Looking south from the back patio of Villa Azul Celeste, you can see the small islands that are part of Los Arcos National Park. There was a steady stream of boats taking people to snorkel there, so we decided to check it out.
Getting there: The most common way to get to Los Arcos from the Villa is to launch from Mismaloya. However, under the right conditions and with a captain who is familiar with the beach next to the Villa, you can launch directly from the beach. Juan José hooked us up with a guide who picked us up right from the beach. It was a bit of an adventure getting on. We had to move quick. However, it worked out great. The sea is typically calmer in the morning. So, they warned us that in the return trip we may need to go back via taxi from Mismaloya if the sea was too rough for a safe exit. However, when we returned that afternoon it was fine.
The snorkeling: There is great snorkeling all along the coast. However, because Los Arcos is a National Park, there seemed to be a greater abundance of fish. When I jumped off the boat, I was immediately surrounded by a school of yellow fish.
We snorkeled through both arches and around the smaller island.
Along with numerous fish, we saw several different species of eels. (The first time I ever saw an eel snorkeling was in Belize, and it kind of freaked me out. But now, I think they are fascinating to watch move through the ocean.)
Our guide had an uncanny ability to spot octopuses. Los Arcos is protected, so he would point to them without touching them. Apparently, they are fairly abundant. I learned that locals commonly catch them all up and down the coastline and sell them to local restaurants.
My son also saw a turtle, but by the time that I swam over, the turtle dove deep into the ocean. I could only catch a glimpse of it as it swam off.
Los Colomitos: After snorkeling around Los Arcos, our guides recommended that we go over to Los Colomitos.
Los Colomitos Beach is a tiny secluded beach that we had hiked by when we hiked from Playa Ánimas to Boca de Tomatlán. There was good snorkeling along the rocks on the southern side of the bay. Our guides cautioned us not to go beyond the point due to the strong currents outside the bay. Once again, our guides found a couple of octupuses hiding in the rocks.
We were able to return by getting out at the beach by the Villa. Juan José treated us with smoothies by the pool. Definitely a good day of snorkeling.