Isla Saona

A 45 minute boat ride from the shores of Bayahibe you will find Isla Saona, part of the National Park of the East. The ride along the shallow coastline makes getting there part of the fun.

This is a popular tourist destination and one of the most popular all day excursions taken by tourists visiting the La Romana area. This most enchanting of tropical islands, Isla Saona has been used as a setting for movies. In fact, this small island was recently named one of the Caribbean's Eight Dream Beaches by Caribbean Travel & Life magazine. With an area of 115 sq. kilometers, this island is the largest in the Dominican Republic.

Isla Saona has three large lagoons and is home to an abundance of wildlife. The seas around the island are rich with wildlife and there are large natural offshore sandbars that bring the waters' depth to just a few feet. It is a sanctuary for Dominican flora and fauna. Beautiful white sandy beaches, speckled with starfish which are indigenous to the region, tall coconut palms, quaint shops and great snorkeling, which can sometimes include sightings of manatees and bottlenose dolphins, make Isla Saona a destination worth visiting.