Permit· Islas Marías· Mexico
Islas Marías Biosphere Reserve (Restricted)
21° 41.0′ N · 107° 2.0′ W
A four-island archipelago about 112 km off the Nayarit coast that held a federal penal colony from 1905 until 2019. It's now a UNESCO biosphere reserve (2010) with endemic parrots, raccoons and huge seabird colonies, and access is tightly controlled under federal and Mexican Navy administration.
Practical
The reserve covers 641,284 ha of land and sea around María Madre, María Magdalena, María Cleofas and San Juanito. Visitors arrive only on the official packages: a Navy-run ferry on Fridays (two Fridays a month from San Blas, two from Mazatlán, returning Sunday) or a weekly flight from Tepic, booked at visitaislasmarias.com. Packages include two nights' lodging, meals and guided tours (from MXN 8,662 per person in 2024). Visitor rules are strict: no food may be brought, there's a 10 kg carry-on limit, and you go where the tours take you. No source was found that authorizes private yachts to anchor or land. Do not approach or stop without prior written authorization from the federal authorities (verify with the San Blas or Mazatlán Port Captain). Coordinate is the reserve reference point (Wikipedia).
Best for
Visit by the official ferry from San Blas or Mazatlán, not by yacht
Nearby
- Puerto Balleto (Isla María Madre)27.9 NM away
- Isla Isabela National Park64.8 NM away
- Bahía Tiburoneros Landing (Isla Isabela)64.9 NM away
- Isla Isabela Crater Lake Lookout64.9 NM away
- Isla Isabela Park Rules (CONANP)64.9 NM away
- Isla Isabela South Anchorage64.9 NM away
- Isla Isabela East Anchorage65.1 NM away
- Las Monas Pinnacles (Isla Isabela)65.1 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).