Yelapa, Majahuitas, Quimixto and the south shore · 6–8 hours · Departing from Marina Vallarta
The southern shore of Banderas Bay has no coastal road. Everything past Boca de Tomatlán — Las Ánimas, Quimixto, Majahuitas, Yelapa — is reached by water, which is exactly why it stays as it is: jungle running down to the sand, palapa restaurants on the beach, and coves that empty out the moment the water taxis leave.
A typical day works south from Marina Vallarta with a snorkel stop at Los Arcos, then anchors off Majahuitas — a small, quiet cove with clear water and good reef — before lunch at Yelapa. Yelapa is a village with no through-road, a beach lined with restaurants, and a waterfall a 20-minute walk inland; a second, larger waterfall is a horseback ride up the valley. Quimixto has its own waterfall and a calmer beach for groups that want less bustle.
If your group prefers the north side of the bay, the same day can run the other direction: Punta de Mita, the surf beaches of Sayulita, and the Marietas on the way. Your captain will recommend one or the other based on the wind — the north side is usually the smoother run in the afternoon.
Leave Marina Vallarta and run south to the arches of Los Arcos National Marine Park for the first snorkel of the day.
Anchor in the sheltered cove at Majahuitas. Clear water, reef fish, paddleboards and floats — this is the quiet stop of the day.
Anchor off the village. Tender ashore for lunch at a beach palapa, the walk to the waterfall, or the pie ladies on the sand.
One more stop on the way back — Quimixto's waterfall or the wider beach at Las Ánimas — for a final swim.
Return along the south shore with the afternoon light on the jungle, docking before sunset or timed to catch it.
Year-round. December through May gives the clearest water and calmest afternoons. In the July–October rainy season the hills are green and the waterfalls at Yelapa and Quimixto run at full force, which many guests prefer.