Cayo Arena

Cayo Arena, sometimes called Paradise Island, is a small sandbar sitting out in the shallows off the northwest coast, no more than a strip of white sand a few dozen metres across with a few thatched shelters on it, surrounded on all sides by reef in water so clear and shallow that the coral is visible from the boat. Trips run from the fishing village of Punta Rucia, usually threading out through mangrove channels first to look for birds before crossing to the cay, where the day is spent snorkelling straight off the sand among parrotfish and sergeant majors. It is the kind of place that photographs improbably well, and being two hours from Puerto Plata it stays quieter than the equivalents on the eastern coast.

What you actually see

• The sandbar - a strip of white sand surrounded by reef and shallow water.
• Snorkelling off the sand - coral and reef fish a few metres from the beach.
• The mangrove channels - the boat route out through the mangroves.
• Punta Rucia - the fishing village the trips leave from.

When to go

December to April has the calmest sea and clearest water; trips are cancelled in swell and the crossing is exposed. Go early, as several boats arrive in the middle of the day and the cay is small enough that numbers matter.

Honest expectations

The cay is tiny and when several boats land at once it is genuinely crowded, with no shade beyond a few shelters. The crossing is in open speedboats and can be rough and wet. Reef condition varies and has suffered. Most trips are sold as packages including transport from Puerto Plata, which makes for a long day with a lot of driving.

Nearby

Punta Rucia's beach is the departure point; Montecristi lies further west.