Tres Trapi Snorkeling

Tres Trapi snorkeling, in short

Tres Trapi snorkeling is the best shore shark site in Aruba. It is also the hardest entry on this list. Tres Trapi means “three steps” in Papiamento, and that is the whole of the infrastructure.

There is no beach. There is no signage. There are no facilities, and the pull-off on the road is small. This is not a beginner site, and this page will not pretend otherwise.

Why people come anyway

Several docile nurse sharks rest in the sandy channels at three to six metres. They are reliably there, rather than occasionally there.

Green moray eels live in permanent crevices in the reef. Eagle rays work the outer edge at six to ten metres. Because there is no beach, there are no crowds. As a result the reef is in better condition than the sites people can walk onto.

Depth runs two to ten metres. Visibility runs 10 to 20 metres. Go between seven and ten in the morning, and between May and October.

Tres Trapi snorkeling without getting hurt

First, check the surge. Stand at the steps and watch the water for a full minute. If it pushes sideways with any force, leave. Boca Catalina is fifteen minutes away and will be fine.

Second, put your full kit on above the water. That means mask, fins, everything, because there is nowhere to stand and sort yourself out once you are in.

Third, wear water shoes. The limestone here is sharp, so this is not negotiable.

Then enter between surges, and fin away from the rocks immediately. Do not tread water near them.

Finally, plan the exit. Getting out is the harder half. Time it, and never climb out against a surge that is pushing you onto the steps.

Nearby

For an easy morning instead, try Arashi Beach. Guided boat trips are under snorkeling tours.

Can you reach Tres Trapi on a tour?

No. There is no beach and nowhere to land — the three concrete steps are the only way in. That is also why the reef here is in better shape than the sites boats and crowds can reach.

If you want a boat trip as well as this reef, the tours leave from the west coast and snorkel there instead. Malmok Beach and Boca Catalina are the reefs they actually visit, and the snorkeling tours page lists every one of them.