Stand Up Paddleboard: An Original Way to Enjoy the Sunrise

Watching the sunrise next to the iconic Arcos de Mismaloya, swinging over the soft ocean waves on a SUP board. Admiring how the sun paints the clouds in pink tones, while you appreciate the green foliage of the mountains that are part of this incomparable landscape. This is part of the Sunrise Session to Los Arcos, a Stand Up Paddle excursion organized by the Paddle Zone staff.

Before taking any of the tours this company offers it is mandatory to take a previous SUP lesson, where one of the instructors will share with you some techniques to keep the balance, so you can enjoy this tour in a fun and safe way. For more comfort, this route is also available by kayak.

First stop to Sunrise Session to Los Arcos,it is the official headquarters of Paddle Zone (Mismaloya beach) you have to be there at 5:30am (in winter season), where the staff will welcome you with a friendly smile and as well as water, coffee and tea, plus a variety of fruits, before starting this adventure.

Under a starry sky, you will immerse yourself in the peaceful sea with your board and start paddling, feeling the soft breeze touching your face. When you are away from the coast and the guides let you know, it will be possible to take a small break and contemplate a natural phenomenon produced each time the paddle touches the water: bioluminescence, the luminose presence of small living beings that are part of the maritime ecosystem.

Once at Los Arcos de Mismaloya , if there is good weather, you will pass through the biggest islet’s tunnel, where it is possible to appreciate in a better way the bioluminescence show, and face the majestic mountains of the Sierra Madre while you witness the magnificent sunrise above them. An amazing experience.

As the landscape gradually brightens with the first rays of the sun, the guides will share some of the most popular stories about each of the islets, and venture across some of them. And with a litlle luck, you may have the opportunity to see dolphins, stingrays, and humpback whales, the last ones are loyal visitors of our bay each winter season.

Before getting back to the beach, take a few minutes snorkeling in the crystal clear blue-green waters of the Mexican Pacific, home of different multicolored fishes.

When the tour is finished and you return to the Paddle Zone facilities, the staff will be waiting for you with a delicious hot chocolate, season fruit and some sweets to recharge your batteries. In fact, while you rest a couple of minutes there, you will be able to admire the incredible landscape that this area of Puerto Vallarta offers.

Pictures courtesy of: Paddle Zone