The Tobago Cays are a cluster of five uninhabited islands about four kilometres south of Mayreau, surrounded by one of the finest coral reefs in the Lesser Antilles. The area is a protected marine park, and the snorkelling and diving here are exceptional — visibility is often 20 metres or more, and the reef supports large populations of parrotfish, angelfish, barracuda, and hawksbill turtles.
The most visited spot is the turtle sanctuary at Baradel, a tiny cay where green turtles come to feed on the sea grass. You can snorkel among them freely; they are accustomed to people and largely indifferent to your presence. The experience of drifting alongside a sea turtle in open water is the kind of thing people describe for years after.
Day trips to the Tobago Cays can be arranged from Union Island or from Mayreau itself by water taxi. Most yacht charters in the Grenadines spend at least a night at anchor here. If you are arriving independently, bring all your food and water — there are no facilities on the cays themselves.