Catamaran, Motor Yacht or Sailboat? How to Choose a Yacht Charter in Puerto Vallarta

Every group that decides to spend a day on Banderas Bay hits the same fork within ten minutes of opening a listings page: catamaran, motor yacht or sailboat? They are not interchangeable, and the wrong pick is the most common reason a boat day disappoints. This is a straight comparison of the three for a yacht charter in Puerto Vallarta — speed, space, comfort, capacity, price and what each one is really for — using the owner-direct listings on BYRBO's Puerto Vallarta fleet as the reference, because they publish the owner's own rate and the certified capacity rather than a brochure number.

The Three Boats in One Table

	Sailing catamaran	Motor yacht	Sailboat (monohull)
Typical size	38–47 ft	40–65 ft (luxury 70–122 ft)	34–45 ft (one 73 ft)
Certified guests	18–30	8–20 (luxury up to 50)	6–10 (the 45 ft Wauquiez, 30)
Speed to Los Arcos	~40 min	~25 min	60–90 min under sail
Shade & deck space	Best	Good, plus A/C salon	Least
Motion at anchor	Steadiest	Moderate	Rolls most
Owner-direct day rate (low season)	USD 900–1,800	USD 1,800–3,500 · luxury 4,000–8,000+	USD 900–2,700
Best for	Groups, families, parties, swimming	Distance, comfort, heat, small luxury groups	Couples, sailors, quiet

Sailing Catamarans: the Bay's Default Boat

Two hulls, a wide bridge deck, a trampoline forward and a big shaded cockpit aft. Catamarans do not heel, they barely roll at anchor, and they have more usable flat space per foot than anything else afloat, which is why they carry certified capacities of 18 to 30 on a 40 ft boat. Puerto Vallarta's catamaran charters are mostly Lagoons — a 38 for 23 guests from about USD 1,290 per four hours, a 40 for 18 from USD 1,400 a day, a 42 in La Cruz for 20 from USD 1,600 — plus a Fountaine Pajot 47 in Nuevo Vallarta (20 guests, USD 3,000), two Leopards, a 45 ft custom party cat with a waterslide for 30 (USD 1,666 per four hours) and a 90 ft party catamaran in Nuevo Vallarta certified for 150.

Choose a catamaran if you are more than eight people, there are children or non-swimmers, someone gets seasick, you want to sail rather than motor for at least part of the day, or the plan is "anchor, swim, eat, repeat". Skip it if you want to get to Yelapa and back in four hours or you need an air-conditioned interior in August.

Motor Yachts: Speed, A/C and Privacy

The Sea Rays, Azimuts, Sunseekers and Hatterases. A 46–60 ft motor yacht does Los Arcos in 25 minutes and Yelapa in an hour, has a cool salon, real cabins and heads, a flybridge for the view and a swim platform aft. Capacities are lower than a cat of the same length — 8 to 20 — but the experience is more private and more comfortable, and the luxury end (Azimut 70 to 105, Cheoy Lee 90, Strega 120, Hatteras 122) is a different world entirely, with full crews and staterooms. Representative private boat rentals in Puerto Vallarta: Sea Ray 46 (14 guests) from USD 1,325 a day, Sea Ray 60 XL (25) from USD 1,765, Azimut 52 (15) from USD 1,678, Azimut 70 (29) from USD 5,294, Azimut 105 (20) from USD 8,500.

Choose a motor yacht if the group is 12 or fewer, distance matters (Yelapa, Marietas from Marina Vallarta, a crossing), the date is in the hot months, or the occasion is a luxury one. Skip it if you are 25 people on a budget, in which case the catamaran wins on both counts.

Sailboats: the Quiet Option

Monohull sailing yachts are the smallest category on the bay but the most charming: a Jeanneau 34 for six, a Beneteau 35 and a Beneteau GT 46, a Wauquiez 45 certified for 30, and a 73 ft custom-built sailing yacht for 30 from USD 1,200 per four hours. They heel, they take longer to get anywhere, they have less shade, and on a windy March afternoon they are the most fun boat on the water. Rates run about USD 900–2,700 a day.

Choose a sailboat if you are a couple or a small group of actual sailors, the point is the sailing rather than the destination, or you want a sunset cruise with no engine noise. Skip it if anyone is prone to seasickness or you are taking small children.

The Sportfishing Wildcard

There is a fourth family that does not fit the table: sportfishing yachts that double as cruisers. The 60 ft Mikelson sportfishing yacht in Marina Vallarta is the best example — three staterooms, two outdoor dining areas, a grill, kayaks, paddleboards, snorkel gear, a 14 ft dinghy and a fishing guide, from about USD 1,765 a day — and it is the answer for the group that cannot agree. Half fish, half swim, everyone eats together. The rest of the fishing charters in Puerto Vallarta range from a 25 ft Luhrs (USD 930) to a 52 ft Davis (USD 6,500).

Match the Boat to the Day You Actually Want

• Birthday, bachelorette, 20 friends, Los Arcos and Las Ánimas: catamaran. The party cat with the waterslide if the group is loud; a Lagoon 42 if it is not.
• Family of six with grandparents, a calm swim and lunch aboard: catamaran or a mid-size motor yacht with a proper head and shade.
• Couple, sunset, no crowd: a sailboat, or a small motor yacht such as the 28 ft Four Winns (USD 1,365).
• Yelapa and back in a half-day: motor yacht, 46 ft or larger.
• Marietas from Marina Vallarta in six hours: motor yacht; from La Cruz or Punta Mita, a catamaran is fine — see La Cruz yacht charters and Punta Mita yacht charters.
• Corporate day, 30–50 guests, a bar and a DJ: the Strega 120 (50 guests), the Hatteras 75 (50) or the Cheoy Lee 90 (45).
• Fishing in the morning, snorkelling in the afternoon: the Mikelson 60.

Four, Six or Eight Hours: How the Clock Changes the Choice

The number of hours you buy interacts with the boat type more than most people expect. In four hours a catamaran from Marina Vallarta reaches Los Arcos, swims for an hour and comes home; a motor yacht does the same and adds Las Ánimas. In six hours the catamaran does Los Arcos plus Las Ánimas with lunch; the motor yacht does Yelapa. In eight hours the catamaran can reach Yelapa at a relaxed pace, and the motor yacht can cross to the Marietas or do the whole south shore. A sailboat, honestly, should be booked for the sailing rather than the destination on any clock. So if the destination is fixed — say Yelapa — the hours you can afford decide the family: eight on a cat, six on a motor yacht. Owner-direct listings for Puerto Vallarta yacht charters usually price four-hour and full-day blocks separately, and the per-hour rate drops on the longer block.

Season by Boat Type

In the dry, breezy high season from December to April all three families shine — the sailboats most of all, because the afternoon wind is reliable. In the whale window (December 8 to March 23) a catamaran's low freeboard and quiet approach under sail is the best platform on the bay for watching humpbacks. From May to October the heat pushes the balance toward motor yachts with air conditioning for anyone not planning to be in the water the whole time, and the calm, glassy summer mornings suit the small motor yachts and the sportfishing charters in Puerto Vallarta, when tuna and dorado are thickest. September and October are the cheapest months and the ones with a real storm risk; book a listing with a clear weather policy.

Where Price Really Comes From

Across all three families the rate is driven by length, then by season (December–April is 20–35 percent higher; May, June, September and October are cheapest), then by hours. Owner-direct listings normally include fuel for the standard route, captain and crew, ice, water and snorkel gear; provisioning, alcohol, extra-distance fuel and dock fees at another marina are on top, and 10–15 percent for the crew is customary. Because the Puerto Vallarta charter listings show certified capacity, you can also spot a bad deal: a "cheap" 40 ft boat rated for 8 costs more per person than a Lagoon rated for 23.

A Note on Booking Direct

Most of the bay's boats are listed by their owners, and on the owner-direct model the price is the owner's price, the photos are of the actual boat, and the person who replies is usually the captain. That is the fastest way to get a real answer to "will 22 of us fit, legally, and can we make the Marietas by one o'clock?" Spanish-speaking readers will find the same listings at renta de yates en Puerto Vallarta. For the geography of the bay itself, read our boat tours in Banderas Bay guide; for the fishing side, fishing in Puerto Vallarta.

Frequently Asked Questions

Catamaran or yacht for a group of 20 in Puerto Vallarta?

A catamaran charter in Puerto Vallarta. Certified for 18–30, more deck space, steadier at anchor and cheaper per head; a Lagoon 42 or the 45 ft party cat are the usual picks.

Which is more comfortable in the heat?

A motor yacht with an air-conditioned salon. Catamarans are shaded but open.

Which is faster?

Motor yachts. Twenty-five minutes to Los Arcos against forty on a cat and over an hour under sail.

Which is best for seasickness?

A catamaran; they barely roll. Sailboats are the worst for it.

How much does a yacht charter in Puerto Vallarta cost?

Owner-direct, low season, 4–8 hours: cats USD 900–1,800, motor yachts USD 1,800–3,500, luxury yachts USD 4,000–8,000+. Add 20–35 percent December–April.

Can we fish from a catamaran?

Not seriously. Book a sportfisher; the Mikelson 60 sportfishing yacht fishes and cruises.

Where can I compare all the boat types in one place?

The private boat rentals in Puerto Vallarta page lists catamarans, motor yachts, sailboats and sportfishers side by side with certified capacity and the owner's rate.

Can I sail a boat myself?

Charters on the bay are crewed. Bareboat is rare and requires credentials.

Do the listings show real capacity?

Yes — BYRBO listings show the certified legal capacity, not a marketing figure.

References & useful links

Sources for this article. The prices, hours and details quoted above come directly from these BYRBO pages:

• BYRBO — Puerto Vallarta yacht charters, book direct with owners — byrbo.com/destinations/puerto-vallarta
• Puerto Vallarta yacht charters (owner-direct listings) — byrbo.com/puerto-vallarta-yacht-charters
• Puerto Vallarta yacht charters & rentals — the full fleet — byrbo.com/yachts/puerto-vallarta
• Catamaran charters in Puerto Vallarta — byrbo.com/catamarans/puerto-vallarta
• Private boat rentals in Puerto Vallarta — byrbo.com/private-boat-rentals/puerto-vallarta
• Charters de yates en Puerto Vallarta (Spanish listings) — byrbo.com/es/yachts/puerto-vallarta