Boca Catalina and Malmok

North of the Palm Beach hotels the shoreline changes from sand to limestone, and at Malmok and Boca Catalina small pockets of sand sit between rock ledges with reef close in. That combination makes them the standard snorkelling stops on the island: fish are abundant and used to people, the water is calm on the leeward side, and you get in from the shore rather than needing a boat. The catamarans that run from the hotel strip anchor off here too, which means the coves are busy in the middle of the day and empty either side of it. Malmok has no facilities at all.

What you actually see

• The shore snorkelling - reef within a few metres of the rock and sand.
• Boca Catalina - the small sand pocket between ledges.
• Malmok - rockier, with entry from ledges and steps.
• The catamaran stops - boats anchoring off through the middle of the day.

When to go

Year-round. Early morning is calmest and quietest, before the boats arrive and before the afternoon wind. The leeward coast is sheltered in almost any conditions.

Honest expectations

There are no facilities at either: no toilets, no shade, no bar, and parking is on the roadside. The rock entry at Malmok is sharp and awkward. Catamarans fill the water in the middle of the day. Fish here are habituated by feeding, which operators still do despite it being discouraged.

Nearby

Arashi is north; Palm Beach is ten minutes south. The Antilla wreck is offshore.