Lagoa Azul

The island's rain-shadowed northern corner does things the green south cannot: at Lagoa Azul the water goes glass-clear over turquoise shallows, a small cove framed by headlands where baobabs - the dry coast's signature giants - lean over the beach in improbable silhouette. The snorkelling is the island's easiest good version: reef fish over coral heads a few fin-kicks out, calm inside the points, with fishing pirogues crossing the blue at intervals. No facilities, one grill shack on good days, light that photographers plan around - the north's dry savanna glow against the water's blue doing the composition's work.

What you actually see

• The turquoise cove - the island's clearest easy water.
• The baobabs - dry-coast giants leaning over the sand.
• The snorkel heads - reef fish minutes off the beach.
• The savanna light - the north's golden dryness against the blue.

When to go

June to September for gravana calm and clarity; mornings are glassiest, and late afternoon sets the baobabs against the glow. Weekends bring capital picnics at friendly scale.

Honest expectations

Facilities are essentially none - water, shade and snorkel gear travel with you; the cove is small and a handful of groups fills it. Sea urchins attend the rocks: watch the footing at entry. The dirt-road last stretch is potholed but ordinary-car passable in the dry.

Nearby

Guadalupe, the Neves coast road and the capital forty minutes south.