Tres Palmas / Steps Beach

Tres Palmas is a marine reserve off Steps Beach in Rincón, set aside to protect a large stand of elkhorn coral. From April to September the seas are typically flat and clear, which is when the reef works as a snorkeling and shallow-diving site, with the coral close enough to the surface to see easily. In winter the character changes completely: the same reef shapes Rincón's big-wave break, and the water belongs to surfers rather than snorkelers. Because the coral is protected, the summer months are the time for getting in the water to look at the reef itself.