Zihuatanejo: Las Gatas Kayaking & Snorkeling with Lunch

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/7

Duration5h

GroupUp to 16

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Paddle to a Sheltered Reef, Snorkel the Seawall, Eat on the Sand

You get picked up at your hotel, paddle 45 minutes to a protected beach, snorkel a coral seawall for an hour, eat lunch on the sand, and paddle back — all with a guide, gear, and transportation included. The fixed schedule means you're back by mid-afternoon, and the calm water inside the seawall is what makes the snorkeling reliable.

Step-by-step itinerary

Kayaking and snorkeling at Las Gatas

Pick up at hotel in Ixtapa or Zihuatanejo
Travel to La Ropa Beach
Get fitted with kayak and lifejacket
Paddle 45 minutes to Las Gatas Beach
Pause for cold drink
Snorkel for one hour at seawall
Return to shore for lunch on beach
Relax on beach for 1 hour 45 minutes
Kayak back to La Ropa Beach
Drop off at hotel around 3:30 P.M.

The Experience

The guide meets you at your hotel in Ixtapa or Zihuatanejo and drives you to La Ropa Beach, where you get fitted into a kayak and lifejacket. He's fluent in English, patient with questions, and doesn't rush the gear check. Then you paddle. Forty-five minutes alongside him to Las Gatas Beach — the water stays calm because of the seawall that protects the cove, which is also why the snorkeling works so well here. You're not fighting current or swell. About halfway there he'll pull up and ask if you want a cold beer or water before the next part.

The snorkel happens on the inner surface of that seawall, where hermit crabs, sea urchins, and tropical fish live among the coral formations. You can swim out to the underwater Jesus statue — locals call it the king of kings — and the visibility is usually good enough to see it clearly. An hour in the water, moving at your own pace, with the guide nearby. After that you come back to shore and eat lunch on the beach: fish filet, shrimp, chicken fajitas, or cheese quesadillas, depending on what you choose. Then you have almost two hours to just sit there, swim again if you want, or do nothing at all.

The paddle back to La Ropa takes another 45 minutes, and the whole tour wraps up around 3:30 p.m. when the driver drops you at your hotel. Bring cash if you want an extra drink — that's not included. The tour lasts five hours total, and you'll need at least a moderate level of fitness for the kayaking, but it's not a race. The seawall keeps the water manageable, which is the whole reason this spot works for snorkeling in the first place.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Ixtapa or Zihuatanejo, air-conditioned transportation to La Ropa Beach, a fitted kayak and lifejacket, a 45-minute paddle to Las Gatas, a one-hour snorkel tour of the seawall with all gear provided, lunch on the beach with a choice of fish filet, shrimp, chicken fajitas, or cheese quesadillas, nearly two hours of free time to swim or relax, and the return paddle back to La Ropa Beach with drop-off at your hotel around 3:30 p.m. Your guide speaks English fluently and stays with you throughout.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Luis de la Maza Ixtapa Zihuatanejo tours

Is this one for you?Pick this tour if you want snorkeling and kayaking in one morning without arranging your own transport or equipment — the seawall keeps the water calm enough that you're not fighting conditions, and the fixed schedule gets you back to your hotel by mid-afternoon.