Waves during the main season from November to March are generally too rough for swimming, but the surf quiets down the rest of the year for snorkeling, scuba diving and water sports. The largest breaks are at Domes Beach, Playa Marías and Tres Palmas. Most restaurants, hotels and surf shops are clustered around Sandy Beach. More secluded spots include Pools Beach, Antonio's Beach and River Mouth. Tres Palmas Marine Reserve protects an offshore reef of elkhorn coral and other shallow-water varieties. The reserve also is home to hawksbill and leatherback turtles. Snorkeling is popular off Steps Beach.
Whale watching is popular from January through March, when humpbacks winter in the warm waters of Rincón Bay. The best view is from the park surrounding the Rincón Lighthouse, El Faro Punta Higüero, which was built by the Spanish in 1892 and reconstructed in 1922 after a tsunami.