larta and Punta MIta. Hidden Beach truly is cool because it's inside a crater and you have to swim through a tunnel to get into it. In fact, you can't get in when the tide is really high or the surf is big because you bang your head on the top of the tunnel. But while the surrounding area is home to some tropical fish, rays and whales, it's not on the order of the Galapagos — or most places in the Caribbean. But that hasn't stopped the hordes. According to one official of the nature preserve, 4,000 people a day visit the beach during the high season, and 2,000 during the low season. And you thought Yosemite was being loved to death. So many charterboat passengers want to get ashore that they sometimes have to wait as much as 90 minutes for their turn. While waiting, no music may be played and no alcoholic beverages may be consumed on the boats. And when you swim to the beach, you have to wear a bracelet that shows you've paid a fee, and an orange PFD. How can you free dive while wearing a PFD? You can't — which is the point. If this sounds heavy-handed, it is, but given the number of visitors it almost has to be. And if
RIVIERA NAYARIT TOURISTM
CHANGES
Playa del Amor really is a cool place, but only if it's just you and your lover. It's not so fun when you have to share it with hundreds of others.
you see photos suggesting that it's just going to be you and your lover at Playa del Amor, rest assured that you have a better chance of being alone on a BART train at rush hour. However, there is very good news for
owners of private yachts. After getting a permit in downtown Puerto Vallarta, you can anchor overnight at the Marietas up to four times a month. But don't wait too long, because plans are already being formulated to begin restricting access to islands on certain weekends if not weeks, simply to keep it from being overwhelmed. The other somewhat discouraging news is that some organization, believed to be Vallarta Adventures, has placed a very large dolphin pen outside the anchorage at Punta Mita. We can only assume that tourists will be brought out to the pen in high-capacity boats so tourists can swim with the captive dolphins. Currently Vallarta Adventures has a swim-with-dolphins program in Nuevo Vallarta. Vallarta Adventures activities are very popular and highly-rated, we'd just prefer that they, as well as everyone else, stay out of the trapped-mammals business. UPDATE: After three days and a major uproar from locals, the pen and mooring balls have now been removed. We have to admit that we swam with dolphins in a pen during a Big O cruise
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