Puerto Vallarta & Banderas Bay · Mexico · Reef · Wall
Los Arcos
A no-take islet reef with a wall that drops from 18 m to 37 m
Photo: The Cosmonaut · CC BY-SA 2.5
Los Arcos is a national marine park of four rocks or islets, with shallows and a deep-sea canyon in Banderas Bay. Dives run from 5 m (15 ft) in the shallows to 37 m (120 ft) on the wall. Fishing and taking anything from the bottom are illegal, and the reef holds a large population of fish, turtles and other sea life.
Also known as Los Arcos National Park, Los Arcos Marine Park.
Where it is and how deep
20.5463° N, 105.2914° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The site is four rocky islets with shallows around them and a deep-sea canyon beside them. Dives in the shallows start from about 5 m (15 ft), among sea horses, turtles, octopus, zebra angelfish and surgeonfish, and small schools of eagle rays feed over the sandy bottom. With no fishing allowed, the fish life is dense, and the shallows suit every level from novice to advanced.
The deeper dive follows the drop-off, which starts at 18 m (60 ft). A tour along the wall lasts about 10 minutes, between 24 m (80 ft) and 37 m (120 ft), over the deep-sea canyon. The drop-off is one of the paths of the Pacific giant manta; encounters happen sometimes, not every dive, so divers on the wall keep watching the blue as well as the rock.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
- Sea turtles
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Eagle rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Puerto Vallarta & Banderas Bay: June to November is warm and opens the open-sea islets to the north; from December the sea outside the bay roughens and 20 m water can fall to 13 °C.
Know before you go
- The wall dive meets surge and currents that are sometimes strong; it is run for certified divers with experience in both.
- The wall reaches 37 m (120 ft); divers watch their depth and no-decompression time on the short tour along it.
Dive videos
SCUBA DIVING PUERTO VALLARTA LOS ARCOS NATIONAL PARK JULY 8 2026 · Coral Master (Greg) Puerto Vallarta Diver on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the diving at Los Arcos?+
Dives run from 5 m (15 ft) in the shallows to 37 m (120 ft). The wall drops off from 18 m (60 ft), and the wall tour runs between 24 m (80 ft) and 37 m.
How far is Los Arcos from Puerto Vallarta?+
Los Arcos is a 35-minute boat ride from Marina Vallarta.
Sources
- Diving Sites in Banderas Bay — Banderas Scuba Republic
- Los Arcos — Vallarta Under Sea
- Scuba Diving in Los Arcos — Chico's Dive Shop
- Los Arcos National Park — Scubago
Photo credits
- A steep rock islet with a sea arch at its base, a second islet behind it and calm blue water in front by The Cosmonaut, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
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