Travel agencies; the local boat cooperative, Sociedad Cooperativa Turística Nueva Punta Escondida; and some individual boatmen offer trips for parties of several passengers right from the main town beach. The minimum one-hour trip takes you for a look at a number of sandy little coves west of town, including Carrizalillo (Little Reeds), Puerto Angelito and its beach, Playa Manzanillo (Little Apple), Coral, and Puesta del Sol (Sunset).

Take drinks, hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses, and don’t go unless your boat has a sunroof. Trips can be extended (about $15 per additional hour) to your heart’s content of whale-, dolphin-, and turtle-watching, beach picnicking, snoozing, and snorkeling. For more details, visit www.tomzap.com/pe-coop.html.

Alternatively Omar’s Sportfishing (local cell 044-954/559-4406, long distance 045-954/559-4406, omarsportfishing-1 [at] hotmail [dot] com, or dolfamily [at] hotmail [dot] com) offers excursions, including dolphin-, whale-, and turtle-watching. You can find Omar on the beach at Puerto Angelito. For more information, visit www.tomzap.com/omar.html.