To reach this tranquil little bay on the northwest side of the island, drive through the town of Soto and follow the hand painted signs for “Let’s Go Watersports”. Take a left just before the town of Lagun and follow the winding road a short distance to Santa Cruz. Don’t forget to check out the marshy lagoon on your right, where Pink Flamingos often spend the day. Parking is ample and quite close to the water. The beach is wide and often deserted during the week, though it’s popular with the local crowd on weekends. Facilities are limited to some shaded areas, with drinks and snacks available at the little restaurant at the south end of the bay, where you can also hire the water-taxi to take you to nearby dive sites.

Enter at the right side of the beach near the boat ramp and swim out along the cliffs. (Note, the boat ramp itself can be quite slippery!) The end of the bay is great for snorkeling with Needlefish, Parrotfish, Damselfish, and some small Stony Coral formations, but beware of boat traffic on the weekends. A mooring buoy marks the dive site, a goodly three hundred yard swim from shore. Currents are generally light making this a good site for all levels of divers.

Both directions are good, but we recommend heading right from the mooring. The reef starts in 25 feet of water and slopes gently down to 100 feet. Brain Coral, Star Coral, and Orange Elephant Ear Sponges populate the reef wall. Look for Spotted Drums, Filefish, Cornetfish, and numerous Spotted Eels hiding in the crevasses. If you haven’t hired the water-taxi, make sure to save some energy for the long swim back.