Puerto Vallarta’s long-anticipated ferry link to the remote Islas Marías is closer than ever, with port officials and tourism executives agreeing the city is ready to launch. The service promises a direct route to an eco-cultural destination unlike any other in Mexico — a place where history, conservation, and adventure meet in the middle of the Pacific. What began as one of the nation’s most notorious prison sites has been reborn as a protected paradise, and the story of how this transformation is set to unfold is now entering its final chapter . . .