Andrea Alfano Keeps a Family Legacy Sailing Across Banderas Bay

A classic sailboat bearing a grandmother’s name continues to carry one Puerto Vallarta family’s story across Banderas Bay.

AdaSailing was founded in 2007 by Captain Ernesto Alfano, an Argentine adventurer who arrived in Puerto Vallarta with his daughter Andrea in 2004. Ernesto restored a neglected sailboat he discovered at the Opequimar marina and named it Ada in honor of his mother.

What began as one sailor’s dream became a family business built around private experiences on the bay. After Ernesto died in 2017 following a battle with cancer, Andrea continued the company and the traditions they had created together.

Today, Ada is a carefully maintained 45-foot classic sailboat offering private trips along Puerto Vallarta’s coastline. The company’s experiences range from daytime and sunset sailing to whale watching, with food, drinks and bilingual crew service available aboard selected tours.

The family has also added Bruna, a 29-foot handcrafted powerboat designed to reach destinations throughout Banderas Bay more quickly. Its routes include Los Arcos, Yelapa, Quimixto and the Marietas Islands.

The two vessels provide distinctly different ways to experience the bay. Ada offers the quiet rhythm and character of traditional sailing, while Bruna combines classic craftsmanship with the speed needed for longer coastal excursions.

Travelers have responded enthusiastically. AdaSailing currently holds a 5.0 rating from 441 reviews on Tripadvisor, with guests frequently highlighting the crew, food, service and condition of the boat.

Behind those ratings is a story that began long before the first guest stepped aboard. It is the story of a father and daughter who built something together, a sailboat named for the woman who believed in Ernesto, and Andrea’s decision to keep that family legacy moving forward.

Nearly two decades after AdaSailing began, Ada still crosses Banderas Bay—not simply as a charter boat, but as a living family tribute.