Nayarit starts Tepic - Islas Marías flight this October

The state of Nayarit announced that beginning in October of this year, Cessna® Grand Caravan® EX aircraft will operate a commercial air route with capacity for 13 passengers from the Riviera Nayarit International Airport in the state capital, Tepic, offering a new way to reach the Islas Marías Biosphere Reserve. 

The Marías Islands (or Las Tres Marías) are a small archipelago located in the eastern Pacific Ocean, 58 miles off the coast of Riviera Nayarit. The island chain has been mostly uninhabited, with the exception of Isla María Madre, which until 2019 housed a prison. In 2010, the Marías Islands were designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, a specially protected region of biodiversity. The islands are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including the Tres Marías raccoon and the Tres Marías cottontail rabbit. The reserve is a prime location for whale shark watching and is an important breeding and feeding site for large colonies of seabirds, sharks, and sea turtles.

Departures from Tepic to the Marías Islands will take place from Wednesday to Sunday, at 8 a.m. and the trip lasts approximately 45 minutes, landing in Puerto Balleto. The cost of the trip will be $8,250 pesos per person and includes lodging on the island, as well as meals and tours.

Additionally, Juan Enrique Suarez del Real Tostado, Secretary of Tourism for the State of Nayarit, explained that during their stay in the Islas Marías, visitors will tour the urban area known as Puerto Balleto, where they will also find accommodations for the Islas Marías, as well as Plaza Juarez, which is the center of the town where the Guadalupe Temple and the José Revueltas Auditorium of Muros de Agua are located. The auditorium is covered in murals created by the former prisoners. The island is also a paradise for outdoor adventure, from hiking and biking to bird watching.

Other treasures of the Islas Marías Biosphere Reserve are its healthy reefs and corals. Divers and snorkelers will appreciate the diversity of marine life, with coral reefs, an abundance of colorful mollusks, more than 21 species of sharks and 10 different types of rays.

The Marías Islands are a birdwatcher’s paradise and are home to the Tres Marías Amazon Parrot, an endemic parrot found nowhere else in the world. Other endemic birds include blue-footed boobies, blue mockingbirds, broad-billed hummingbirds, and migratory birds such as the hook-billed kite, Caspian tern, and blue-winged teal.

Another way to access the Islas Marías is to take a ferry from San Blas to Puerto Balleto on Maria Madres Island. A popular destination for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts along the Riviera Nayarit, San Blas is a gem of the Pacific coast. This quiet coastal community is located along the state’s northern coast and features six kilometers of fine sandy beaches. San Blas is a town rich in natural beauty, from its navigable canals and mangrove forests to the small offshore islands that welcome more than 300 species of migratory birds each year. San Blas’ origins date back to the 17th century, when it was developed as a shipyard and departure point for the Spanish Crown. It was here that the first maritime customs house in the Pacific was established. Today, visitors can tour the Contaduría fortress, as well as the ruins of the Temple of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Source: VisitNayarit.travel.