Vallarta Adventures | Terminal Marítima — Local services in Jalisco

We did the Rhythms of the Night Tour and the Yelapa Villaga/Mahajuitas Beach BBQ tour and I cannot rave more about how amazing Vallarta Adventures is!!

Try to get to the Port early and check in as you board the ship based upon when you check in for your tour.  This may only be relevant if you want a certain spot on the boat.

Let's start with Rhythms of the Night! Check in was super easy when you have your reservation available.  Because we checked in an hour prior, we were numbers 12 & 13. Then we went to pay for our port access fee and this needed to be done after checking in due to the booth not opening more than an hr before departure.

The waiting area is air conditioned and they call you for your tour in a very orderly fashion, but you'll need to pay attention to which trip you are on and please, pay attention to keep everyone's sanity. They tell you which boat you are on and board you by your number on your ticket you receive from check in. Boat number is top left in a black box with white letter and number. Boarding number is bottom right in black letters. Don't worry, they tell you this several times of how to find it and after they call each group in English and Spanish, yet people still ask "Is that us??" Seriously, the staff is amazingly patient.

The show is named ALMA and depending on the weather, you either start with the show and then do dinner or vice versa. The makeup and costumes are so amazing and top notch. The show is done in English and Spanish. But the MUSIC! Oh, that just taps into the senses of what you're seeing and amplifies the experience that much more.

The buffet dinner was so delicious! I ate everything offered and I was NOT sorry. The salads were fresh and delicious, especially the beet salad (I LOVE beets!). The proteins were divine and the desserts were oh so yummy!

Our other tour we took was the Yelapa Village/Mahajuitas BBQ tour. The first stop was to Yelapa Village where you can hike up to the waterfall. We boarded tender boats from our boat to the dock. The hike is a steep incline and it's made for those with advanced mobility issues. I am accident prone and was a little worried about coming back down since there were naturally growing mangoes that fell on the path and made it slippery. Add loose gravel and dirt plus water from people who swam at the waterfall walking in front of you and the steep incline, it's not a simple walk back down.

From the Yelapa beach, we walked to our boat and went to a little reef to snorkel for a bit. The reef we snorkeled was really cool. We saw a lot of different fish and the water was so clear. The only issue was that it was jellyfish larvae "sea lice" season (Apr-Jul) so we were getting stung. Ok, the stings are not bad (unless you're allergic) and they feel like ant bites or plucking a stubborn hair and the frequency was few and far between. But you have to remember that the tour company CANNOT control sea life and you're entering THEIR homes when you snorkel.

After getting out of the water, we went to Majahuitas Beach and it was so amazing. There are day beds, tables, chairs, and loungers to relax. The buffet was so delicious! The chicken and pork ribs were so tender and that cauliflower ceviche (vegetarian, maybe vegan) was so flavorful!

David was our guide for Rhythms of the Night and Lucas was our guide for Yelapa/Mahajuitas and both were so amazing! The entire staff on each boat were equally amazing, but their names...

This week, my wife, sister-in-law, and I booked three excursions with Vallarta Adventures. We've been staying at Paradise Village Resort and booked our trips through a gentleman named Martin. He is the best. A charming fellow, for sure, he tells you everything you need to know about each option available. His recommendations were valid, and he really made the booking process smooth. We did the Outdoor Adventure, Marietas Eco-Discovery, and the Rythm of the Night. Our first day out, we were off to the water taxi to take us over to Vallarta Adventures. The checkin was swift and we had drinks in the cafeteria while we waited for our speedboat to pick us up.

This isn't your average zipline excursion. From start to finish the employees made the day fun and energetic. Our boat ride to the beach was beautiful and fast! Lead by our guide, Fer, our safety instructor, Luis, the amazing team of Fito, Itza, and Rick, we made our way up to the first zipline by mule. I can't stress enough how amazing this day was. We laughed the whole time while experiencing some really exhilarating runs. Choose this as your must-do excursion. Loved the experience and loved the guys running the show.

The following day we set out with the Boat #4 crew for our snorkeling adventure. Our crew director, Brian, was super energetic and really helped get the whole group excited. We had 30 minutes in the water snorkeling before we headed to the shore for some paddle boarding and relaxation. Something that was really special and not necessarily part of the tour was the whale and dolphin sightings we experienced. We could see the whales from a distance, but the dolphin pod we saw was right next to our boat and had to be 100+ in size! On our way back, the crew put on a great stage performance that had us cheering and laughing. Loved the energy from the crew!

Our third and final excursion, Rythm of the Night, was great. The only thing that caught us by surprise was the time schedule. If booking this excursion, be sure to book the earlier boat trip. We booked the second boat trip and were told on the way out to the location that we would be seeing the show first, followed by dinner. The first boat has dinner first, all parties watch the show together, and then the second boat has dinner. This results in a later evening. Be sure to use the boat bathroom before arriving. My wife and I were in desperate need of a bathroom by the time the show was over.

Now, the show itself was 5-stars. The performers were amazingly skilled and the guy leading the performance was hilariously entertaining. I enjoyed the buffet style dinner. The food was good and I really enjoyed the mexican coffee. Just as before, with our other boat experience on the way back, the boat #8 crew put on an amazing show. I really respect the effort they put forth. They work hard and it shows. Overall, my experience with Vallarta Adventures has been nothing short of excellent. I highly recommend committing some of your vacation days to experiencing this area in a fun and...

I have chosen this excursion for the second year in a row because it does not disappoint! I have to say the pros were even better this year! We started the day by going to Los Arcos, the arches, to snorkel! It was amazing!! Definitely one of my bucket list checks! I only wish we stayed longer. It was a short visit. Next, we went to Quimixto to visit Enrique’s (our tour guide) uncles house. They made us fresh tortillas, beans, and salsa. I felt like this part of the tour could have been left out and we could have spent more time at the other locations. Then we went to one side of Yelapa to ride horses. It’s a fun experience, but I wish the locals would clean up the area for tourism. I had a fisty horse who didn’t want to listen, but it made the ride more fun. You have to look into the lush greenery to truly enjoy the ride. After that, we got back in the boat to go to the other side of Yelapa. Such cute town with character. We hiked up to the waterfall which was really full this year compared to last year, but the water was brown from all of the “earth” it picked up from the rains, as my tour guide had explained. Last year the water was not brown. Still a very beautiful landscape and the nature is incredible. Last, we went to the next shore of Pizzato to eat, drink, and relax. The food was amazing- I remembered how good it was last year, too. The drinks were great- I chose a fresh lime drink with a salt rimmed glass. I think it had tequila. So fresh and delicious! My kids got pummeled in the aggressive waves today, but it was beautiful water and the sand was much softer than that of Yelapa. We even relaxed in a hammock together. At the end, the ride back too a while, but our ship captain was an expert with the waves. I really enjoyed the speed boat ride to each location. Overall, it is one incredible experience after another. They truly go out of their way to get a lot done in a 6.5 hour day. My husband felt very rushed and other people joked and asked if we only had 5 minutes at the last location because Enrique runs a tight ship. I didn’t bother me, and I would definitely do this...