Puerto Vallarta

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Sarape Tour

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Stasi
Stasi
First Reviewer
3 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
4
Reviews
3
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1-4 of 4

Buyer Beware - Not Worth the Money or Your Time

  • April 8, 2008
  • Rated 1 of 5 by amazonmsp from Dodgeville, Wisconsin
I was very excited to go on this trip. I thought that for the money you would get to stop at three destinations - see a beautiful waterfall - and snorkel in the Pacific. I was sorely mistaken on all points of this trip.

First of all, the boat was over an hour late leaving and we simply sat at the dock. The "breakfast" was a roll, two pieces of pineapple, and two pieces of watermelon. When we noticed only 1/3 of the passenger were wearing swimming suits to snorkel we became worried.

Second - Snorkeling. THIS WAS NOT SNORKELING so much as throwing us off of the boat - no flippers at all - with snorkeling masks and life jackets and laughing at us. Oh, and they video taped the whole thing. They assured us that the water was warm and instructed us to head for shore. The water was freezing and you couldn't see anything. I swam toward shore and saw nothing more than green sludge. After finally getting on board again - they just continued to mock us - we set off for the waterfall. The captain warned us that we may get seasick at this point. EVERYONE got seasick, but luckily they do sell Dramamein - 50 pesos.

Third - The waterfall. This was nothing like I imagined. We were brought to shore in the most questionable of boats and I feared falling into the water. The village was disgusting and dirty. The hike, which I did hike, those poor horses looked like they hadn't eaten and were in extremely bad shape, was all dusty and disgusting. I almost fell down several of the rock formations we had to climb and was almost trampled by a horse that no one was leading and was setting its own pace. The waterfall - once you got there and for the few minutes you could spare - was unimpressive and this was the "Great" waterfall.

Lunch - this was a piece of bread - yep white bread - some rice and some "chicken" stuff - and steamed veggies - clearly from a can. You could have a glass of soda that tasted as though it had expired a while ago.

The Beach - our final destination was a beach where you were again dumped and basically harassed by everyone you saw to buy something or go parasailing. You cannot sit in a chair unless you pay 20 pesos - so don't bother.

The ride back was loud and inappropriate. The contests included who could take off clothing fastest and there were small children on board. At no time could I clearly understand our guide and at no time did he offer any history or information on the sites we visited.
If you like being herded around like cattle and whistled at to leave - this is the trip for you. For my money - which was $25 USD - I overpaid and was sorely disappointed in this trip. I got back to the hotel sick, extremely dirty and had wasted a day of my vacation.

Sarape tour

  • August 7, 2004
  • Rated 2 of 5 by davilin88 from Chico, California
We had been on other snorkel tours to the Marietas Islands, but not to Los Arcos, so we booked a tour on Sarape. We were able to book this tour through the Mayan Palace travel office. Continental breakfast was served as we headed out, and it was okay, but the rap music blasting from the stereo was nervewracking and full of obscene lyrics. Okay, maybe I'm getting old, but there were children on board. The view of Los Arcos as we toured these rock formations was impressive, but the snorkling was just okay. Snorkle, mask and fins were included in tour price. After that we headed to Quimixto, a small beach village with a palapa restaraunt and bar, where we had a good lunch and then rented horses (10.00USD a piece) to ride up a jungle trail to a lovely waterfall with a good swimming hole. It was crowded with the people from the boat, so next time we will take a water taxi down and go on our own and avoid the crowds, since this was the one real highlight of the trip.

From journal Two Heavenly Weeks

Sarape

  • May 29, 2004
  • Rated 4 of 5 by *susan* from saint john, New Brunswick
It was a lot of fun. Our only complaint was that we were not advised of the crazy hike to get to the waterfall. I thought that the waterfall was going to be so amazing for the walk we went through, BUT it didn't look so hot when we got there. They did serve a continental breakfast and a wonderful lunch of chicken and fish. . . mmm, it was sooo good!

We went to Los Arcos to go snorkeling (I recommend bringing your own gear) and we saw lots of different kinds of fish and big turtles -- it was fun! Then we went to Las Animas, which was fun -- they offer parasailing, boat rides, Skidooing, etc. The waves are massive so beware! I was having too much fun jumping into the waves and then got dragged out just after my boyfriend had advised me not to go too far out. I had rocks and sand all through my bathing suit. It was really funny though!!! Then we went to Quixmito where you go on a "short" hike to the "GREAT WATERFALL." But all in all, it was fun; you got an experience of a lifetime with breakfast, lunch, and all drinks for US$35 per person!!

From journal Royalty at Palmar

Editor Pick

Sarape - Los Arcos, Las Animas, Quimixto

  • May 20, 2002
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Stasi from Wernersville, Pennsylvania
Sarape - Los Arcos, Las Animas, Quimixto

THE CRUISE: An experienced guide will explain the history of Puerto Vallarta.

The first stop is at Los Arcos where you can snorkel. The crew helps you get into your gear and into the water. The fish and reef are beautiful and worth seeing.

At the next island you can hike or rent a horse to explore nature on the way to the refreshing waterfall. Note: The horseback riding is not what I thought it would be. I have experience riding horses and I was scared. We went straight up a rocky cliff. The horses are not led, they go at their own pace and some sections of the path are not well maintained. If I had to do it again I'd walk to the waterfalls.

Parasailing and jet skiing are available for an additional fee.

SERVICE ON BOARD:
Breakfast: Fresh tropical fruit, yogurt, milk, sweet rolls, freshly pressed orange juice, coffee and tea.
Lunch : Hot lunch served on board.
OPEN BAR: National drinks.
SNORKEL EQUIPAMENT: Fins, masks, snorkel, life jacket and kayaks.
EVENTS ON BOARD: Bilingual guide, dance music, games and contest.

From journal Honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta

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