Latin America, with its numerous beloved coastal cities, is home to a robust and growing tourism industry. In 2024, it's estimated that travel to and within the region generated over $120 billion in revenue, growing 8% from the previous year, with no signs of stopping. While Mexico stands out as the strongest tourism economy in the region, other countries are growing in popularity and strength, including the Dominican Republic and Colombia.
Many of these countries boast beautiful access to coastal areas, thus driving the demand for on-water experiences and tours. Getmyboat is a top provider of boat rentals, charters, tours, and other on-water experiences, and this report offers a data-driven snapshot of the region's premier boating destinations.
About this Report & Methodology
This analysis examines booking and demand data from Getmyboat, the world's largest boat rental marketplace, to rank the top Latin American cities for boating.
Cities are ranked based on proprietary booking data, specifically the annual demand and number of completed rentals on the Getmyboat platform. We also include data on the most popular vessel styles and the number of available vessels to provide an overview of the local boating culture and offerings.
The report highlights the distinct features that make each city an ideal boating hotspot, including information on local boating demand and relevant local and tourism indicators.
To ensure accuracy, the data was cleaned to exclude outlier hourly rates and locations with insignificant sample sizes. Rentals were sorted into significant categories for evaluation.
The Top Cities in Latin America for Boat Rentals & Charters
1) Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Most Popular Style of Boat: Yachts
Number of Vessels Available: 293
Average Hourly Rate: $350
Why it’s great for boating: Cabo San Lucas offers world-class sportfishing, a protected marina at the tip of Baja (easy access to the Pacific & Sea of Cortez), iconic sightseeing (El Arco), strong yacht charter infrastructure, and mega-yacht visits.
Boating data & marketplace signals: dozens to hundreds of active listings, with large share of sportfishing charters, sunset cruises, private yachts, and catamarans — common price ranges shown per hour on Getmyboat; the platform highlights Cabo as a top destination for private yacht charters and sportfishing.
Demand & tourism context: Los Cabos continues to be a high-volume marine tourism gateway, with strong cruise and mega-yacht traffic, as well as rising private flight arrivals, according to regional tourism reports, which fuels high demand for luxury charters and day-boat experiences.
2) Cancún, Mexico
Most Popular Style of Boat: Yachts
Number of Vessels Available: 625
Average Hourly Rate: $280
Why it’s great for boating: Cancún offers turquoise waters, immediate access to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, with many sheltered anchorages. You can also book day trips to Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox — and the city offers strong infrastructure for yachts and sport boats.
Boating data & marketplace signals: Getmyboat reports Cancún as one of Mexico’s busiest boating hubs with hundreds of listings and a heavy concentration of yachts and charter listings, including catamarans, private yachts, fishing boats. Cancún hosts an active boating event calendar and large seasonal demand, with the Spring Break months of March and April being the peak time for bookings
Demand & tourism context: Cancún’s overall tourism volume brings in millions of visitors annually. This coupled with the large local vessel inventories make it a top market for both captained and bareboat experiences; proximity to major reef snorkeling sites supports heavy marine-tourism activity.
3) Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Most Popular Style of Boat: Yacht
Number of Vessels Available: 127
Average Hourly Rate: $356
Why it’s great for boating: Fajardo is the gateway to offshore cays, including the beloved Vieques and Culebra, and also to access the bio-bay experiences. The area offers calm Caribbean waters for snorkeling, excellent day-trip itineraries and a strong local charter community.
Boating data & marketplace signals: Fajardo shows robust supply, with over 100+ listings offering a mix of vessel styles, from center consoles, sportboats, yachts, snorkel trips and day charters. The destination offers steady pricing and many captained options.
Regulatory note: Puerto Rico commonly requires boating safety certification for resident operators born after certain dates; visitors frequently avoid licensing friction by booking captained charters — Getmyboat offers a high percentage of captained options.
4) Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Most Popular Style of Boat: Catamaran Yachts
Number of Vessels Available: 290
Average Hourly Rate: $309
Why it’s great for boating: protected Banderas Bay, Puerto Vallarta boasts calm waters, excellent sportfishing and whale-watching seasons, plus an active marina infrastructure with facilities for yacht charter companies and boating enthusiasts.
Boating data & marketplace signals: Here you can find a strong supply of yachts, catamarans and day-tours in Puerto Vallarta (100+ listings), with many high-review, high-capacity catamaran and private yacht options for groups and events.
Demand & tourism context: steady nautical tourism driven by cruise calls and resort demand; local reports show rising nautical-tourism activity (boat tours, sportfishing) feeding the charter market.
5) Cartagena, Colombia
Most Popular Style of Boat: Catamaran Yachts
Number of Vessels Available: 236
Average Hourly Rate: $289
Why it’s great for boating: Cartagena has a historic port city with access to the Rosario Islands and Caribbean marine parks — ideal for island-hopping, snorkeling, and private yacht day trips.
Boating data & marketplace signals: Cartagena offers hundreds of boats, with a large selection of catamarans, yachts and island-tour vessels. Most excursions are day charters to the Rosario Islands, with stops for lunch and snorkeling onboard. You can enjoy either private luxury charters or smaller group tours if you’re on a budget.
Demand & tourism context: Cartagena’s strong cruise and tourism economy supports a healthy charter market for leisure day trips and private events; marine access to nearby island parks is a major draw.
6) Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Most Popular Style of Boat: Catamaran Yachts
Number of Vessels Available: 237
Average Hourly Rate: $203
Why it’s great for boating: A favorite Spring Break destination, Punta Cana offers long stretches of sandy coastline and easy access to snorkeling/fishing day trips (including excursions to Saona Island), many all-inclusive resorts that integrate boat tours.
Boating data & marketplace signals: Punta Cana offers several hundred boat and yacht listings centered on catamaran day charters, snorkeling excursions, sportfishing and private yacht trips. Price ranges and capacity options vary widely, from small powerboats to large party catamarans.
7) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Most Popular Style of Boat: Yachts
Number of Vessels Available: 141
Average Hourly Rate: $165
Why it’s great for boating: Rio de Janeiro has iconic harbor scenery, with the Sugarloaf mountain and Guanabara Bay landmarks, and it offers sheltered excursion options to nearby islands and beaches, strong local yachting culture and events.
Boating data & marketplace signals: Rio de Janeiro has a mature boat and yacht inventory, offering a wide price range, many catamaran and yacht experiences. Typical booking durations include half-day (4-hour) and full-day (8+ hours) cruises that show high guest demand in peak season. Boat rental demand saw over 650% growth in Rio de Janeiro in 2025, in comparison to previous years data on Getmyboat.
Regulatory note: Brazilian coastal and harbor regulations vary by state and port area — captained charters are the most common tourist product, minimizing visitor compliance friction.
8) San Juan, Puerto Rico
Most Popular Style of Boat: Sailboats
Number of Vessels Available: 13
Average Hourly Rate: $200
Why it’s great for boating: Boating in San Juan takes you past the historic waterfront and offers a relaxing way to explore the island. Boaters here enjoy easy access to nearby small islands, strong marina infrastructure at the San Juan Bay Marina and Club Náutico, and notable bioluminescent excursions launching nearby.
Boating data & marketplace signals: San Juan listings include a broad mix of captained tours, fishing charters and private boat rentals.
9) Tulum, Mexico
Most Popular Style of Boat: Motor Yachts
Number of Vessels Available: 43
Average Hourly Rate: $452
Why it’s great for boating: Tulum has proximity to extraordinary cenotes (on land), coastal snorkeling and reef access, and a growing luxury-charter market tied to Riviera Maya tourism. Tulum also functions as a base for trips to Cozumel and reef sites.
Boating data & marketplace signals: Tulum and nearby Quintana Roo ports show a growing but more boutique yacht and boat charter inventory, with catamarans and full-day excursions among the most popular listings.
10) La Romana, Dominican Republic
Most Popular Style of Boat: Motor Yachts
Number of Vessels Available: 103
Average Hourly Rate: $223
Why it’s great for boating: La Romana offers marina access at Casa de Campo, an excellent jumping-off point for Catalina and Saona islands, and high-end marina services that support private yachts and larger charters.
Boating data & marketplace signals: La Romana’s Getmyboat presence shows many larger catamaran and yacht listings oriented around island excursions and resort-linked charters. Day trips and private events like birthday parties and bachelorette trips are common.
11) Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Most Popular Style of Boat: Fishing Charters
Number of Vessels Available: 22
Average Hourly Rate: $157
Why it’s great for boating: Tamarindo offers Pacific surf and reef access, it's beloved for sportfishing (marlin/tuna), dolphin & whale-watching seasons, and supports a vibrant small-boat charter market offering sportfishing and snorkeling trips.
Boating data & marketplace signals: Tamarindo shows a smaller but active inventory, with many sportfishing charters, private boat tours, and eco-tours. Costa Rica’s overall marine tourism portfolio (including sportfishing and eco-trips) supports steady local demand.
In Summary
Latin America is an exceptional region for travel, boasting immense natural diversity, rich cultural heritage, and, notably, world-class destinations for boating and water adventures. Travelers can explore thousands of miles of breathtaking coastlines and various interior waterways, from the stunning beaches and vibrant coral reefs of the Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera to the iconic bay of Rio de Janeiro.
Boating experiences are particularly diverse, ranging from luxury yacht charters and island-hopping to unique expedition cruises. This combination of spectacular natural environments and varied aquatic opportunities makes Latin America an unmissable choice for any water-based journey.
About Getmyboat
Getmyboat offers charters and rentals, worldwide.
Launched in 2013 with the vision of making the joy of boating accessible to everyone, the company has since grown into the largest boat rental and charter marketplace globally, with over 150,000 listings in 184 countries covering 9,300 destinations.
By giving a platform to both individual boat owners and professional charter businesses, Getmyboat makes the experience of getting out on the water more accessible — from a weekend jet ski rental in the local lake to a vacation yacht charter to a bachelor party pontoon, and everything in between.
Citing This Report
Media professionals are welcome to utilize this data for journalistic reporting purposes, with a citation and link to Getmyboat. For any questions, or for any other data not found in the below report, reach out to pr@getmyboat.com. Our data and press team can provide further analysis, press quotes, and any other information needed for press stories.
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