Los Haitises and Cayo Levantado Day Trip from Puerto Plata

Start your day early with a morning pickup from your hotel in Puerto Plata, then meet your guide and transfer by air-conditioned coach to the historic wharf at Samaná. Here, jump aboard your speedboat and set off across the waves to the pristine Los Haitises National Park — a protected landscape of virgin forest and mangrove swamp formed more than 10,000 years ago.

Cruise through the mangroves with your guide and marvel at their scenic beauty from your vantage point on San Lorenzo Bay. Admire varied wildlife such as carp, crabs, heron, oysters and river shrimp, and keep an eye out for the elusive manatee. Visit the waterside caves of Cueva de la Linea, Cueva de la Arena and Cueva de San Gabriel, home to native bats and swallows, and hear the story of Willie Colón — a man who lived here with his wife and three children for more than 40 years. Marvel at petroglyphs believed to have been made by the indigenous Tainos and gain insight into this fascinating pictorial record.

Continue on to the white sands and bowing palm trees of Cayo Levantado (nicknamed Bacardi Island) and enjoy a delicious buffet with an open bar by the ocean. Afterward, enjoy a little free time to swim in the tropical waters, soak up the sunshine on the beach or lounge in a hammock, shaded by the overhanging palms.

When it’s time to leave the tropical paradise of Cayo Levantado behind, hop back aboard your air-conditioned coach for the return journey to your hotel in Puerto Plata where your tour comes to an end.