Acuario and Haynes Cay boat trip

Off San Andrés's east coast, two small cays sit almost side by side, and between them the water is shallow and full of fish. The spot is known as El Acuario. Rose Cay is little more than a sandbank that grows and shrinks with the tide, and you can wade in from it with a mask and see the fish without any snorkelling experience. Haynes Cay, a coral islet, has restaurants serving island food and displays of Caribbean wildlife.

The stingray stop comes in the afternoon, in a shallow patch near the cays where dozens of wild rays swim freely and you get to feed them. Shared speedboats run the half-day round from the marinas in town, some passing through the mangroves on the way, and some add Johnny Cay to the same day. Food and the port fee are usually extra.