Los Arcos is the most photographed natural spot in Banderas Bay, and most people see it for about ten minutes, from the deck of a boat that is on its way somewhere else.
There is another way to do it. On a paddle board you are at water level, moving as slowly as you like, quiet enough to see what is swimming underneath you.
Here is what a morning at Los Arcos looks like when you are the one holding the paddle.
What Los Arcos actually is
Los Arcos de Mismaloya is a group of granite islands rising out of the water just south of Puerto Vallarta, riddled with arches, tunnels and caves that the sea carved out over a very long time. It is a protected national park, the water around it is unusually clear for the bay, and it is probably the single most photographed natural spot in the area.
Most visitors see it from the deck of a boat on the way somewhere else. That is fine, but it means seeing it for ten minutes, from a distance, with forty other people.
Why a paddle board is the better way to see it
On a board you are at water level, moving at your own speed, and quiet. You can hold still next to a rock formation, look down through the water, and wait to see what swims past. There is no engine noise and nobody rushing you back to the boat.
It also puts the scale of the place in perspective. The arches look big from a boat. They look enormous when you are floating under one on a board.
How the day goes
We meet at our shop in downtown Puerto Vallarta and head south along the bay with your private instructor. Once we get there, the lesson starts on the shore: how to balance, how to hold the paddle, how to turn, how to fall off without drama. It is a short session, but it is what makes the water part enjoyable instead of frustrating.
Then you go in. You paddle around the area, work on your technique as you go, and take as long as you want in front of the rock formations. Your instructor stays with you the whole time and adjusts the pace to you — this is a private experience, so there is no group to keep up with.
What you see from the board
- Clear water with good visibility, which is the whole reason people snorkel here
- Marine life below the surface — it is common, though nobody can promise you a particular animal
- Endemic birds nesting and circling above the rocks
- The natural tunnels and arches that give the place its name
Morning or afternoon?
You choose when you book. Mornings tend to be calmer on the water and better if you are new to paddle boarding. Afternoons give you warmer light and, on a good day, a very different set of photos. Both work — just tell us which one fits your plans.
Do you need experience?
No. The lesson is built for people who have never stood on a board, and it starts on land precisely so that you are not learning the basics while trying not to fall in. If you already paddle, your instructor skips ahead and turns the session into a longer, more technical outing instead.
What does help is being comfortable in the ocean. You will be in open water, and being relaxed about that makes the whole thing more fun.
What to bring
- Swimwear you can move in
- Sunscreen and a hat — there is no shade out there
- A towel and dry clothes for afterwards
- A waterproof case if you want photos from the water
A calmer kind of vacation day
If your trip has been all restaurants, beach clubs and boat tours, this is the quiet one. Two hours on the water at Los Arcos gives you the same landmark everyone else is photographing, seen from a place almost nobody else is standing.
See the details of the Paddle Board at Los Arcos de Mismaloya experience, or start closer to town with our Private Paddle Board Lessons along the Malecón.
