Islas Marietas consists of a group of small uninhabited islands a few kilometres off the coast of Nayarit, Mexico, located in federal waters in the municipality of BahÃa de Banderas. The islands are known for their abundant marine life populations as a result of being protected from fishing and hunting by the Mexican government. This led to the inclusion of the national park as a Ramsar site and it was designated as a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve in 2004.