Ask anyone who has been to Punta Cana which day they remember best, and Saona comes up fast. This is the full-day version: boat, beach, lunch, music, and a swim you will be showing people photos of for years.
Your morning starts early with pickup from your hotel – the exact time depends on where you are staying, and we confirm it after booking. From there it is about an hour by air-conditioned coach to Bayahibe, the fishing village where the boats leave from. Bring a light cover-up for the ride; the air conditioning runs cold.
At the dock you board the catamaran, which sails at 9:30 AM, and the day properly begins. The sails go up, the music comes on, and the crew are there to keep things going – drinks poured, merengue lessons for anyone brave enough, and a good chance you end up dancing before mid-morning. If you would rather do nothing at all, climb onto the nets strung across the front of the boat, lie back, and watch the water go by underneath you. The route runs past the National Park of the East and through quiet mangrove channels into Catuano Bay.
Then comes the stop everyone knows from the pictures: the natural pool, a sandbank far out from shore where the water stays waist-deep, warm, and impossibly clear. It is the strangest, best feeling of the day – standing in the middle of the sea with your feet on the bottom.
On the island itself, lunch is a grilled feast of seafood and meat, the open bar pours all day, and the afternoon is yours: swim, stretch out on the sand, join the volleyball game, or let the live music pull you back onto your feet. A photographer travels with the tour, and professional shots of your day are available to buy before you leave.
At 2:45 PM you head back a different way – this time by speedboat, fast and low across the water, James Bond style. You will be at your hotel tired, sun-warmed, and full of photos.
Want the full picture of the day? Read our Saona Island guide.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.