Nov 7, 2024
Sea safari - Daniel (Danny), Yaya, danniel, and Salvador were all amazing. This was our second cruise but our first one to Mexico and on this day we experienced what became me and my husbands absolute favorite excursion out of all of them. Danny was so knowledgeable, charismatic and outgoing. We learned so much about the culture and saw awesome sights! Everything from the horses to the people to the dogs were friendly and welcoming. The home-cooked meal by a local woman was INCREDIBLE. Don't miss this once in a lifetime. Yaya takes great pictures the whole time too so you can always look back on this awesome memory.
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Oct 24, 2024
Authentic Mexican Experience - Diego, Chima, and Daniel were all fantastic guides. I forgot our boat captain but he was great too. You start off in a speed boat and make your way to Los Arcos to snorkel. The speed boat can get a bit bumpy but you're in a speed boat - so its expected. You can bring shoes if you want but I was able to do everything in sandals and slippers. Make sure you bring sunscreen and to reapply every break you can if you're sensitive. Diego does a great job of accounting for everyone while providing history of the land with fun facts while Chima is taking lots of shots. He takes a lot of candid shots as well but these guys are super friendly so don't be afraid to ask if you see a dope opportunity along the way.
After snorkeling, is probably the best part for me and my wife. They took us to Quimixto into the home of an older couple; Don Benjamin and Don Tonya (I think that's how you spell it). It was a very welcoming experience where they cooked tortillas and we eat it with guac, beans, and salsa. It was something quick to have something in our stomachs. We enjoyed their company thoroughly. A lot of people will lay out the sequencing so I will just premise this review with the following: this team is showing you what it takes to live here and the beauty in life there is when you stop and look. And as tourists, the level of respect and hospitality given entering their motherland of folks who have been there for generations, I believe it needs to be reciprocated. Please bring cash for tips. Along the way, the guide will take you to fruit stands, bar stands, the homes of people to eat in. That is the people of this land who are showing you their culture and generosity. If you can afford this excursion, you can afford to pay a little extra along the way. And by all means, that is not to discount the experience!!! This experience made me feel at home and specifically, the Philippines.
After snorkeling and town hopping, you go horseback riding, and then walk through Yelapa to a waterfall to freshen up. Afterwards you go back by boat to Calletas or a beachfront to eat lunch. The lunch is free but again - don't forget to thank those who have given the time out of their day to service you.
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Sep 17, 2024
Variety of adventures! - One great adventure after the other, speed boat ride, sea caves, horse ride through the river, swim in a waterfall, snorkeling, time on a private beach with yummy BBQ lunch. Danny-awesome guide, Felics provided a smooth speed boat ride.
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Sep 3, 2024
An unforgettable trip! - A shout out to our guide Daniel, our Captain Felix, and our photographer Kevin. This was our first trip to Mexico and the three made it most memorable. Daniel was informative and educated us about the area and Mexican history.
Felix's driving skills were on point. It's definitely one of the highlights of this trip.
Kevin took phenomenal photos, which I shall treasure.
All of these gentlemen were accommodating, kind and patient.
The residents of Yelapa welcomed us. Have the shrimp tacos!! For real!
The horseback ride was pleasant. Very well trained.
The waterfall was magnificent. It's such a beautiful and magical place. Then later was snorkeling.
I'm not sure which I enjoyed more for each was an adventure worth experiencing
To end the tour on a secluded beach with delicious food and intoxicating drinks was the icing on the cake.
I highly recommend this tour to all who come across the option to go. It was worth it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 14, 2024
A great day in Mexico! - Our tour guide Daniel, Captain Danny and photographer Martin hosted a great day in Yalapa, snorkeling and beach BBQ. Our ride to Yalapa on Banderas Bay was smooth. We spotted a sea turtle. Daniel was informative and passionate about the history and culture of Yalapa. We enjoyed the 20 minute horseback ride followed by a beer at Fanny’s. There were bathrooms available at Fanny’s but the sinks don’t work. There is a lot of barbed wire on the sides of the narrow paths, so be cautious and control the horse. We wished we had more cash with us because we truly wanted to support the community by buying a few things. The walk to the waterfall was a little slippery due to rain, but the swim was very refreshing. The next stop for snorkeling lasted 20-30 minutes. The beach BBQ was absolutely delicious and we enjoyed another swim in the ocean before our cruise back to the port. This excursion is definitely not for anyone with mobility issues or struggles to climb in and out of a raft. It is also not for anyone that might feel uncomfortable seeing a poorer community. For us, we felt privileged to view the lush beauty of this area and to experience a great day on the water. Thanks for a great trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 11, 2024
Wonderful tour with wonderful people!! Highly recommend!! - From the time we left the Maritime Terminal to the time we arrived back we were treated with the utmost respect! The guides Maui and Angie and the captain Dani were all very friendly and explained everything well the entire tour. When we got to Yelapa we were greeted with smiles by the locals, who were all very friendly for the duration of our time there, riding horses, enjoying the beachfront and our hike to the waterfall as well as our time in the waterfall! I recommend taking pictures of your own if you do not want to purchase the ones taken by the tour photographer. Snorkeling was amazing and the guides had a sheet describing all the different kinds of fish you could find. We saw many, many different types!! Pizota was amazing ❤️ the lunch was delicious, the bartender Angél was great about timely service and was very lively and played great music. The beach was breathtaking and wonderful to walk on after we enjoyed lunch. My husband and I strongly recommend this tour, but if you get motion sickness I suggest taking meds prior to leaving as well as packing some for the trip. The boat ride was beautiful as well ☺️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jul 8, 2024
BEST excursion we’ve done in ANY country! - First- let’s give the CREW the credit they deserve. From the beginning, our guide Angel was INCREDIBLE in his communication, attentiveness, and information he shared about the area. As a local to Yelapa, you could hear the genuine love for his home as he took us horseback riding, waterfall hiking & then made some short stops at points of interest thru town along the way back to the boat. He was joined by Guillermo(Memo) who provided fantastic photography just for our group at points ALL along the way and Chuy, our boat captain, who navigated that stretch of coast with a level of skill that can only come from years of making frequent trips back & forth in a variety of conditions. (I usually have anxiety out in open ocean, but even despite some decent sized swells on the ride back, I felt SO safe with this crew that I actually closed my eyes, relaxed & just went along with the ride.)
Yelapa is MAGICAL in an untouched/unspoiled kind of way- I hope the locals continue to advocate to keep property owners LOCAL.
As the weather shifted on us mid-day, the snorkel spot was better suited for experienced snorkelers, but I didn’t mind staying in the boat with Chuy & enjoyed watching the others check out the sea life.
Pizota was the last stop where we got to enjoy a DELICIOUS buffet style Mexican lunch beach side with a FULL bar too. After lunch we had time to lounge in the hammocks, play ball on the beach, and although paddle boarding is usually an option, that particular day our group all opted to vibe lounging on the beach.
The CREW truly made the entire experience PERFECTO, and I would come back & request the SAME crew again & again. ¡Ciao mis amigos!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 15, 2024
Needing a great experience?!? - What an excellent experience today. After arriving at Puerto Magico by Uber. We mounted a high-speed boat and went to a small village of 2000 people that’s only assessable by boats. We rode horses there and went for a hike. We got back on the boat to go for our snorkeling adventure where we got to see many varieties of fish of all different colors … from there. We went to another secluded area on the beach and it looked like we were entering, the bachelor or the bachelorette location …it was quaint. It was nice with hammocks , lounge chairs the smell of cooking the open bar and we got to witness a proposal of a young couple from Michigan with flowers and rose petals. It was special. The food there was exceptional one of the best meals I’ve had in Mexico, Danny or tour guide was a delight and informative and made the experience worth it all. If you’re up for mix of different adventures grab this one is well worth it.
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Apr 11, 2024
Great tour - Wonderful experience! Great adventure. I loved everything- boat ride, horseback riding, secluded beach...Our tour guide was excellent!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jul 1, 2024
Overall very good excursion with a few take away notes in my comments - Overall a very nice and peaceful experience enjoyed by my whole family. Locations were very pretty and we learned a lot about the local folks and their native ways and economy. The raft /boat ride was the most intense because not a fancy boat, but our captain had tremendous skill navigating the water safely, and my typically motionsivk hubby had no issues. The horseback riding was great, but a very quick romp through a narrow trail/local streets to little water area and then back - roughly 20 mins total. CAUTION: Trail/Street through neighborhood had areas lined with rusty barbed wire fence, which unfortunately my husband’s horse went straight for since had vegetation around, gouging his leg on the barbed wire when horse wouldn’t obey directives - thankful for recent tetanus shot but bummed because we didn’t have any antibiotic ointment with us and still had the waterfall to visit (fingers crossed no major infection brewing). The snorkeling was quick too - another 20 mins or so, but we saw some very pretty fish. The waterfall was great, and we were grateful to have gone with a small group after witnessing a larger excursion arrive and the chaos they experienced trying to all experience the waterfall at once - that area is very small. The bbq/picnic was in a pretty spot and had amazing food! The best steak we had our whole trip (and brownies if you ask my daughter) . When asked, my teenager said she loved it which means it was a success! Would recommend with the notes mentioned above for awareness!
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