, we were surrounded by dolphins & the captain kept us going along with them for a good amount of time so we could really enjoy the experience. This was a highlight of our trip. We all agreed that we would recommend this tour to others. Go & enjoy! You won’t regret it.

We took a 1/2 snorkeling tour with Thalia at Los Arcos. Thalia, our guide, was very knowledgeable and spoke at least three languages (Spanish, French, English). We had the chance to see and have dolphins follow our boat upon arrival at Los Arcos. The snorkeling is good (it’s not Hawaii of course) and provides a different experience as you let yourself float through the arches (if you want). We’re a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 teenagers of 13 and 16).

We booked this tour as part of a cruise rather than through our ship and were so glad we did. The staff at Ecotours was awesome to work with in getting us booked and easy to work with as the ship we were on changed our arrival time. There was only one other couple on this tour with us. Fernando was our guide and did an excellent job of getting us to areas that were nearly private. The water was crystal clear and teaming with sea life. Fernando patiently answered all of our questions and helped make sure we all knew what we were seeing. This was absolutely the most amazing & successful snorkeling day of our entire cruise. We both highly recommend Ecotours!!!

This is a little late but back in April my wife and I booked a Los Arcos snorkeling tour with Ecotours. When we checked in we were notified that we were the only two signed up that day for our time slot. Instead of cancelling and refunding us (what most would do) we were treated to a private tour by Christina and her Captain. My wife was terrified and they both helped her overcome her fears of snorkeling in the ocean. We had a wonderful experience and was even treated to swimming with Leopard Sting Rays. Christina was very patient with us and well educated in marine biology. It was one of the highlights of our trip. Oh almost forgot - Christina was trying out a new underwater camera and her son made an Awesome Video Experience combined with music and sent it to us a week after our trip. If you are thinking of booking with this outfit please do so for you will not be disappointed!!! Scott n Jessica

We went on two half day snorkeling trips with this company. Our boat captain Matin and guide Fernando were outstanding. They ensured everyone had a wonderful experience and were safe doing it. We were able to take our time and see what we wanted to without being rushed. The equipment they have is in very good shape and they made sure everything fit properly. Fernando is definitely a biologist GEEK! He tells you all about the local fish, birds, and weather patterns. A sandwich and snacks/drinks were served after snorkeling. The boat does have a canopy, so is partially shaded. It was the best time of our trip. :)

Ecotours is totally dependable, low key and high quality. We were a group of 6 and the only people on this tour. Our guide and boat driver were both great spotters -- saw turtles, birds and flying fish (!) from the boat on the way. Went to two snorkelling sites and had a great day. If you are more interested in the wildlife than the alcohol, Ecotours is for you. Guides are especially good; you'll see LOTS more with Ecotours than you would on your own, and they'll be able to tell you about what you're seeing. Great stuff!

Freddy was our guide for our jet ski ride to Los Arcos to snorkel. We have done 6 activities here in PV, and this one by far was the most fun and had the nicest and coolest tour guide. I would've paid way more if I knew in advance how good of an experience this would've been. We saw a lot of wildlife (dolphins, turtles, and more) and Freddy took us down the coast and gave us the history of it all. So many tour guides are just too much or annoying, and I really hate that. This guy was so awesome.. he's the man. Go here for your activities over anywhere else. Trust me!

Michael was our snorkeling instructor, and he was polite and informational. He was very helpful guiding us through the swim, and he took us to a more secluded beach with more fish to see. Overall it was a great time.