Is the Baby Turtle Release in Puerto Vallarta Worth €33.65, or Is the €67.31 Sunset Version Better?
4 min read
For most people, the Baby Turtle Release in Conservation Area is the one to book: €33.65 per person, 2 hours, 4.9 stars from 140 reviews. The only reason to pay twice as much for the sea turtle release at sunset is a smaller group. It is 5.0 stars from 15 reviews, so it is promising rather than proven.
The two compared
| Baby Turtle Release | Sea Turtle Release at Sunset | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | €34.70 | €69.40 |
| Reviews | 4.9 from 136 | 5 from 15 |
| Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Group size | up to 24 people | up to 15 people |
| Operator | Vallarta BioNature Tours | Ecotours Vallarta |
| Meeting point | Marina Vallarta | Marina Vallarta |
| Getting to the camp | about 15 minutes on foot, each way | van, about 10 minutes each way |
The €34.70 tour
The itinerary on the booking page is plain: a walk of about 15 minutes to the conservation area, a class of roughly 45 minutes on the life cycle of the olive ridley turtle and how workers find, collect and incubate the eggs, about 20 minutes of wildlife viewing, then the walk back. The description puts the release at sunset, with the baby turtles going into the ocean at the end. Guide, release, a demonstration of the nest and egg collection, water, transportation and pictures are listed as included. The guide speaks English and Spanish.
Two catches. The booking page says that if no turtles hatch on your day you can reschedule or cancel for a full refund, so there is a real chance of an evening with a lecture and no release, and you should not book it for your last night. And one reviewer mentions a photographer on the tour who charges extra, which sits oddly with “pictures” in the inclusion list. Ask what the photos cover before you pay for them twice.
See dates and prices for the Baby Turtle Release
The €69.40 sunset tour
Here a marine biologist opens with a short introduction, then you are driven to the turtle camp, which the listing calls a nursery visit followed by a hatchling release. Group transportation is included, and so is a donation to the camp’s programme; a reviewer says the walk from the car park to the release site is short. The operator describes the experience as depending on the season: you may see nesting females, eggs protected in nurseries, or take part in a release. Read that as a sign that a release is not a given, even though the title promises one.
At twice the price you get a smaller group, a van instead of a walk and a stated donation. You do not get a bigger review base, and you do not get a stated refund rule for a night with no hatchlings, in the listing text. Ask the operator.
Check availability for the Sea Turtle Release at Sunset
Who should not book either
The €34.70 listing lists children under 5, people with mobility impairments, wheelchair users, people with respiratory issues, animal allergies, high blood pressure or a low level of fitness as unsuited. The operator is the one to ask about your own case. If the group is a family, the Puerto Vallarta with children guide says what else holds a child’s attention, and the best time to visit says when turtles are around at all.
Our recommendation
Book the Baby Turtle Release at €33.65 early in your stay, so there is room to reschedule if the hatchlings do not come. Pay the extra for the sunset tour only if a group of fifteen instead of twenty-four and a van ride matter more to you than the money.
