Saona Island Full-Day Speedboat and Catamaran Trip with Lunch Bayahibe

Bayahibe: the departure village

Bayahibe is a small fishing village on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic, founded in the 1870s by fishermen from Puerto Rico. Its sheltered beach, lined with wooden boats and palm trees, has become the main launch point for Saona Island excursions, because it sits right on the edge of Cotubanamá National Park and the crossing is short.

After pickup from your hotel, our transfer brings you to the Bayahibe dock where the guide checks everyone in, explains the plan for the day and hands out life jackets. Arrive with swimwear already on under your clothes and a towel in your bag, as there is little time to change at the dock. Mornings here are calm and bright, the best time to visit the coast, and the village is also where your catamaran brings you back in the afternoon.

Speedboat ride through Cotubanamá National Park

The outward leg is the fast part of the day. The speedboat runs east along the protected coastline of Cotubanamá National Park, formerly known as Parque Nacional del Este and protected since 1975. Mangroves, low limestone cliffs and empty coves line the shore, and the water changes from deep blue to bright turquoise as you approach the shallows near the island.

The ride is exciting but short, and the guide points out features of the park along the way, from the mangrove channels where seabirds nest to the reefs that make these waters so clear. Many travellers ask how to get to Saona Island: there is no road or bridge, so a boat from Bayahibe or nearby resorts is the only way, which is why a Saona Island day trip with transfers and boats included is the simplest choice.

The natural pool of the Caribbean Sea

Halfway to the island, the boat stops at the natural pool, a wide sandbank far from shore where the sea is only waist to chest deep. Standing in warm, clear water in the middle of the Caribbean, with the boat anchored beside you and the coast on the horizon, is the moment most guests remember longest.

The sandy floor is soft, white and free of rocks, and red cushion starfish are often seen on the bottom; look and photograph them without lifting them out of the water, as they are protected. The stop lasts long enough to swim, float and take pictures. Children who can stand comfortably enjoy it, and non-swimmers can keep their life jacket on. The best time to visit the natural pool is on calm mornings, when the water is at its clearest.

Saona Island beaches and lunch

Saona Island is the largest island off the Dominican coast and part of the national park, with only two small fishing settlements and no hotels. Its beaches are the classic Caribbean picture: fine white sand, leaning coconut palms and calm, transparent water protected by the reef. You spend about 3.5 hours here, the heart of the excursion.

Lunch is served on the island, with soft drinks, water and coffee included, and the rest of the time is yours to swim, snorkel along the shoreline if you bring a mask, sunbathe in the shade of the palms or walk the beach. Is Saona Island worth visiting? For a pure beach day it is one of the finest in the country, and the island's protected status keeps it free of development. Massages, photos and premium dishes such as lobster are offered locally at extra cost.

Catamaran return to Bayahibe

At around 14:35 you board a catamaran for the 1.5-hour return. The pace slows down: there is space to stretch out on the nets or the sundeck, music plays on board and many guests dance as the boat glides west along the coast, while others simply watch the cliffs and beaches of the national park drift past.

The catamaran ride is a very different experience from the speedboat in the morning, smoother and more social, and it gives you a second look at the coastline from a higher deck. Soft drinks and water are served during the crossing. Back in Bayahibe, our transfer drives you to your hotel, where you arrive in the late afternoon after a full day on the water.