The Marieta Islands are an archipelago located west of Mexico, 45 minutes from Guadalajara by plane, not far from the city of Puerto Vallarta, about 1 hour by boat. They are uninhabited, but for all that, they remain very well known, in particular thanks to a hidden beach in the middle of one of the islands which is called “Playa del Amor” or the Beach of Love.
These islands are former military bases . While the army was doing a lot of military tests, the international community decided to react. The Mexican government had been detonating very large bombs since the beginning of the 20th century. But with the intervention of scientists and in particular Jacques Cousteau, the country decided to stop these tests. Thus, the hidden beach which makes the reputation of the archipelago was created artificially thanks to the explosion of a bomb .
The national park has created an ideal environment for all animal and scuba diving enthusiasts . There are also sea turtles, manta rays, octopuses, dolphins, humpback whales, but also many species of birds. For example, there is the blue-footed booby, a bird with a triangular tail and turquoise feet.
If you want to know the exact location of the archipelago, here is its location.
The archipelago is a protected national park with unique flora and fauna. It can only be accessed by swimming, using diving equipment, however, you should not stay there, because when the tide rises, the beach becomes flooded. Because of its particular origin, the walls do not allow access by land, nor even to go up in the event of a problem. Here is a series of photos to discover the beauty of the beach of Love.
Article updated on 7 December 2022