There are over 50 opportunities to dive directly from the beach. And each time the reef is slightly different or there are special features.
In addition to the beaches already described, all of which are suitable for diving – a diving school can be found at almost every beach/sea entrance – there are a few more highlights in our opinion.
A word about the dive guides: the quality spectrum is wide, but the average rating is “good”. However, a few instructors deserve a “very good” (see below).
1. Coral Estate
Access is via the hotel’s own beach, which is also open to non-guests. The small diving center is well equipped. From there, you walk down a convenient staircase into the sea and swim straight out to a concrete block. There you will find a rope that you can use as a good orientation point down to a depth of approx. 12 m.
The left and right sides are equally exciting, although we prefer the right side in the morning and the left side in the afternoon, when the light is at its best.
The range of animal sightings extends from seahorses and moray eels to octopuses. It’s quite a spectacle!
2. Porto Mari
Playa Porto Mari is a beautiful beach with a very good small restaurant. The entrance fee is 5 XCG/person (as of 2025).
It is especially nice to snorkel along the edge of the reef from the right side. Here you can also see the special concrete spheres at a depth of 5 meters, where corals have settled. There are often many fish inside, such as grunts.
Of course, you can also swim to the right from the entrance, then you move more along the reef top (approx. 10 m) and have a shorter route.
When you dive, you also swim out in the middle, which is easily recognizable by the sandy section. Then follows a cauldron in the reef with a sandy bottom. At the other end of the cauldron (swim straight ahead) is the exit to the open sea. Here you will often find a school of mackerel in the tens of thousands – absolutely impressive! Then turn left, swim briefly along the outer reef and return to the inner reef via the next opening. There, swim to the right to swim along the edge of the reef back to the entrance. With a lot of luck, you might see one or two eagle rays.
3. Cas Abao
Cas Abao is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, many people now know this, and it gets really crowded from late morning onwards. The diving school is also well frequented, but absolutely friendly.
From here, it’s a straight line to the beach. A good landmark is a small coral farm, from which you can turn either left or right. To the right, there are more corals, while to the left, the reef is more rugged, sometimes with sandy bottoms. We encountered an eagle ray there! Amazing!
To help you identify the fish you’ve encountered while exploring the underwater world, we’ve created this concise guide.
