Swimming with sea turtles at Playa Piskado

Playa Piskado, also called Playa Grandi, is not a beautiful beach. It is a small fishing harbour with boats pulled up on the shore, a jetty and a concrete slipway. You come here for one thing, and that thing is almost always there: green sea turtles, in the water, at arm's length.

Why they are there

The fishermen clean their catch at the jetty and throw what is left into the water. The turtles learned this and come by towards the end of the morning. Nobody set this up as an attraction. It is a habit that formed, and that is exactly why it works.

How to do it

Bring a snorkel and a mask. The turtles are not shy and will swim calmly past you, but do not touch them: their shell carries a protective layer that human hands damage. Keep a metre away and they will behave as though you are not there.

Arrive around eleven, when the boats are in. Too early and there is nothing to see, too late and it is over. There may be pelicans too, living off the same scraps and paying you just as little attention.

Practical

The water by the jetty is not deep, but there is concrete and there are ropes, so water shoes are not a bad idea. A small beach to the left of the harbour gives you somewhere to leave your things. Facilities are minimal: one bar, sometimes open.

Grote Knip is ten minutes further on, so it makes sense to do both in one morning. Piskado first, Knip after.