A Wonderful Adventure When Family Come to Visit
Jon
and I splurged on a week of fun tourist activities when my sister, Cindy and her
husband, Al came to visit us in Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita this month!
Usually, we live pretty much like the locals in Sayulita. But this was a
perfect time to take a catamaran trip to the Marietas Islands where we were
looking forward to snorkeling. Vallarta Adventures Eco Discovery Tour included even more enjoyable activities than we
expected.
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| Cindy and Al Enjoying the Catamaran Trip to the Islands |
On the catamaran trip to
the islands, we were excited to see three whales, one spouting as they breached
the surface. The captain motored around the Marietas Islands before anchoring to show the guests how beautiful
this protected national park and world heritage site is.
Once
anchored, we got ready to snorkel. On this tour, we swam quite a distance
around rocks, coral reefs, and through an archway with a slight current, so we
were required to wear life vests. It turns out, the vests allowed us to be more relaxed while we enjoyed viewing the marine life and playing in the ocean. The water
temperature was perfectly comfortable, refreshing yet warm. The tour guides
made sure we had fun and captured photos of us enjoying the snorkeling portion
of our trip.
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| Jon & I Loved Snorkeling in the Clear Water |
Cindy and Al Had a Blast Snorkeling!
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| Snorkeling with My Sister, Cindy, for the First Time |
Back
onboard the catamaran, we were cooled off from our swim but ravenous! Lunch
was served—a build-your-own sandwich smorgasbord and drinks from the open bar,
alcoholic and nonalcoholic. We climbed back up to the top deck to eat while the
boat made another pass around the island, giving us a close-up view of the many
birds living there, including blue-footed boobies, pelicans, and magnificent frigatebirds.
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| Jon and Terry Back Onboard After Snorkeling |
Next stop—Playa Majahuitas,
a beautiful tropical beach where we could choose to relax in hammocks or on
lounge chairs or play in the water. We did it all! Paddleboarding was our
favorite water activity. Many chose to kayak in the bay. The water was
amazingly clear, blue, and pleasantly warm. I enjoyed relaxing while I floated
on my back in the still, saline sea, peering up at the blue sky that created the
hue of the water.
On
the trip back to the Marina Vallarta, the crew members, dressed in costumes and
wigs, entertained us with hilarious skits. Our 6 ½-hour adventure was nearing
an end. As we disembarked, a large, brilliantly-colored iguana posed near the
bay for photos, completing a perfect adventure in Puerto Vallarta.
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| Terry L Turrell, Author |
Looks like a fun outing and it so much warmer than here in Oregon! What kind of whales did you see?
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle,
DeleteThanks for reading and commenting on my article!
the tour guide said they were humpbacks but they looked like Orcas to Jon and me (we were sure we saw black and white). We weren't allowed to pursue them to get a better look because by law it wasn't officially whale watching season, according to the guide. The weather just cooled off to "perfect" today. I hope you come down and visit soon! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
Mom