Ask five people on the Malecón what a fishing trip costs and you will get five answers, most of them in dollars, half of them per person and none of them mentioning the tip. This page does the opposite: real peso rates from the operator we recommend, the arithmetic for every common group size, and a straight list of what you will and will not pay on the day. If you want the short version, the private fishing charter prices in Puerto Vallarta published by Ol’ Salty’s Ranch start at 3,200 MXN an hour for the whole boat, with a four-hour minimum.
We have sent a lot of readers fishing in Banderas Bay. The question we get before anything else — before species, before seasons — is money. So here it is, laid out the way you would lay it out on a napkin.
How Fishing Charters Are Priced Around Banderas Bay
There are two pricing models in this bay and they are easy to confuse.
The seat model
A shared or “party” boat sells individual places. You show up at a fixed time, fish alongside strangers, follow a route someone else picked and come back at a fixed hour. The headline number looks low because it is per head.
The boat model
A private charter rents you the vessel, the captain and the crew for a block of hours. The number looks bigger because it covers everyone. This is how Ol’ Salty’s works: priced per boat, by the hour, in whole hours, with a four-hour minimum, departing any time between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. from Marina Nuevo Vallarta.
Everything below uses the boat model, because it is the one where the price you are quoted is the price your group pays — no “plus per person” footnotes.
The 2026 Price Table: Three Boats, Three Lengths
Rates are per hour, per boat, in Mexican pesos. Totals are for the whole boat, not each guest.
| Boat | Guests | Per hour | 4 hours | 6 hours | 8 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guanatuna (34′ Gulfstream) | up to 15 | $3,200 | $12,800* | $19,200* | $25,600* |
| Peaceful Easy Feeling (32′ super panga) | up to 8 | $4,000 | $16,000 | $24,000 | $32,000 |
| Steel n Time (53′ Hatteras) | up to 22 | $7,000 | $28,000 | $42,000 | $56,000 |
*Guanatuna carries a standing “5 hours for the price of 4” promotion: book four paid hours or more and a free hour is added on the water. Four paid hours (12,800 MXN) therefore buys five hours of fishing.
A note that surprises people: the small super panga costs more per hour than the larger Gulfstream. That is not a typo. Peaceful Easy Feeling runs twin 300 HP Mercury outboards and is the fastest of the three, so you pay for the speed that turns a four-hour trip into more time with lines in the water. You can see current numbers on the operator’s fishing charter cost page.
Cost Per Person: The Math That Actually Matters
Divide the boat price by the number of people aboard and the picture changes quickly. Four-hour minimum, every seat filled or not:
Guanatuna — 12,800 MXN for 4 paid hours (5 on the water)
- 4 people: 3,200 MXN each
- 6 people: about 2,133 MXN each
- 10 people: 1,280 MXN each
- 15 people: about 853 MXN each
Peaceful Easy Feeling — 16,000 MXN for 4 hours
- 2 people: 8,000 MXN each
- 4 people: 4,000 MXN each
- 8 people: 2,000 MXN each
Steel n Time — 28,000 MXN for 4 hours
- 10 people: 2,800 MXN each
- 16 people: 1,750 MXN each
- 22 people: about 1,273 MXN each
The pattern is obvious once it is written down: a full private boat often costs each angler less than a single seat on a shared trip, and the group gets the whole deck, every rod and the captain’s undivided attention.
What Your Money Buys: Included vs. Not Included
Comparing quotes is pointless unless you know what sits inside each one. With Ol’ Salty’s, the hourly rate covers more than many travellers expect.
Included in the hourly rate
- Captain and crew — they find the fish, rig the lines, bait the hooks and help you land what bites.
- Fishing gear — rods, reels and tackle suited to the grounds you are fishing.
- Fishing licenses — you do not need to buy one separately. This alone saves a step that trips up visitors with other operators.
- Life jackets for everyone aboard.
- Bottled water and ice.
- An onboard bathroom on all three boats.
- Snorkel equipment, for the very common “fish, then swim” day.
Not included
- Food and alcohol. You bring your own — there is ice aboard, and a supermarket stop the night before costs a fraction of an all-inclusive boat bar.
- Decorations, if you are turning the trip into a celebration.
- A fuel surcharge, but only for long offshore runs to Corbeteña or El Banco. Fishing inside the bay or just outside it carries no surcharge.
The Extras Nobody Puts in the Quote
A realistic budget has five more lines. None of them is large, but together they are the difference between “about what we expected” and an awkward moment at the dock.
1. The crew tip
Tipping the captain and mate is customary in Mexico’s sportfishing ports, and in Banderas Bay the usual range is 10 to 20 percent of the charter price. On a 12,800 MXN Guanatuna trip that is roughly 1,280 to 2,560 MXN, split by the group. Cash in pesos is easiest. Tip toward the top of the range when the crew has worked hard — long fights, lots of re-rigging, patience with first-timers.
2. Food and drinks
Budget what your group would spend on a picnic: sandwiches, fruit, chips, a cooler of beer or soft drinks. Keep alcohol modest on a fishing day; sun, swell and tequila are not friends.
3. Fuel surcharge for the far banks
Corbeteña and El Banco are serious offshore runs and burn serious fuel, so a surcharge applies there and only there. Ask for it in writing when you request the quote so your total is complete.
4. Getting to the marina
Charters leave from Marina Nuevo Vallarta. Depending on where you are staying that means a short taxi or rideshare, or a longer ride from the south side of Puerto Vallarta. We cover drive times and options in our guide to getting from your hotel to your fishing charter. If you want transportation arranged, ask when you request your quote on WhatsApp — it can be coordinated case by case.
5. Having a restaurant cook your catch
Many restaurants around the bay will cook cleaned fish you bring in for a per-person fee. It is one of the best meals of any Vallarta trip and worth a line in the budget. Rules, limits and how it works are in our separate piece on keeping your fish and having it cooked.
Private vs. Shared: When Each Makes Sense
We are not dogmatic about this. A shared boat can be the right call for a solo traveller or a couple on a tight budget who simply want an hour or two with a rod. But the shared model has costs that never appear on the ticket:
- Rod rotation. With a dozen people and a handful of rods, a strike may not be yours.
- Fixed grounds. The boat goes where it suits the majority, not where your target species is.
- Fixed clock. If the bite turns on at the moment you are scheduled to head back, you head back.
- No flexibility for kids, seasickness or a sudden urge to swim.
Our rule of thumb: from four to six anglers up, private wins on price per head as well as on experience. Below that, it is a question of how much the trip matters to you.
Which Boat Gives the Best Value?
Guanatuna — best value per hour
The Guanatuna sportfishing boat is a 34-foot Gulfstream with twin turbo 250 HP Cummins diesels, shade over the whole deck, cushioned seats, an open bow, Raymarine GPS, radar and fish finder, and a bathroom. Fifteen guests, the lowest hourly rate and the free fifth hour make her the obvious pick for families and mid-size groups.
Peaceful Easy Feeling — best for small groups who want speed
The Peaceful Easy Feeling super panga carries up to eight, with a full shade canopy, open bow, Furuno GPS and fish finder and a bathroom. She costs more per hour and earns it by getting to the fish quickly — ideal for a group of four to eight serious anglers on a shorter charter.
Steel n Time — best for big groups and big fish
The Steel n Time Hatteras sport fisher is 53 feet of classic sportfishing boat with twin Detroit 900 HP diesels, an air-conditioned salon, two cabins, a full kitchen and two bathrooms, licensed for 22. She is also the only boat in the fleet for multi-day trips of one to three days, sleeping eight.
Longer Trips for Bigger Fish: What the Extra Hours Buy
Price is not only about group size; it is about distance. The fish you want determines how far you need to go, and the distance determines the hours.
| Hours | Where it takes you | Typical targets |
|---|---|---|
| 4–6 h | Inside Banderas Bay | Bonito, jack crevalle, sierra, snapper, roosterfish by season, sailfish when they come in |
| 6–8 h | Just outside the bay (~5–8 miles) | Dorado, sailfish, small tuna, marlin in the warm months |
| 8–10 h | Corbeteña | Yellowfin tuna, marlin, big dorado (fuel surcharge applies) |
| 10+ h | El Banco | The trophy tuna and billfish grounds (fuel surcharge applies) |
A practical example: a group of six chasing yellowfin at Corbeteña on Peaceful Easy Feeling for nine hours would pay 36,000 MXN plus the fuel surcharge — about 6,000 MXN each before tip. The same six on Guanatuna inside the bay for four paid hours (five on the water) pay about 2,133 MXN each. Both are good days; they are simply different trips. Which months make which trip worthwhile is covered in our Banderas Bay fishing calendar.
How Booking and Payment Work
- Pick a boat and a length on the Ol’ Salty’s fishing experience page, or message on WhatsApp at +52 322 220 3092 with your dates, group size and target species.
- Hold the date with a 30% deposit by card online, or reserve and pay later.
- Plan the extras: transport, food, cooler, cash for the tip.
- Change of plans? Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure. If the harbor closes for weather, you reschedule.
Six Ways to Get More Fishing for the Same Money
- Fill the boat. The single biggest lever. Recruit friends at the hotel pool if you must.
- Use the Guanatuna promo. Four paid hours, five on the water.
- Go early. A 7:00 a.m. departure catches the calmest water and the most active bite.
- Match hours to target. Do not pay for ten hours if dorado and bonito make you happy; do not book four if marlin is the dream.
- Bring your own food. It is allowed and expected.
- Eat your catch. A restaurant cooking fee is cheaper than a seafood dinner, and the fish is fresher than anything on the menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a fishing charter cost in Puerto Vallarta?
With Ol’ Salty’s Ranch, private charters cost 3,200 MXN per hour on Guanatuna, 4,000 MXN on Peaceful Easy Feeling and 7,000 MXN on Steel n Time. With the four-hour minimum, the cheapest private fishing trip is 12,800 MXN for the whole boat.
Is the price per person or per boat?
Per boat. Ten anglers on a four-hour Guanatuna charter pay about 1,280 MXN each.
Do I need to buy a fishing license?
No. Licenses are included, as are rods, tackle, life jackets, water, ice and snorkel gear.
What extra costs should I budget?
A 10–20% crew tip, your own food and drinks, transport to the marina and, if you like, a restaurant fee to cook your catch. A fuel surcharge applies only to Corbeteña and El Banco.
How many hours should I book for deep sea fishing?
Four to six inside the bay, six to eight just outside it, eight to ten for Corbeteña and ten or more for El Banco.
Is a shared boat cheaper?
For one or two people, often. From four to six anglers up, a private charter usually costs the same or less per person — and you get every rod.
What if the weather is bad?
Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, and if the port closes the trip is rescheduled.
Get a quote for your group
Tell the crew your dates, your group size and the fish you are after, and they will price the right boat and the right hours — the clearest fishing charter cost in Puerto Vallarta you will find.
See rates and book →Planning the rest of the trip? Read our complete fishing guide, the private boat charters page, our tips for fishing with kids in Puerto Vallarta and the Puerto Vallarta weather guide.