Île aux Canards

Île aux Canards lies a few hundred metres off the Anse Vata beach at Nouméa, reached by a taxi boat that runs back and forth through the day, and its main feature is an underwater trail: a marked route round the islet with buoys carrying information on the corals and fish, which can be swum with a mask in half an hour. A restaurant and loungers occupy the sand. It is the easiest reef access from the city.

What you actually see

• The underwater trail - a marked snorkelling route with information buoys.
• The five-minute crossing - the taxi boat running through the day from Anse Vata.
• The reef - coral and fish immediately off the islet's edge.
• The beach - the small sand strip with restaurant and loungers.

When to go

April to November is the dry cooler season. Boats run through the day and stop in the late afternoon. Wind and swell cancel crossings.

Honest expectations

The islet is tiny and gets crowded from mid-morning. Coral on the trail has been damaged by numbers and bleaching. The restaurant is expensive.

Nearby

Anse Vata is on the mainland opposite, and Îlot Maître is further out.