/
Dominican Republic
/
Distrito Nacional
/
Los Alcarrizos
/
Santo Domingo
/
Tours & Activities
/
Saona Island from Santo Domingo
1 day
About this activity
After hotel pickup by minivan in Santo Domingo, enjoy a scenic 2-hour drive east toward Bayahibe, a fishing village located on the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic. At Bayahibe Port, board a catamaran to Saona Island, just off the southern coast of the Dominican Republic. En route, pick up merengue moves from the crew or sip a mamajuana, one of the many drinks available at the open bar.
Dock at Saona Island and spend a luxurious six hours of free time in this sparsely populated stretch of land, which measures around 15 miles long by 3 miles wide (24 km by 5 km). Discover tropical birds and fish while exploring the island’s lagoons, caves and offshore snorkeling. (Activities are optional and at your own expense.) Pick up a game of volleyball or book a massage right there on the beach.
Or, simply bask in the sun and watch coconut palms sway, with the clear blue waters ahead. Dig into a Dominican buffet lunch expertly prepared by locals and enjoy the open bar.
When it’s time to leave, your boat speeds you to Bayahibe Port, where your minivan waits to transport you back to your Santo Domingo hotel.
Please note: A minimum of two people per booking is required.
Read more
Show less
Dock at Saona Island and spend a luxurious six hours of free time in this sparsely populated stretch of land, which measures around 15 miles long by 3 miles wide (24 km by 5 km). Discover tropical birds and fish while exploring the island’s lagoons, caves and offshore snorkeling. (Activities are optional and at your own expense.) Pick up a game of volleyball or book a massage right there on the beach.
Or, simply bask in the sun and watch coconut palms sway, with the clear blue waters ahead. Dig into a Dominican buffet lunch expertly prepared by locals and enjoy the open bar.
When it’s time to leave, your boat speeds you to Bayahibe Port, where your minivan waits to transport you back to your Santo Domingo hotel.
Please note: A minimum of two people per booking is required.
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
- Professional guide
- Round-trip transportation by minivan
- 25-minute round-trip boat ride to Saona Island
- Open bar
- Lunch buffet
Not included
- Gratuities
- Activity costs (optional)
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
- Minimum of 2 adults per booking is required
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years
- Duration on island is subject to favorable weather conditions. Tour may need to leave early due to poor weather
- It is recommended that you wear comfortable clothing and shoes
- It is recommended that you bring a swimsuit, towel, sunglasses and sunscreen
Features
Tourism
90%
Cultural
65%
Sport
20%
Adrenaline
20%
Reviews
Similar activities in Santo Domingo
Click to discover other experiences
First let me say that a tour is made up of several elements. The actual experience on Saona Island and the Fast Catamaran Cruise to Saona, the Slow Catamaran Cruise back the time in the water and time spent on the beach were fabulous and a must do. Here is why I rate this tour so low. 1: We were told that our pick up would be at 6.40 am which meant no breakfast from our hotel. We were never picked up until 7.30 am and had to walk to another location. 2: The van used was a small 25 seater mini bus that had 25 people in it. The seats were extremely small and close making the three hour drive yes three hour drive from Santo Domingo a very difficult one. A coach bus should have been used for this amount of passengers. 3: Our guide was the worst guide I have ever had in 35 years of travel. To this day I don't know his name as he never introduced himself. On a three hour drive he spoke once and told us about the sugar cane factory. On the way to the island on the Catamaran he slept the entire trip, on the beach after lunch he slept the entire time and on the way back to the bus on the Catamaran he slept the entire trip. Simply unacceptable. 4: Food, not having breakfast we stopped at a tourist shop to use the bathroom after two hours. There was no food to buy but small choices of snacks. By the time we go to Saona Island at 12.30 pm no lunch was ready. We were told lunch would be ready by 1.00 pm. They did not start severing food until 1.25 pm and then there was another tour in the Buffett line as we did not eat until 1.45 pm. Note it's the first time for the day we are eating. There should have been some sort of breakfast be it danishes or sandwiches provided in the morning. 5: On both trips to the island the staff sort of pressured you into tipping. There were not demanding but we certainting in your face. I was sound asleep on the way back on the net hanging over the ocean to be touched and waken by one of the bar girl selling me that they are collecting tips for the staff. Asking is one thing but touching me and waking me to ask for a tip is certainly unacceptable. I want to again say that Saona is a beautiful place and the ocean wonderful to swim in. But this tour operator simply cut too many corners to maximize profit at the expense of our experience.