Arinaga

A two-minute walk brings you to a shingle beach, and steps beside the López de Orduña promenade lead down into the water. The first stretch follows a short wall, its cracks and crevices covered in algae, with fish along it. Morays and small barracuda patrol the wall, with ornate wrasse, damselfish and parrotfish over the rock and seagrass meadows nearby.

Past the wall the bottom turns to sand with rocks. Octopus and cuttlefish sit here, and rays and stingrays rest on the sand.

The shingle beach is what puts Risco Verde among the dives operators recommend after dark: the entry is on foot, a short way from the promenade, with no boat to catch and no track to drive.

Davy Jones Diving, based in Arinaga, mentions fish sculptures at Risco Verde that may be part of the dive, so ask at the briefing. Angel sharks visit the area in certain seasons, and your centre can tell you when.

Both entry and exit are on foot, over the shingle and the promenade steps. Current runs little to medium, and the cove also suits snorkelling.