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Dive Review of Vallarta Adventures/Four Seasons - Punta Mita in
Mexico (Western)/Puerto Vallarta

Vallarta Adventures/Four Seasons - Punta Mita: "Marietas Islands - Fun But Nothing Memorable", Sep, 2015,

by John Whitehead, GA, US ( 1 report with 1 Helpful vote). Report 8417 has 1 Helpful vote.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 5 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling 2 stars
Value for $$ 3 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 2 stars
Comments Four Seasons Resort in Punta Mita, Nayarit, is our favorite hotel in the world. It's about a 40-minute drive north of the airport at Puerto Vallarta.

The standard dives are in and around the Marietas Islands, including a small sea mount called El Morro. The operator is Vallarta Adventures. They do an excellent job, with careful, patient, and knowlegable dive guides. They'll pick you up right at the hotel's beach, and it's only a 10-15 minute ride out to the islands.

The Four Seasons is an all round resort. Diving is offered as one of many activities for guests. I wouldn't go particularly for the diving, but it's a pleasant way to get wet and spend a few hours underwater.

The Marietas are volcanic rock, so the colors tend toward tans and grays. The islands sit right on the edge of the continental shelf, so there are some areas with deep nutrient up-wellings. In these areas, fish tend to be plentiful. Otherwise, there are few fish.

Visibility is decent this time of year (Sept.), at about 50-60 feet. Water temperature was a balmy 88 degrees. Deepest sites bottom out at 120-130 feet.

I've seen octopus, mantas, and sea horses on past trips, but no such sightings this time. Whales migrate through in the spring. There are also dolphins around, but we only saw them from the boat on this trip. Sites seemed to be healthy.

Summary: Don't bother making this trip solely for diving. But don't hesitate if you're already there and want a pleasant couple of dives.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving SE Asia, South Pacific, Australia, Caribbean, Indian Ocean
Closest Airport PVR Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas choppy
Water Temp 88-90°F / 31-32°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 50-60 Ft/ 15-18 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile ?
Enforced diving restrictions No specific limits. Our dive guide let me go down to 120-130 feet, as long as I let him know what I was doing beforehand.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals N/A Tropical Fish 2 stars
Small Critters N/A Large Fish N/A
Large Pelagics N/A

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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