Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, July 14, 2026 – Puerto Vallarta accounted for only 124 paid Islas Marías bookings during the first three months of 2026, leaving the city well behind San Blas despite earlier plans to establish Vallarta as a leading departure point to the former prison archipelago.
The city supplied 17.6 percent of the 706 paid bookings recorded by Turística Integral Islas Marías during the quarter. San Blas produced 339 bookings, nearly half of the total, while Boca de Chila accounted for 148. Another 95 bookings arrived through other sales channels.
The official first-quarter report counted 717 travelers after including 11 complimentary passengers. Puerto Vallarta generated 18 bookings in January, 20 in February, and 86 in March.
The March increase suggests that Vallarta can generate demand when trips are scheduled and actively sold. It does not yet show that the route has developed a consistent customer base. Nearly seven out of every ten Vallarta bookings recorded during the quarter were concentrated in March.
The route’s limited contribution contrasts with the expectations surrounding its introduction. PVDN reported in September 2025 that Puerto Vallarta tourism officials wanted the city to become the main gateway to the Islas Marías. Earlier discussions between port officials and the federal tourism operator had presented the connection as a way to broaden Puerto Vallarta’s maritime tourism beyond cruise calls and short bay excursions.
The additional departure points have not produced overall visitor growth. TURIIMAR recorded 838 travelers during the first quarter of 2025, when its report listed sales through Mazatlán and San Blas. The first-quarter total fell to 717 in 2026 despite the addition of Puerto Vallarta, Boca de Chila and other sales channels.
That represents 121 fewer travelers than during the same period last year, a decline of about 14 percent.
The longer-term figures are also far below the levels contemplated when the federal tourism project was designed. Regional reporting published July 13 placed total attendance at 14,730 travelers between the tourism opening in December 2022 and the end of March 2026.
Federal planning documents used two different annual figures. A 2023 evaluation commissioned through the Secretariat of the Navy said the program expected to receive 16,000 travelers annually. A separate TURIIMAR projection estimated that attendance could reach more than 21,000 annually.
The higher figure was based on maximum ferry and lodging capacity at Puerto Balleto. It therefore represented the number the operation could potentially accommodate, rather than confirmed customer demand. Even with that distinction, total attendance across more than three years remains below the lower annual planning figure.
Price may be limiting the market available to the project. Packages reportedly began at around 5,455 pesos and now range from roughly 7,000 to more than 16,000 pesos per person, depending on the package and accommodation selected.
The official reservation system says packages include maritime transportation, tours on María Madre, lodging and meals. The total changes with the selected room, making the advertised amounts broader travel packages rather than simple ferry fares.
The access charge for the Islas Marías Biosphere Reserve has also increased, while fuel, vessel operations, and maintenance add to the cost of reaching an archipelago more than 100 kilometers from the Nayarit coast.
Promotion and operating consistency remain additional concerns. The regional report said sales offices have disappeared from Mexico City International Airport, travel-agency promotion has declined, and Marina Bus temporarily suspended service during June 2026.
The official booking site still lists Puerto Vallarta as an available departure package. However, the public pricing page reviewed July 14 displayed Mazatlán boarding information in its visible itinerary section. Travelers considering a Vallarta departure should confirm the sailing port, date, accommodation, included charges, and cancellation conditions before completing payment.
Puerto Vallarta’s 86 bookings in March were an improvement over January and February. The next quarterly results will show whether that increase carried into the summer or whether San Blas remains the project’s dominant mainland gateway.