Cayo Arena: the sandbank in the middle of the sea

Cayo Arena, also sold as Paradise Island, is a bank of white coral sand that rises just above the surface a few kilometres off Punta Rucia. There is nothing on it but a couple of thatched shelters and clear water in every direction. Getting there is part of the day. Speedboats leave from Punta Rucia and cross the mangrove channels of the Estero Hondo reserve, home to a small manatee population, before opening up over turquoise shallows. The reef around the cay is alive with parrotfish, sergeant majors and the occasional ray. Snorkelling gear is included on every trip and the water is chest deep in most places. Two pieces of advice. Use reef safe sunscreen only, because the corals here are fragile and protected. And bring a hat: there is no shade on a sandbank, and the reflection off the water is fierce.