We offer two convenient meeting options for our bioluminescence tour. You may meet us at our listed meeting point at the gas station in Zona Romántica, or you are welcome to meet us directly at our Mismaloya Xtreme office on Mismaloya Beach. Your selected meeting point and exact timing will always be confirmed after booking. Tour start times vary by season to match sunset times in Puerto Vallarta. To ensure smooth pickup, relaxed boarding, and the best sunset views, the tour always begins 45 minutes to 1 hour before sunset. For clarity and consistency, we follow a fixed seasonal schedule with only three possible start times, changing four times per year. Seasonal Start Times November 1 – February 28/29: 5:30 PM March 1 – May 15: 6:00 PM May 16 – August 15: 6:30 PM August 16 – October 31: 6:00 PM This schedule allows us to enjoy the sunset before transitioning into the bioluminescent experience—without rushing, delays, or the risk of missing the sunset.
Mismaloya, where your journey begins with a captivating nod to the rich history of this enchanting place. As the boat departs from the picturesque cove, your guide shares the story of The Night of the Iguana, the iconic 1964 film that put Mismaloya on the map. You'll hear how the filming brought Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to this sleepy fishing village, sparking international intrigue, romance, and fame that forever transformed Puerto Vallarta into a beloved destination.
The Los Arcos Islands—an iconic Marine Geological Sanctuary—rise dramatically from the sea, their rocky arches and caves creating natural silhouettes against the vibrant sky. The Islands come alive with a stunning display of birdlife. Frigatebirds, with their distinctive forked tails and elegant, gliding movements, soar high above, silhouetted against the warm hues of the fading sun. Brown pelicans dive gracefully into the water, their large wings slicing through the air as they hunt for fish in the glowing waters below. As the sun begins to set, the sky transforms into a canvas of pinks, oranges, and purples, casting shimmering reflections on the ocean’s surface. The boat slows down in a perfect viewing spot to take it all in. Whether guests are sipping on a beverage, snapping photos, or simply soaking up the serene atmosphere, this is the most magical moment of the cruise. The islands, silhouetted against the fiery horizon, create a postcard-perfect view.
Experiencing bioluminescence at Los Arcos is like stepping into a natural wonderland of light and magic. As the sun dips below the horizon and the waters around the towering rock formations darken, the true spectacle begins. Tiny, glowing microorganisms light up the ocean like stars scattered across the night sky. Every movement—whether it's your hand gliding through the water or a gentle wave—activates these organisms, creating a mesmerizing glow. Snorkeling inside the dark caves takes the experience to another level. Once inside, the absence of natural light amplifies the bioluminescence. Each kick of your fins sends radiant blue-green sparks swirling around you, as if the water itself is alive. The cool, calm atmosphere of the caves enhances the feeling of stepping into a surreal, otherworldly environment. As you float in the inky darkness, surrounded by the shimmering glow, it’s impossible not to feel a deep connection to nature’s magic.
Swimming in a cave with bioluminescence was one of the most memorable experiences not just on this trip, but my life. Pablo was an incredible guide and makes it super fun while educating the group. The entire staff was amazing!. They even dropped us off near our hotel on way back so we wouldn’t have to book a taxi. 10/10
Absolutely phenomenal experience with our guide Pablo, the captain Ricardo, and the driver (and guide in training Elias). The group size was perfect for the trip it didnt feel too crowded. The phytoplankton were gorgeous as was the islands. So many incredible birds and plants. wonderful half day. Well worth the price. 10/10
This experience was amazing and our tour guide Pablo had incredible energy! A very knowledgeable guide who kept the drinks flowing and music playing! You journey to the destination by enjoying some time on a boat to bird watch and take in the sunset before night falls and you can swim in the bioluminescence. It was such an amazing experience seeing the lights activate around your movement like tiny fireworks. Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting PV! Bring a dry bag, a towel, and a change of clothes (if wanted).
An amazing experience!! Pablo the guide did a great job and Ricardo the boat driver was very competent..
This was an incredible experience and Pablo was an amazing guide. Very funny and informative for our trip. The bioluminescence was incredible!
Awesome experience with Pablo. Would recommend to anyone 1000%. So cool to see Los Arcos and the bioluminescent water
Carlos and Pablo are great guides! We had families with kids and adults without kids on our tour, and Pablo made it fun for everyone. He brought plenty of juice and snacks for the kids and beers for the adults. He boosted the energy with fun music and lots of fun facts about the area and ocean. The tour felt so full and like we got three adventures in one. Carlos was a master captain who handled the caves expertly. Everyone was very safety conscious, too. Highly recommend!
Pablo was amazing!!!! I would do this tour again
We had an absolutely wonderful experience! Our guide, Pablo, and our boat captain, Ricardo, were both excellent. They were incredibly knowledgeable about the area and shared so much interesting information about the wildlife, birds, plants, and everything we were seeing along the way. From beginning to end, they made us feel like we were their number one priority. I was personally pretty nervous about getting into the water. I’m not someone who typically goes very far into water when I can’t see the bottom and add nighttime AND a cave to that, and I was definitely a little freaked out! 😂 Pablo was incredibly patient, encouraging, and reassuring. He told me he would stay right beside me, and he absolutely did. I never felt pressured, and once I decided to get in, he made sure I felt safe the entire time. He was also constantly looking out for everyone else in our group while we were in the water. Because of his encouragement, I was able to experience something I probably would not have done otherwise and I’m so glad I did! It was such a cool experience, and everyone had an amazing time. Pablo’s care didn’t end when the tour was over either. He made sure arrangements were taken care of for each couple in our group and that everyone had a safe way to get back to their hotel. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area. If you have the opportunity, definitely ask for Pablo! He truly went above and beyond to make the entire experience safe, fun, informative, and memorable. And a huge thank you to Ricardo as well for taking such great care of us on the boat!
Our Guide Pablo was delightful and told a lot of wonderful stories and anecdotes. He also shared plant, bird and geological information. He was generous and kind and I would love to go on another tour with this Guide
I loved this excursion. The ride from Puerto Vallarta to the boat was a bit long, but pretty. But swimming with the light up algae was super amazing, a totally unique experience, and so much fun. The crew who took us were also very conscious of the environment, and making sure that we weren’t harming anything, and that we are safe. This would be great for family for a couple if you’re only going to the two of you.
So well done; so stunningly beautiful!
Ricardo was awesome and was very helpful he made the tour very fun and enjoyful same with pablo
What an amazing experience we even got to see dolphins!!! Our guide Pablo and the captain Ricardo were just the best!!!!!
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.
Our bioluminescence tour experience from the beginning to the end was AMAZING!! I highly recommend touring with Pablo and his crew! Not only is he AWESOME, but he is very knowledgeable and passionate about what he does. He gets to know each and every person and asks what their expectations are of the tour. If you have any fears he will make sure and do his best to make you feel as comfortable as possible! If I have the opportunity to take another tour with Mismaloya Xtreme, I would want Pablo to be our tour guide!
We went on the tour with Efrain and had a wonderful experience as a family! He was very knowledgable, friendly, and helpful. The bioluminescence was beautiful to see, and there was even a stop before that on a gorgeous beach so we could all watch the sunset before heading out to snorkel
Me and my partner were hesitant to book tours at first, but are so glad we started with this one. Our guide Pablo and the rest of his team were very friendly and experienced. The ride there had AC and cold drinks and snacks were provided. It was an amazingly beautiful boat ride with birdwatching and stunning views of the sunset. Seeing the bioluminescence was magical, and my partner had the most amazing time swimming in it. Pablo and his team were very professional and we felt safe and cared for the entire time. Definitely recommend!!
This experience was okay, the starting point is a little sketchy and the actual swimming was so chaotic. It was hard to stay together with your group and the waves were large so you have to be a strong swimmer. They said it would be okay for our 10 year old but he was terrified and got out of the water immediately. There was a ton of stopped traffic on the way back to Puerto Vallarta and it took almost 2 hours to get back.
I’m so glad we booked this activity. Swimming in bioluminescent waters has been on my bucket list for at least a decade. Not only did I get to cross this off of my list, but the experience was made all the more memorable by our seriously fun and knowledgeable guide, Pablo, the beautiful sunset cruise captained by Ricardo, and cool birds at Los Arcos. This evening excursion was well worth the booking fee and Uber from Bucerias to PV. My friends and I were lucky to have booked this while the waters are warm and a little cloudy, resulting in the coolest milky sparks from the bioluminescent plankton. You will obviously get wet while snorkeling in the open cave, so I would recommend packing a dry bag with a change of clothes and a towel if you don’t want to be in wet clothes afterwards.
Amazing Experience with Arnold the boat driver an guide Pablo. Both were a great team. Pablo was knowledgable and took great care to give us the infprmation on this tour. They had a great travel plan to reach the island and even made sure their van left us back to our destination.
This was an awesome adventure. The trip to and from the boat was interesting and would have been a bit scary if not for Efrain, the guide. Efrain was fun and communicative and made an amazing experience even more memorable. Being in the water and seeing the blue glow was like a disney movie.
Pablo is amazing!! Well worth the money. A must-do in PV.
Great night despite the weather. Got to snorkel in the dark in one of the sea coves at Los Arcos. Jonathan and Effrin made sure we were safe at all times. Very cool to see the plankton in the dark. A must do!!!
Ricardo and Pablo were amazing! They were very entertaining yet very informative. Our family had a great time! Thank you for the taco stand recommendation!
Fantastic boat tour with Pablo, variegated bird species, beautiful bioluminescent water, great swimming, perfect evening
Pablo was an outstanding tour guide! Whether he was rocking out to music or sharing fascinating information about the local wildlife and plant life, he kept the entire experience fun and engaging. His knowledge and enthusiasm made the tour unforgettable. One thing that really stood out was that Pablo took photos and videos throughout the tour with his GoPro but never once tried to sell them, unlike many other tour companies. It was a thoughtful touch that showed he was focused on making sure everyone had a great experience rather than trying to upsell. If you’re visiting Puerto Vallarta, this should absolutely be at the top of your list of things to do. Highly recommended!
This was a great experience. You need to be nimble enough to be able to get on and off a rocking boat. Most able bodied larger children and adults can do this. We started at the Mismaloya office in Puerto Vallarta and took an open air bus with a cover on it to Mismaloya (about a 15 minute drive, which I enjoyed as I looked at the views of the bay and different parts of PV). When we got to Mismaloya, last chance for bathrooms and then we walked a short distance to the boat. We were offered beer and soft drinks. Our guide gave us a short history of the area and then talked about the Los Arcos islands which were definitely worth seeing in the daylight. We went to a small beach near the islands and experienced some excellent snorkeling (equipment was provided), while we waited for the sunset. Once the sun had set and fireflies were out, we got back on the boat and headed back to Los Arcos for the bioluminescent tour. We were there in mid-July and the moon was barely visible. We put on lifejackets Once we were in the water, we had snorkeling equipment (provided for us) on and swam together through an open tunnel under one of the islands. Our guide made sure everyone was with us as there was another group swimming next to us. It was darker in that area, so you could see the bioluminescence better. It was like seeing fireflies underwater. I've never seen anything like that before and thought it was amazing (so did my 16 year old daughter). My 13 year old was too afraid to get in the water and remained in the boat while we swam and looked at the glowing plankton (about 20 minutes). If you are expecting it to be as brightly lit as say, the movie Avatar, remember this is nature and its not there to perform for you. I think your enjoyment depends on the time of year/month and your expectations. There was a ladder that you could use to get back on the boat. Again, easy for an able bodied adult or large child. Afterwards, we rode back to Mismaloya in the boat, took a quick freshwater shower and headed back to downtown Puerto Vallarta. My family had an absolute blast. This was, by far, my favorite activity while we were in Puerto Vallarta.
This was a very special and intimate way to experience Los Arcos. From pickup (conveniently located in Zona Romantica) to dropoff, the team at Mismaloya Xtreme was very kind and high energy and smiles. Our guide, Alexis, was very funny and sweet and immediately made us feel like he had our back for the entire journey. He also shared quite a bit of information with us about the area, the islands, and of course, the wildlife. If you have a chance to experience this adventure with friends, do it! The magic of the experience will stick with you.
You get a tour of the islands, watch the sun set from the beach and get time to relax and swim in beautiful clear waters. The bioluminescence experience was absolutely the highlight! The only thing I wish is that we could have done that part so much longer. It is absolutely a once in a lifetime type of experience not to be missed!
This was an incredible experience! Our tour guide, Gabo (or Gabe), made the entire trip with his excitement to share his knowledge and passion for the region and culture with us. We had booked a snorkeling experience earlier in the day that ended at the same beach this tour started, and they allowed us to stay at that beach and meet them there instead of trekking back to PV in between, which was very helpful and allowed us time for a great beachside dinner. The time with Gabe on the boat was a ton of fun as he shared stories and tons of fun facts. He took us to a private beach where we got to watch an unforgettable sunset, and he even picked up some hermit crabs to show us. He then took us to the cave where we got to swim and experience the bioluminescence in the water - which wasn't as vibrant as the pictures show, but still visible and cool to experience. Our only complaint, which isn't necessarily the tour operators' fault, is that it got very crowded in the cave with 2x tour boat groups and a group of kayakers all at once...it led to a lot of confusion and people in each party getting lost, or mishearing directions for their guide. Afterward, we got the short shuttle ride back to PV. In all, a great experience for our family of 4 adults which Gabo really helped elevate - please share our compliments with him!
Great experience. The whole night was lovely. Pablo was an amazing guide. He was charming and very knowledgeable. The bioluminescent was a one of a kind experience. Definitely the highlight of our trip.
We had an amazing experience! The trip to the beautiful beach was unforgettable, and seeing the bioluminescence was absolutely magical. Our guide made the entire experience fun and memorable, and the awesome photos they took were the perfect bonus. Highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a unique and incredible adventure!
Laid back great tour. The beach they take you too was excellent, romantic for those that may struggle in that department , fun for others . Just relaxing and enjoyable. The snorkeling was nice you see the flashes of blue light. Nice night swim
This, by far was the best excursion we did in Puerta Vallarta. Efraín was a badass tour guide with a great sense of humor. We saw dolphins and he was very accommodating to show us the wildlife during the whole tour. we couldn’t recommend this enough! They also offered to drop us off at the resort because it was on the way. 5 stars is not enough to expresses how satisfied we were with this tour!
Alexis was great, friendly, and very knowledgeable. He was very attentive and very fun. Great experience all around.
One of the coolest experiences. Highly recommend. Tour guide was knowledgeable and made sure everyone was safe.
Beautiful sunset views from a private beach. Snorkeling experience was one of a kind. Highly recommend.
What a cool tour! The bioluminescent experience was so amazing. It was like swimming in the stars. The tour guide, Gabe and the driver Marine took great care of us. Definitely recommend!
Alexis was amazing!! Beautiful views! Experience was amazing
Me and my family had a great experience with our guide Alexus! He did a great job explaining and making sure everyone was safe, comfortable and happy. The trip and experience itself is such a once in a life time opportunity and it was great! So beautiful
This tour was one of our favorite experiences! I’m so glad we did it. Yes, it’s scary to jump into the ocean in the dark but it was an experience of a lifetime. The glowing, sparkling plankton is fascinating. The guides were fun, helpful, knowledgeable. Efraim is a treasure. I’ve been to Los Arcos many times and now I can say I’ve seen it all.
Was well worth it had a great time, and the staff super friendly and knowledgeable i would definitely book again
Incredible excursion! We were able to lock up our belongs safely prior to getting on the boat. The ride over to los Arcos was a bit rocky, but our guide Uli gave us lots of great information about the sights at sea. Our capitán Panchito was also super nice and navigated us safely around. Uli was a great guide and brought us into the water for an optional snorkel at night to see bioluminescence, which was such an amazing sight. We watched sunset at a beach to wait for darkness before the snorkel, which was good vibes.
The guide is very friendly and helpful. We got boat tour for sunlight and swam to see the bioluminescence under the sea which is so beautiful.
Alexis is incredible!! Highly recommend, he was helpful, kind and funny. Great tour guide!!
Great time, great guides. Learned a lot about local nature and the sunset was beautiful. The luminous ocean water was a very special experience I would recommend.
So much fun alexis and diego was so attentive we had the best time seeing the bioluminescence beach and showing us the local spots. 10/10 experience
Diego was an amazing tour guide!! Great experience
Alexis was amazing. Gave us an amazing tour
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