Tours & Activities

Tours & Activities

Boat trips, whale watching, hiking, and more.

✦ All 🤿 Water & Sea 🐋 Whale & Wildlife 🌿 Jungle & Land ⛵ Boat & Sailing 🏛 Cultural 🌮 Food & Drink 🧘 Wellness 🏄 Surf 🎣 Fishing 🍸 Nightlife

What's on · September in Puerto Vallarta

September — quietest month, softest prices, warm rain. Turtle releases nightly; whales a month off.

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14 water experiences
Stand-Up Paddleboard Rental & Lesson
from $34USD /person
Stand-Up Paddleboard Rental & Lesson
Playa Los Muertos Water Sports
5.0 (22) Viator
✓ Free cancellation
1-hour SUP lesson and 1-hour rental on Playa Los Muertos. Calm bay water, perfect for beginners.
⏱ 2h 📍 Zona Romantica
Details
Meet
Playa Los Muertos beach
Ages
10+
Effort
some walking / uneven ground
Suits
solo, couple, groups
Water
you will get wet
Sea Turtle Release
from $35USD /person
August–December
Sea Turtle Release
Eco Tours Vallarta
4.9 (128) Viator
✓ Free cancellation
Sunset release of newly-hatched sea turtles with a marine biologist, on a protected beach. August–December only. Low-key, moving, and a favourite with families.
⏱ 1.5h 📍 Nuevo Vallarta
Details
Meet
Beach location, ~5:30pm
Effort
some walking / uneven ground
Suits
solo, couple, family, groups
Glass-Bottom Boat — Los Arcos
from $40USD /person
Glass-Bottom Boat — Los Arcos
Ocean Friendly Expeditions
✓ Free cancellation
See the Los Arcos reef without getting in — a glass-bottom panga over the marine park, with time to snorkel if you want. Good for non-swimmers, grandparents and small kids.
⏱ 2h 📍 Zona Romantica
Details
Meet
Playa Los Muertos pier, hourly
Effort
some walking / uneven ground
Suits
solo, couple, family, groups
Water
you can stay dry if you want
Yelapa & Majahuitas Boat Day
from $45USD /person
Yelapa & Majahuitas Boat Day
Boca de Tomatlán water taxi co-op
4.4 (789) Viator
Panga from Boca de Tomatlán to the car-free village of Yelapa. Waterfall hike, beach time, fresh fish and the famous pie ladies. Return by mid-afternoon.
⏱ 6h 📍 Boca De Tomatlan
Details
Meet
Boca de Tomatlán pier, 10am
Effort
some walking / uneven ground
Suits
solo, couple, family, groups
Water
you can stay dry if you want
Sea Kayak — Los Arcos
from $48USD /person
Year-round (calmest May–Nov)
Sea Kayak — Los Arcos
Playa Los Muertos Water Sports
✓ Free cancellation
Paddle a sit-on-top kayak from Los Muertos out to the Los Arcos rock arches — about 45 minutes each way, snorkel stop in the middle. No motor, small group, good workout.
⏱ 3h 📍 Zona Romantica
Details
Meet
Playa Los Muertos beach, 8am
Ages
12+
Effort
demanding — active
Suits
solo, couple, groups
Water
you will get wet
Quimixto Waterfall & Beach Boat
from $50USD /person
Quimixto Waterfall & Beach Boat
Boca de Tomatlán water taxi co-op
5.0 (20) Viator
Panga to Quimixto, a tiny south-shore village. Walk (or ride a mule) 20 minutes to a jungle waterfall with a swimming pool, then lunch on the beach. Quieter than Yelapa.
⏱ 6h 📍 Boca De Tomatlan
Details
Meet
Boca de Tomatlán pier, 10am
Ages
6+
Effort
demanding — active
Suits
solo, couple, family, groups
Water
you can stay dry if you want
Los Arcos Snorkeling Tour
from $54USD /person
Los Arcos Snorkeling Tour
Ocean Friendly Expeditions
4.8 (41) Viator
✓ Free cancellation
4-hour snorkeling at Los Arcos National Marine Park. Sea turtles, tropical fish, manta rays. Equipment included.
⏱ 4h 📍 Zona Romantica
Details
Meet
Playa Los Muertos pier, 9am
Ages
8+
Effort
some walking / uneven ground
Suits
couple, family, groups
Water
you will get wet
Jorullo Bridge Extreme Adventure
from $69USD /person
Year-round (dry trails best Nov–Jun)
Jorullo Bridge Extreme Adventure
Canopy River
4.9 (3,344) Viator
◆ Combo — 3-in-1 ✓ Free cancellation
An ATV or RZR ride up the Cuale river valley, a walk across the Jorullo suspension bridge (one of the longest of its kind anywhere), then a run of ziplines, a rappel and a water slide. The single most-booked adventure combo in the bay.
⏱ 6h 📍 El Jorullo
Details
Meet
Hotel pickup, ~8am
Ages
8+
Effort
demanding — active
Suits
couple, groups, family
Water
you can stay dry if you want
Bioluminescence Night Kayak
from $75USD /person
May–December (new moon)
Bioluminescence Night Kayak
Ocean Friendly Expeditions
4.9 (389) Viator
✓ Free cancellation
After-dark paddle when the plankton glows — every stroke lights up. Runs on new-moon weeks, roughly May–December. Clear-bottom kayaks on some departures.
⏱ 2h 📍 Boca De Tomatlan
Details
Meet
Boca de Tomatlán, after dark
Ages
10+
Effort
some walking / uneven ground
Suits
couple, groups
Water
you will get wet
Horseback Ride to a Waterfall
from $85USD /person
Horseback Ride to a Waterfall
Rancho El Charro
4.6 (139) Viator
✓ Free cancellation
Half-day trail ride into the Sierra Madre to a swimmable waterfall. Well-kept horses, matched to your experience level. Family-run since 1993.
⏱ 4h 📍 Centro
Details
Meet
Rancho El Charro, Las Palmas road (pickup available)
Ages
8+
Effort
demanding — active
Suits
couple, family, groups
SeaTrek Helmet Dive — Los Arcos
from $95USD /person
Year-round (best viz May–Nov)
SeaTrek Helmet Dive — Los Arcos
Banderas Scuba Republic
✓ Free cancellation
Walk the sea floor at Los Arcos in a helmet that keeps your head dry — no swimming or certification needed. Good for non-swimmers and nervous snorkelers who still want to be underwater.
⏱ 3h 📍 Zona Romantica
Details
Meet
Boca de Tomatlán, morning
Ages
8+
Effort
some walking / uneven ground
Suits
solo, couple, family, groups
Water
you will get wet
Scuba Diving — Los Arcos (2 Tanks)
from $110USD /person
Year-round (best viz May–Nov)
Scuba Diving — Los Arcos (2 Tanks)
Banderas Scuba Republic
4.8 (99) Viator
✓ Free cancellation
Two-tank guided dive at Los Arcos for certified divers. 15–25m, giant boulders, eels, octopus, seasonal mantas. Gear and nitrox available.
⏱ 4.5h 📍 Zona Romantica
Details
Meet
Boca de Tomatlán, 8:30am
Ages
12+
Effort
some walking / uneven ground
Suits
solo, couple, groups
Water
you will get wet
Marietas Islands & Hidden Beach
from $120USD /person
Year-round (calmer May–Nov)
Marietas Islands & Hidden Beach
Vallarta Adventures
4.8 (1,031) Viator
✓ Free cancellation Reserve now, pay later
Boat to the UNESCO-protected Marietas Islands. Snorkel, kayak, and — permit allowing — swim into the Hidden Beach. Blue-footed boobies. Book 3+ days ahead in high season.
⏱ 7h 📍 Marina Vallarta
Details
Meet
Marina Vallarta pier, 8:30am
Ages
6+
Effort
some walking / uneven ground
Suits
couple, family, groups
Water
you can stay dry if you want
UTV / RZR Off-Road — Sierra Madre
from $130USD /person
UTV / RZR Off-Road — Sierra Madre
Wild Vallarta Tours
4.9 (148) Viator
Reserve now, pay later
Side-by-side UTV (not solo ATV) through jungle trails, river crossings and a hidden village, ending at a waterfall. Two to four per vehicle, so kids and non-drivers can ride along.
⏱ 4h 📍 Centro
Details
Meet
Hotel zone pickup
Ages
6+
Effort
demanding — active
Suits
couple, family, groups
Marina Vallarta
Off the Malecón

The good stuff is
a boat ride away.

Humpback whales from December, the Marietas Islands, a panga to Yelapa for lunch and a waterfall. Book direct with the operator where you can — more of it stays in town.

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