El Balito

The entry is the first thing you notice: a ladder set into the stonework of an old cargo port, not a beach or a boat rail. Below the surface, huge volcanic boulders open into caves, caverns and arches running in several directions from the same drop point. One common route works down to 26 metres to find an arch with a chimney feature, with the option to push on to 40 metres for divers who want the deep version. A shallower path stays around 12 metres, threading a notable cavern and a run of arches while stingrays and amberjacks move through the open water alongside. Which route you take changes the dive completely. The entry point never does.

Most sites in this cluster offer one kind of terrain. El Balito offers several from a single descent: wall, cave, tunnel and open swim-through, all inside the footprint of what used to be a working landing point for agricultural boats. That density is why local divers use it to sharpen buoyancy, not because it's marketed that way but because the terrain demands it. Squeeze through the wrong gap with poor trim and you'll know about it immediately.

Calm surface conditions matter here more than at open-water sites; some of the caves should be entered only when the sea is settled, to avoid being pushed against rock walls inside. The dirt-road approach and the rock-face or ladder entry are worth planning for if you're not used to shore-entry logistics of this kind. Pack a torch, a cutting tool and a 5mm wetsuit as standard. Give any angel shark a wide, unhurried berth if you're lucky enough to cross paths with one over winter.