Where Puerto Vallarta whale watching boats leave from
Every whale trip on Banderas Bay starts at a dock or an office, and only one of the five we compare lists transportation in its fare. The starting points sit along a short stretch of coast north of downtown, plus one pier option in Nuevo Vallarta. Below, the address each listing gives and how to reach it.
Five tours, four kinds of starting point
Most whale trips here leave from Marina Vallarta or from Puerto Mágico, the cruise terminal next to it. One operator also uses a pier in Nuevo Vallarta, and another gathers its guests at an office on the main boulevard of the hotel zone.
| Tour | Where it starts | Transportation | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecotours Vallarta | Proa 20, Marina Vallarta | Not included | ~$120 |
| Mike's Fishing & Tours | Puerto Mágico, or a pier in Puerto Vallarta or Nuevo Vallarta | Not listed | ~$99 |
| Los Veranos | Office at Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio 2735 | Included | ~$99 |
| Chica Locca Tours | Two meeting points, by option | Not listed | ~$110 |
| Live & Travel Tours | H. Escuela Naval Militar 11 | Not listed | ~$62 |
Only Los Veranos lists transportation in the fare. For the other four you get yourself to the start, so the address matters as much as the boat. Our price comparison shows what else each fare leaves out.
Marina Vallarta and the Ecotours Vallarta dock
Ecotours Vallarta works out of Proa 20, a short walk from the boat ramp where Calle Proa ends. The marina is a ring of condos and restaurants around the moorings, close to the airport, and Calle Proa runs along its water side.
The talk on humpback biology happens before you board, so arriving late means missing part of what you paid for. The listing asks for a boarding fee of MX$80 on the day, and it is paid in pesos, so carry small notes.
Hotel pickup is not part of this trip. If you stay in the marina itself you can walk; from elsewhere a taxi or an app ride is the usual way in. Our page on the biologist-led trip covers what happens once you are aboard.
Puerto Mágico and the Nuevo Vallarta piers
Puerto Mágico is the cruise terminal on the edge of Marina Vallarta, with shops and a waterfront walkway. Viator gives it as the meeting point for Mike's Fishing & Tours, whose catamaran trip runs for 4 hours with breakfast and lunch.
GetYourGuide words it differently and names piers in Puerto Vallarta or Nuevo Vallarta. That suggests the start depends on the option you choose, so read the confirmation for your exact pier before you order a taxi.
If you are based in Nuevo Vallarta, a pier on your side of the bay saves a long ride south. Staying near Puerto Mágico, the terminal start is the handier one. The catamaran itself is compared with the other boats in our catamaran or speedboat guide.
A catamaran start near you
Mike's Fishing & Tours sails from the cruise terminal or a pier closer to Nuevo Vallarta, with two meals and an open bar on board. Check which pier your chosen option uses, and compare both listings.
Los Veranos and its hotel-zone office
Los Veranos Canopy Tour gathers its whale guests at its office on Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio 2735, in the Zona Hotelera. That boulevard is the main road between downtown and the marina, lined with the big beach hotels.
GetYourGuide lists two meeting points depending on the option, and transportation is part of the fare. Of the five trips, this is the one where you are not left to find the dock yourself. The fast-boat trip from ~$99 lasts 3 hours.
A $2 port fee is not in the price, and the listing accepts cash or card for it. Bring a small note anyway, since a card machine at a dock is not something to rely on.
Chica Locca and Live & Travel, two addresses to read twice
Chica Locca Tours runs its sunset yacht from two meeting points, and which one applies depends on the option you book. The listing names them, so look at the one tied to your choice rather than the first one on the page.
Live & Travel Tours gives H. Escuela Naval Militar 11, Área Militar de Vallarta, as its address on Viator. It is not a place most visitors would know by name, so put it in a map app the night before and allow a few spare minutes.
The evening trip has its own rhythm, since it heads out in the afternoon light and returns after dark. Our sunset cruise guide weighs it against a morning wildlife trip.
Getting there from where you sleep
Puerto Vallarta's hotels spread along the bay in a long line. The Zona Romántica and the old town sit at the southern end, the hotel zone and Marina Vallarta in the middle, and Nuevo Vallarta further north across the state line in Nayarit.
From the Zona Romántica the marina is a fair drive north, through the center and along the boulevard. From Nuevo Vallarta it is a shorter run south, past the airport. Either way, the boulevard can slow to a crawl, so leave earlier than a map suggests.
Taxis are easy to find at hotels and on the main roads, and app rides work in the city too. Agree on a taxi fare before you set off if the car has no meter. City buses run along the boulevard too, but hunting for a stop with a dock deadline adds stress.
Traveling with children? A long ride before a 4-hour boat trip makes a long morning. Our family guide compares the trips by length, age limits and what the little ones can eat on board.
Choosing a tour by its starting point
- Staying in Marina Vallarta: Ecotours Vallarta from ~$120, within walking distance of many condos
- Staying in Nuevo Vallarta: Mike's catamaran from ~$99, if your option uses the northern pier
- No wish to arrange a ride: Los Veranos from ~$99, with transportation included
- Lowest fare, with an address to map first: Live & Travel from ~$62
None of these starting points should decide your trip on its own. A short taxi ride costs far less than the gap between the cheapest and dearest fares, so pick the boat first and the dock second.
Whichever you book, bring pesos for the ride and for tips, plus a layer for the breeze on deck. Our packing list for the boat covers the rest.