The lagoon is the reason the town exists. A long sandbar runs parallel to the coast, leaving a calm sheltered body of water about five kilometres long and a few hundred metres wide that fills and drains through two narrow channels at either end. The water is warmer than the open Atlantic, the swell is gone, and on a summer afternoon you can wade across to the sandbar.
Swimming is the obvious activity. The middle of the lagoon at the foot of the town has the cleanest beach, with shallow water out to the bar and a sloping sand bottom that suits children. Kayaks and stand-up paddleboards are rented along the front in season. At low tide the channels at the lagoon's south end reveal mudflats that fill with wading birds.
The southern end of the lagoon is part of a protected wetland and birding zone — the flamingos and herons that the area is known for spend most of their time down there rather than in the busy main basin.