"Twenty-years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Dream. Discover."
-Mark Twain

Activities around La Bahia

• Whale Watching
• Bird Watching
• Sailing
• Horseback Riding
• Snorkeling

• Exploring
• Art Galleries
• Tequila Tasting
• Tours
• Live Music

Sailing

Sailing on the Bahia de Banderas offers ideal conditions with perfect winds almost every day in protected bay waters. It is a pleasure not to be missed.

There are sailboats, with crew, for rent at the Marina in Puerto Vallarta. From the variety of options you'll find one that fits your needs, from sizes of boats to time on the water, and the number and interests of the people in your group. Many of the charters provide lunch and drinks.

We have enjoyed many outings on the boat Splish-Splash. The crew consists of three brothers, Jose, Alejandro and Miguel, who are wonderful! They provide a wonderful lunch and are so accommodating. We have seen sea turtles, manta ray, dolphins and whales in great abundance. They will even stop to snorkel and scuba dive as well. The view back toward land is worth the trip alone….jungle clad mountains huddled close to the shore to the south and east and on the north the plains and foothills of Nayarit, with a colorful sprinkling of tile roofs and pastel buildings clustered along the water's edge all under a deep blue sky.

At the end of the day as everyone contentedly stretches out on deck, the boat heads back to the marina and the sun sinks into the sea. You will love this experience!

The Bahia de Banderas and the Pacific Coast in the area near Bucerias provide wonderful whale watching opportunities during the winter months when Hump-backed whales winter in the area. They come here to mate and give birth each year.You will have many opportunities to see both adults and their babies frolicking in the bay.

Excursion boats offer whale watching trips for groups. For the more adventurous, hire an outboard panga to take you to Las Tres Marietas Islands to see whales, dolphins, mantas, sea turtles and the Blue Footed Booby. This is the only nesting area outside of the Galapagos Islands for these birds. You can go ashore and explore the islands and the water there is great for snorkeling or diving. If one wants to go further afield there is Rincon de Guayabitos, 40 km north of here, and on the Pacific Ocean. Glass bottom boats can be hired there for bottom gazing in crystalline water and will let you off on an island to snorkel, picnic and splash around in the silky water for as long as you like. The boat will return for you at your prearranged time.

Guayabitos also offers whale watching trips; dolphins are plentiful there, and whale sharks have been sighted in recent years. There are enough adventures waiting to be experienced to provide memories for a lifetime!

Bird Watching

The Bahia de Banderas is a bird watchers paradise with three separate areas of vegetation and climate that provide immense bio-diversity. Over 317 species have been sighted in the area, with 269 that can be considered regular residents. This number increases dramatically if you travel outside the immediate bay area.

Birds of the sea and shore include Pelicans, Magnificent Frigates, Boobies (including blue-footed), Petrels, Gulls and Terns. Marsh and pond birds include Cormorants, Anhingas, Least and Pied-billed Grebes, Yellow-Crowned Night Herons, Tri-colored, Little Blue, Great Blue, and Striated Herons, as well as Ibises, Spoonbills, Northern Jacanas, Purple Gallinules and many more.

There are land birds both in the valley and in the mountains. This provides an amazing number of species including Chachalacas, Elegant Quail, a number of varieties of Parrots, Motmots, Purple, San Blas and Black-Throated Magpie Jays, Squirrel Cuckoos, Hummingbirds in great profusion, a number of species of Woodpeckers, and too many more to mention. You can explore on your own, hire people to take you to their favorite spots or take a tour with one of the groups in the area. The Bahia de Banderas offers first class birding in an amazingly beautiful area!