Thank Kanta M . In case you want to try this particular exclusive experience, check out the offers in the widgets further below in this article. Saona Island is a must if you come to spend your vacation in the Dominican Republic and its popularity is well deserved. It is a virgin island of fine white sand, surrounded by turquoise waters and full of coconut trees. However, the most famous of the island are its dive sites. Social distancing can be enforced. Punta Cana is my home-base here in the country and Id love to tell you more about how to experience Punta Cana off-the-beaten-track and give you all the advice you want to know for your vacation in Punta Cana. 2-5 (+cruise ships if applicable). El transporte que nos organizaron super puntual. At Mano Juan, you will find a few gift shops with typical souvenirs to take back home with you, stands with local art, and a small restaurant that serves fresh island food. Come to enjoy them in Saona or Catalina Island in Dominican Republic. The weather is still great and there are fewer crowds,which means it's time to plan your next vacation! If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Catalina Beach. Saona Island I only went to Catalina, but here's something that might make a distance. Oh, there's also music, animation and open bar. Few tourists actually visit Mano Juan when they come to Saona Island, so incorporating a visit to this fishing village into your Isla Saona itinerary will give you a chance to experience this tranquil tropical island off the beaten track! It is known for its coral reefs, which caused shipwrecks of some ships such as that of Captain Kidd, a British pirate who was shipwrecked on the shores of Catalina and nowadays diving enthusiasts can visit his sunken ship in this history museum under the sea. They have beaches worthy of a picture postcard, kilometers of sandy beach surrounded by palm trees and bathed by turquoise waters in a protected natural park. Most Saona Island tours with big boats and crowds wont make a snorkeling stop, but Saona can offer an amazing snorkeling experience since it is a part of a large national park, Cotubanam, and a sanctuary to a large number of different species. Do you remember the gorgeous Bounty Chocolate commercials that showed off a deserted island with a gorgeous white sand beach and turquoise waters? You can also enjoy plenty of time at the beach and a local Dominican lunch. If you ever get hot during your Saona Island trip, simply go for a swim in the crystal clear waters or drink a cold, The village of Mano Juan is still there and is one of the two charming fishing villages on Isla Saona, along with a village called Catuano. With the current price of 450 US (subject to change), it is just 75 US per person an unbeatable bargain. We, as an agency and tour operator, also depend on transportation to the islands, which are independent, so the cost also depends on these factors.Even so, you can book our Saona Island and Catalina Island experiences from these prices: As you can see, both paradises are at your fingertips. Tours and Tickets by Saona Dreams - Saona Catamaran Catamaran and Snorkeling Day Trip to Catalina 6 By Saona Dreams Full-day Tours 6+ hours Leaving from Bayahibe or Punta Cana hotels, you'll navigate on board a catamaran to Catalina, the jewel of the Caribbean Free cancellation from $79.00 per adult Reserve Contribute Write a review Upload a photo B&B Villa Luna. Boats with Clean & Safe badge on WannaBoats, On-Board Covid-19 Safety Protocols (email). If you are traveling with a large family or a group of friends, the prices of a private tour can be even more affordable than if booked individually. What Is the Weather Like at Saona Island? I assume Carnival because we all rave about the buffet Seavis provided - amazing spread. Would you like to take advantage of someone with years of experience in the tourism industry (knowing all the travel hacks ) and living right in the place where you would like to spend your holiday?Thats what my personal travel coaching is for. The natural park bracelets (tax) are not included in the price:5$ USD per person. Whatever request you have, you get their full attention and chances are high that it gets fulfilled. Especially when traveling with a large family or small group, the prices are absolutely affordable. I guess it depends on what you want to do! Caribbean cruise ships used to call at Catalina pre-Covid. Saona Island is a beautiful destination to visit during your Punta Cana or Bayahibe vacation. However, tours are sometimes cheaper than you might think, hence it is worth having a closer look at Catalina Island and Saona Island private tours. Have not read reports of seaweed at these locations but it has been a huge issue throughout the Carib this year. Click, What Is Better: Isla Saona vs. Isla Catalina. Passion Paradise is a smaller operation. Is the snorkeling low key or more advanced? I know it is sometimes boring to read all those articles with all my personal experiences and recommendations. Maybe you'd like to spend a relaxing day with family at the beach? A good question deserves several good answers: Mornings"Pickup times vary depending on the hotel you are staying at. During the navigation to Saona, you will enjoy an incomparable landscape, observing the beauty of the Cotubanam Natural Park (also known as Parque Nacional del Este), full of beaches, palm trees and mangroves. There is an extensive and diverse coral reef system around Saona Island and you can even find mysterious shipwrecks! The reefs at Saona are considered among the TOP 3 in the country. We later passed by another area and swam again. We will make our first stop in the middle of the ocean to Snorkel or Dive (depends the program youve booked) with some of our professional guides in the water with the most marine fauna in the Caribbean. Food, Transfers and Drinks are NOT INCLUDED. No matter what your interests are, Catalina Island offers something for you. Pros/Cons? : A few meters away, palm trees and jungle vegetation appear, where we can find endemic fauna and flora of the island. Departing from your hotel at 7 am, the tour includes the same stops as our classic Saona Island excursion. First of all, we show you our classic excursion to Saona Island. Moreover, Saona Islands more secluded beaches that you can reach on a private tour make social distancing much more enjoyable! From there we went to Tao restaurant on saona island which was recommended by Oscar and was exceptional we had a luxurious lunch on a beautifully arranged table on the sand From there our captain Moiset took us to an area where we anchored offshore and were able to swim in the most clear blue water you can imagine. Check out the following options if traveling with a big family or a bunch of friends. Tourism During Covid It also offers a better snorkeling experience. Un servicio impecable. It is also an exceptionally good place to fish, where you can find specimens of guatapan, horse mackerel, king mackerel, and other types of temperate-water fish. The best private excursion I can recommend for Isla Catalina is this private boat tour*. The first tourist boat to dock at Saona was Christopher Columbus in 1494 and Saona has not ceased to amaze visitors for the last 500+ years! . Each one offers different options, so it is up to you to decide which experience you choose. Saona has areas that are contracted by many of the tour operators that do trips there so they have their own little area for each tour group to do their meals and drinks that are included with most trips. Find out in this article what other advantages you have on Saona Island and Catalina Island when booking a private tour. Take your friends and family (maximum 10 passengers). We only did Catalina, the food was great, beach massage a must, but getting a chair in the shade was tough! LauraS It has awning and a cooler with ice ready to go! And when you find yourself in its crystalline waters, you must remember that you are in one of the most important ecological reserves of the Dominican Republic. Bayahibe Hotel El Pulpo. Sign-up for the latest Punta Cana travel stories! If you are long overdue for a relaxing SPA day or vacation, a day trip to Saona Island might be just what you need! The indegineous Taino people, the native populations of the Dominican Republic, occupied Saona Island before Christopher Columbuss arrival in 1494. $ 120 $ 98 6 - 8 Hours Car SALE 27 Waterfalls Buggies Tour Puerto Plata $ 95 $ 65 3 - 4 Hours buggies SALE 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua Tour from Cabarete, Sosua and Puerto Plata. Most Popular Posts on Punta Cana Travel Blog . This is where you can relax in shallow waters and search for starfish. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Especially when you are traveling with 16 people or more, I am happy to get you in touch with the best companies or give you personal recommendations on your tour. Click here to learn more! Sea water has healing properties. Please go ahead and add Punta Cana Travel Blog to your feed: Youll have much smaller groups just the people from your traveling party. It has an approximate area of 9.6 square kilometers and is uninhabited. Visit the Tiki Bar, dance merengue, visit the Tiki Bar, play volleyball, visit the Tiki Bar, walk the beach, visit the Tiki Bar, hit the buffet. Both islands are an essential part of the beauty that makes up the Dominican Republic. You may have seen Saona Island in the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Blue Lagoon, since some scenes from these movies were shot on Isla Saona! Think Sun, Sand, Booze, Boats and Bikinis! It has awning and a cooler with ice ready to go! Tours to Isla Catalina are offering a relaxed cruise and have a snorkeling stop included. And even the price seems steep at first glance, if you break it down to 15 people, it is just a bit more than 100 US per person a real bargain for a private full-day catamaran cruise! 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If a speed boat is too small for you and you prefer a private yacht to visit Isla Saona, you can check out this private yacht tour for up to 10 people*. Saona Island is located just off the coast of Punta Cana and Bayahibe and you can expect the quintessential Caribbean weather: warm, sunny, and simply beautiful! Come to enjoy them in Saona or Catalina Island in Dominican Republic. It brings you to the most beautiful places of Isla Saona with a private speed boat. The scenery is spectacular, but in addition, Saona Island has permanent population centers, something that is very interesting for tourists. It is recognized as one of the best diving / snorkeling spots in the Dominican Republic and even the Caribbean and it is not surprising due to its seabed full of corals, sea sponges and tropical fish. Although the difference is minimal, Saona is usually cheaper because it is closer to the tourist sites of Punta Cana. Saona Island only has two small villages and a total population of just around 500 residents, but the charming villages of Mano Juan and Catuano are well worth your visit. There were lots of vans picking up to go to Saona/Catalina. The island measures about 9.6 . The great thing about snorkeling is that all you really need is a mask and a life jacket. Go with the pros to Saona! And then go for another relaxing swim! There are two places worth exploring while diving: El Muro, an impressive wall that plunges into the Caribbean Sea, reaching a depth of about 100 meters; and El Acuario, where the dive is 11 meters, full of coral formations, where you can find some of the most typical species of the Caribbean Sea such as seahorses, the famous lion fish or toad fish, among others. Let's go there! The ride from Bayahibe to Catalina by boat takes about 25 min. ATV + El Valle Beach & Waterfalls, Baha de las Aguilas: Beach Day Trip by Boat -Day Pass Pedernales, Baha de las Aguilas: Beach Day Trip by Boat -Day Pass Snorkeling & Lunch, Birdwatching in Los Haitises National Park, Birdwatching Punta Cana Birding Tours from Punta Cana to Los Haitises National Park, Catalina Island and Snorkeling with Catamaran Party From Punta Cana Half Day Experience. You choose the type of boat: sailing catamaran, motor catamaran, yacht or motorboat. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Once in Saona, you will be able to enjoy its beaches and vegetation at your leisure. There is also a growing number of ecolodges and eco-tourism camping sites, but we still recommend going back to your hotel and coming back for another visit if you feel like you still have things you want to do and see! Getting to know the way of life on a small Caribbean island is a cultural immersion that can be done in the village of Mano Juan. Spend a relaxing time on Catalina Island, an uninhabited nature reserve and national park, and enjoy a barbecue-style lunch on the island. Book your private Saona Island excursion now! Daily PRIVATE Trip in motor catamaran - Max 60 persons $ Duration: Flexible. leave from Bayahibe and arrive straight to the gorgeous wild beaches shortly after. and share your adventures with friends and family. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. To get to Saona and Catalina there is only one method of transportation: boat or catamaran. This price is for Children 4 to 8 years of age. You will practically be standing in the middle of the Caribbean SeaHow cool is that?! Some info about your guide Robert: Hello my name is Robert and originally I am Dutch. Isla Saona offers more spectacular scenery and picture-perfect views, Isla Catalina is quieter and has better snorkeling. This is the most basic experience to visit the Catalina Island National Park, where you will be able to see its most famous places. Started August 27, 2021, By In our catalog you can also find a visit similar to the previous one, but in this case going from Altos de Chavn to the paradisiacal island of Saona. In fact, from this town in the south of the Dominican Republic we can perfectly see Catalina Island. That was Saona Island! It's an All-inclusive, Full-Day, outing and you need some time away from your Punta Cana resort. The conventional way to visit Saona Island is to go on an excursion on a big boat with a crowd of people you do not know and a mediocre buffet lunch. Although it is located off the coast of the province of La Altagracia, it is administratively part of the province of La Romana. Has anyone used Passion Paradise Adventures?? Drinks and Foodis not included but can be requested at the time of your reservation for an additional price. Thats when I met Oscar at the other end of the phone He is a super nice and personable guy and immediately understood what we wanted to do and how to do it. We are stopping at La Romana DR this October on the Carnival Conquest. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. If you need a transfer from Punta Cana, they can organize it as well. In the afternoon, you head back to your starting point. It is very difficult to make a comparison between both islands. Its pristine beaches surrounded by vegetation are also worth seeing, and enjoying its white sand for a couple of hours. Saona Island known as Isla Saona in Spanish is a picturesque island only a short boat ride away from Punta Cana and Bayahibe that offers unparalleled wild nature and beautiful beaches. Any information would be appreciated. Private boat rental for full day tour to visit Saona Island or Catalina Island. . Or perhaps you're planning your first visit to the island. .. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-112206916', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Catalina island has better snorkeling. DESCRIPTION. The weather will accompany us and we will be able to bathe in the transparent water of the Caribbean. The cruise to the island epitomizes the genuine Caribbean holiday feeling. Michele de Cuneo also later became the first governor of Saona Island. And last but not least, the island and the beach of Catalina are beautiful in their very own way. ), I'm thinking of going to Catalina Island instead using Passion Paradise Adventures. Choose your destination: Administratively, it also belongs to the province of La Romana, although in this case it forms its own national park called the same as the island. Starfish proliferate there, which are one of the main attractions for tourists. Isla Catalina, tambin denominada Isla Ikiita (llamada tambin por los indgenas locales como Toeya), es una isla que se encuentra en el mar Caribe a slo unos kilmetros al sureste de la Isla La Espaola al sur de la provincia de La Romana que es parte de la Repblica Dominicana.Desde La Romana se tarda media hora en llegar a Isla Catalina.