1. Mangel Halto

          We didn't find this place until a just few weeks before I left and despite that fact, I probably spent more time here than almost anywhere else. "Mangel Halto" takes its name from the tall (halto) mangrove (mangel) trees that grow at the water's edge. The beach itself isn't lush and sandy but it is incredibly picturesque. It is the surrounding scenery, the seclusion, and the snorkeling around the adjacent reef that make this place incredible.

          Here's the scenario: You drive through some of the less impressive parts of the island (near the airport, through houses and cruddy buildings in Savaneta; directions below) and come out on a rocky coast with vibrant blue Caribbean water, green Mangroves, and some barrier islands a few hundred yards out. Park near the wooden bridge shown here and below then cross it down into the mangroves.

          From there, little avenues of sand run through the trees into the water as shown here:

          As you can see, there are little shade huts and the view from there is postcard worthy:

          To get to the reef, exit the mangroves where the red circle is and proceed along the red dotted line. The water along the dotted line is shallow and perfect for wading.

          Once you get to the reef, it should look something like this. I remember a mild current on a few days we were there so just make sure you aren't drifting away from familiar territory.

          It can be trick to find so you need to really study the map to make sure you know your roads and landmarks. We missed the road at least 4 times until we forced ourselves to memorize the right one. Here is a link to the map; remember, you will be coming south from your hotel on that main yellow thoroughfare. You want to park in the exact location of that map marker. If you turn on satellite view, you can actually see the wooden bridge I have been talking about. You may want to combine this destination with the South Beaches entry because you will already have traveled down the island.