Vallarta Explore
Vallarta Explore
4.5
Boat Tours
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About
Vallarta Explore we offer personalized service for your day outing into Puerto Vallarta and the Banderas Bay. Private snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, whale watching, leisure do what you want cruise, beach day or sunset trip....we got it all. All trips take place on a private panga boat equipped with top of the line engine to make the most out of your day at sea. All trips are serviced by English speaking captain and mate, we have water, soft drinks and snacks on board for you. Fresh ceviche is one of the surprises, if we get lucky fishing. Bring your smile, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and a towel plus extra cash for additional items (food, drinks, souvenirs, gratuities, etc.) and we will take you for a day in the sun you will not forget. Be sure to bring your waterproof camera as you will want to share your experience with your friends & family for many years to come
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
4.5
12 reviews
Excellent
10
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Dharma808
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States1 contribution
Sep 2012 • Couples
This has got to be the absolute best tour I have ever taken! I take a lot of tours and work in the travel industry and this is by far the best! Our guide for the day SAMMI was so informative and he was so go with the flow like our family is. We had six people and this was a private boat tour just for our family where we went snorkeling at three different spots which were all extremely beautiful and caught a fish which was served to us on the boat in our favorite style...SASHIMI!! It was so delicious. Sammy took very good care of us and catered to our every need which made us feel so special. We all got really hungry and ended up pulling into a restaurant where the food was the absolute best food we had on our entire trip. We were stuck there for a bit due to a storm but were treated to some very special home made moonshine that was a very special treat. We did hit the storm on the way back and very rough seas but it was so much, we didn't care!! Sammy even took the extra step of driving us in his own car to take us back to the ship so that we wouldn't have to catch a taxi back from the dock. HOW SPECIAL IS THAT? We love Sammy and if you are looking for an excellent tour and tour guide on the beautiful shores of Puerto Vallarta, Vallarta Explore is the absolute way to go! You will not regret it! We are already excited to go back so that we can see Sammy again, it was definitely the highlight of our vacation, without a doubt.
Written October 5, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CDNtravellers13
Winnipeg, Canada3 contributions
Apr 2012 • Family
If you are looking for a tour of your choice, where you will be treating like absolute royalty, with your every desire and wish taken care of, then this is the company for you! Samy took our family out (family of 13!), anticipating and meeting our every need, and having the flexibility to meet our every want! We could not be more impressed. I felt like absolute royalty, and we would never consider using any other operator. If you want the best experience on the water in Vallarta, call Samy. You will never be disappointed. We own time in Vallarta, and so we are there at least once per year, and we would not consider going with anyone else, ever. Samy = accommodation to the tee!! The very best, forget the rest. From an honest Canadian family.
Written September 9, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thisismelanies
San Francisco, CA1 contribution
Oct 2016 • Solo
I had the most awesome time learning to surf. It was personal and real. If you want an experience with local people who can give pointers on history, culture, and food, this is definitely the place to go. I'm planning to bring my kids next time.
Written October 31, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gao C
Flagstaff, AZ5 contributions
Mar 2015 • Family
The agreed price was $260, I paid $115 for reservation. When we got there, the captain said he doesn't know the person who made reservation for us, and asked for additional $350 on top of the $115, and told us about this after we got on the boat.
How can you know that we are coming if you don't know the person who made the reservation?
bunch of lies there
How can you know that we are coming if you don't know the person who made the reservation?
bunch of lies there
Written March 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tvl_inc
Ojai, CA39 contributions
Jul 2013 • Friends
We wanted a private day of diving and exploring. Sammy was fabulous! He and the ponga boat captain are both master divers and know all the great spots. He offered to provide all the equipment, including wetsuits and two tanks each. He also dove with us, showing us different areas...then he caught lunch, and made the most spectacular fresh ceviche right on the boat-amazing! The boat was well equipped with all we'd need, he had a cooler with lots of ice and cold drinks, fresh fruit and snacks. It was a fabulous day - more than we expected, we enjoyed both of them and learned a lot.
All the arrangements were easy to make (I did it from the states prior to arriving-via email) he responded right away and communicated very well, understood what we were looking for and offered a lot of suggestions. He met us at our hotel with the ponga boat (Hotelito Mio-spectacular & secluded), he arrived early and helped with all our luggage & gear, and returned us to Marina Vallarta at the end of the day, even kept out suitcases clean and dry. Was a great adventure. After we returned home he emailed photos he'd taken with with his phone, great memories.
All the arrangements were easy to make (I did it from the states prior to arriving-via email) he responded right away and communicated very well, understood what we were looking for and offered a lot of suggestions. He met us at our hotel with the ponga boat (Hotelito Mio-spectacular & secluded), he arrived early and helped with all our luggage & gear, and returned us to Marina Vallarta at the end of the day, even kept out suitcases clean and dry. Was a great adventure. After we returned home he emailed photos he'd taken with with his phone, great memories.
Written March 5, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bk_mallicote
Lithia, FL21 contributions
Sep 2013 • Family
We booked our snorkel excursion to Las Marietas with Vallarta Explore via email contact and it couldn't have been easier. This is a smaller company that gives attention to details. If you are looking for a personal touch, a small boat with 2 guides that holds up to 10 people this is for you. If you are looking for a Huge Catamaran that holds roughly 200 people, there are other tour companies for you. Our guide Samy was amazing. He would point out different species of fish and sealife and even dove down to get a starfish for us to touch among other things. I HIGHLY recommend booking with Vallarta Explore!! I am sure you have had of the saying, "you get what you pay for".
Written September 20, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Spagirl6
San Francisco, CA2 contributions
Nov 2012 • Friends
We also found this boat from meeting Juan on the beach at the Marriott. We wanted to go to Yelapa and he explained that it would be quite an undertaking by trying to go via water taxis. So we took the leap and booked the boat for the 6 of us ladies. And it couldn't have turned out better. Samy was so accommodating as we wanted to catch fish, snorkel and then end up at Yelapa. Samy caught 3 fish and made sashimi and ceviche for us right on the boat. He made everything look so effortless in steering the boat, catching fish and answering all our questions all at once. We then went snorkeling and made our way to Yelapa. We were looking for a friend in Yelapa and Samy helped track him down for us! And he was incredibly flexible and nice when we ended up staying longer than we originally planned. This was a lovely day and we were so happy we took the opportunity to go with Samy on the Aromi.
Written November 15, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nimbus619
San Diego, CA32 contributions
Sep 2012 • Friends
We found this charter panga boat from a hawker on the beach at the Marriott and quite frankly didn't know what to expect. After checking their Facebook page we took a chance. Our day exceeded our expectations in every way. We had planned to go snorkling at Los Arcos for four hours and ended up spending six hours with Captain Sammy and his boat Aromi. He was professional, knowledgeable, helpful and made the trip fun. It was a great value. Amenities were sparce but his service was all heart. Pangas are bare, wide, open boats with benches and a shade cover. It uses an outboard motor which allows beach landings which is a handy plus. We boarded on the beach at our condo and stopped at a hidden beach midway through the trip for lunch at the worthy and famous Ocean Grill. Having our own boat (instead of booking into a group trip) with a skilled seaman such as Sammy made our vacation extra special. Bring your own ice chest and beverages plus towells. Sammy provides the snorkles, masks, fins and life jackets. Wear a swim suit so that you can make beach landings. Trust Sammy's judgement as he is a man of the sea.
Written October 7, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ruda
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico93 contributions
May 2012 • Friends
This is it! The most friendly crew that will take you on a laid back boat ride you will never forget. Very authentic and easy going. We started at 9AM in marina los Peines and 1st went to Los Arcos for snorkeling. There is always good snorkeling at Los Arcos and when you arrive early it is not packed, well worth it. Then it was on to Quimixto where we hiked to the waterfall and my brother was dare enough to jump from the cliff. Adrenaline pumped for sure. On the way the crew fished and made fresh ceviche which was truely a gem. Will come back many times for sure! Vallarta Explore in Puerto Vallarta is the bomb!
Written September 12, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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