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The Hidden Beach for Lovers
La Playa del Amor

The Hidden Beach

Hidden away and secluded

If it weren’t for the sound of the waves gently washing up on its fine sand beach, people would probably walk right past Playa del Amor without even knowing it was there. From the ocean, it looks only like a large overhang of the volcanic rock that makes up the island, with a small dot of light shining through underneath it.

But ocated several meters inland on the other side of that volcanic overhang, Playa del Amor is such an incredibly beautiful place that when the first photos of it were posted online, most people didn’t even believe such a place exists in real life.

The only way in or out

The only way in or out

In fact, in order to get there, you have to swim through an eighty-foot tunnel that links it to the Pacific Ocean. Visitors have to swim their way through to this secluded paradise, but since there’s about six feet of space between the water and the rocky overhang, (depending on the tide) there’s no need for scuba gear or even for your to hold your breath.

FEEDBACK MAP

Feedback map

The Hidden Beach is located on an island several nautical miles off the Mexican coast, near Puerto Vallarta, in the Marieta Islands arcipelago.

The Marieta Islands archipelago, are believed to have formed centuries ago due to volcanic activity in the area.

During the early 1900s, the Mexican Government took advantage of the fact the islands were completely uninhabited and used the islands to conduct military tests which included heavy bombing.

After years of research and efforts to legally protect the archipelago, scientists led by the famous Jacques Cousteau managed to convince Mexican authorities to declare the Marietas a national park protected against fishing, hunting and any other harmful human activities. To this day, the islands remain uninhabited and only authorized boat service providers can take tourists to see their natural wonders up-close. The islands are now also a UNESCO protected site due to their abundance of fish and bird species.

The beach from above

Although the large explosions and bombings carried out for decades by the Mexican military have greatly damaged the flora and fauna of this tropical paradise, some say they’re also responsible for the creation of Playa del Amor. It is rumored that the hole (seen in the photo above) revealing the Hidden Beach was a result of deliberate bombings. It is suspected that a bomb hit a large volcanic bubble and created a crater which happened to have an opening to the ocean. As the debris washed out to sea and sand deposited within the bomb cratre, the "Hidden Beach" came into being.

NOTE: For viewers, this site may have tested your viewing pretty harshly because aside from the description of the location, there are very few sounds, almost no activities (and then only when a tour brings people for the day), and few purposes beside rest, relaxation, and enjoyment. The tours do provide equipment for snorkling and kayaking, but for the most part, people lie on the beach and enjoy the beauty and peace. If you did well with this "minimum sensory" target, congratulate yourself. Have some chocolate as a reward to your brain.

Also - if you are going to do a web search for further feedback, be warned that there are three locations in Mexico that are called by the same 3 names: "Playa del Amor", "Hidden Beach", and "Lover's Beach". The other two are in Oaxaca, and the one you will find the most references to is in Cabo San Lucas. Be careful in your search.

If you got impressions for which this feedback is insufficient, more information, pictures, videos, and further references are available at the following web sites:

Atlas Obscura
Huffington Post
Oddity Central
Twenty-something travel (negative travel review - "too many people, now")