Snorkeling, white sands & relaxing atmosphere
Saona Island
Your Vacation Dream
Your Vacation Shouldn't Feel Like a Crowded Work Commute
Don’t get caught in a disappointing Saona Island trip. You’re there for the glittering sea and the Island vibes, but instead you’re hurried onto a loud, overcrowded boat with zero control of how your day goes.
They’re shouting at you in other languages and it’s confusing. You’re just a number in their system and it can end up feeling less like a relaxing vacation and more like a work commute – stressful, crowded, and out of your control.
We do things differently!
It Doesn't have to be That way
We will personally shuttle you from your Punta Cana / Bayahibe / Dominicus Hotel to the boat in Bayahibe where our English-Speaking Tour Guide will walk you through everything you need to know as you stand in the shade of a tropical almond tree.
Climb aboard one of our private boats as the turquoise Caribbean sea glitters around you. What happens next is up to you. Do you want to see a shipwreck? Snorkel among the colorful tropical fish or head straight to the beach to sip Piña Coladas among the palm trees?
Our tour guide will check in with you every step of the way to make sure you are getting the experience you want.
Don't stress about finding the Right Saona Island Trip
If you’ve been looking into taking a Saona trip you might think that crowded hotel boats are your only option.
It feels like everyone is selling Saona trips but once you do a little digging they’re all about the same.
You want to see Saona but you want something better for your family then stressful and out of your control.
Stress free
When you’re on vacation you want peace, relaxation and maybe a little adventure. You want to feel taken care of and to be able to let all your worries melt away.
You want to know that you have everything you need but that you’re still in control of your time.
Let all the stress of home fall off your shoulders and let yourself be taken care of in the Caribbean.
Saona Island is a break from fast paced American Life. Work can be left behind for a day as the stress of everyday life melts away. When you’re on Saona, it’s as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist and you can finally let go of all the things that are making you worry.
Smell the salt air. Hear the ocean waves and the wind through the palm trees. Watch as the turquoise waves of the Caribbean Sea crash onto the white sand beaches. Let the island consume your senses as you drink piña coladas and Dominican rum.
Enjoy an all-you-can-eat lunch in a secluded cabana that overlooks the Caribbean Sea, and know that everything you need is already taken care of.
Relax on the Caribbean Sea
Our Saona Island Day Trips are Custom and Unique to You
Every trip is unique because we put the power in your hands to decide what your day looks like.
Are you an adventurer? Spend your morning snorkeling with the trumpet fish and tropical sea life, and look for sea turtles where the atlantic meets the Caribbean sea.
Do you want a laid back day? Drink rum on the boat, swim in the natural pool, and relax on the beach after an all you can eat buffet.
Do you like a little bit of each?Just let us know what you’re looking for and you can try it all. You decide where we go and how much time we spend there.
🪷 Yoga Saona 🪷
Rediscover your Divine Nature amidst the perfect setting in paradise 🏝️
Accompanied by your personal yoga professional, this private excursion includes two 60 minute yoga sessions customized for all levels. One session of light stretching, breath-work, and meditation while floating aboard your boat in a pristine natural pool.
Later, a second lesson on the soft sands of Saona: create clear energy all day!
Drinks and lunch also included (Still and sparkling bottled water, Coke, Sprite, Extra Viejo Brugal rum, local seasonal fruits, salad, hummus, beans with rice, pasta, potatoes, chicken, fried fish).
Regenerate, rejuvenate, and reconnect with your Higher Self and the natural environment during this exclusive wellbeing investment.
Capacity: 10 person minimum, 25 person maximum
Reserve your spot today for this unprecedented Saona Island experience!
About Our InsiderTrips Team
Our team is a mix of people from all over the world and we’re here to bring you the highest quality Saona Trip on the market.
We married German engineering with American ease and Dominican Flow. Our trips are custom, easy, and we take care of everything you need.
We set out to create a better Saona day trip because we believe that you should experience everything Saona has to offer without being crowded and stressed. We’ve been on disappointing Saona trips and we decided to do better.
All Inclusive
We will take care of everything you need so all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy.
We include drinks on the boat and the beach, an amazing lunch with vegetarian options, and we even have snorkeling gear you can use.
Your Saona Island Day Trip
Our Packages
2 Person Private Day Trip
A Private Saona Island trip for two people. You will not share your boat with anybody else. All inclusive. Kids under 4 are free. Available every day.
$750 Total
3-4 Person Private Day Trip
A Private Saona Island trip for three to four people. You will not share your boat with anybody else. All inclusive. Kids under 4 are free. Available every day.
$200 Per Person
5-8 Person Private Day Trip
A Private Saona Island trip for five to eight people. You will not share your boat with anybody else. All inclusive. Kids under 4 are free. Available every day.
$180 Per Person
Mixed Group Day Trip
We will match you up with other Americans on one of our small group boats, 10 people max per boat. All inclusive. Kids under 4 are free.
$150 Per Person
Please note that group trip schedules may need to be flexible due to group boat availability.
FAQ
When are Saona day trips available?
We do mixed group tours every Friday. Each boat has a maximum of 10 people. Private tours can scheduled any day.
Do you have Snorkeling Equipment?
Yes we do! If you have snorkeling equipment that you would like to use you are welcome to bring it, but it not, we have all the snorkeling gear you need!
What is your cancelation policy?
We understand that life happens sometimes. As long as we have 24 hours notice, we will refund your entire trip.
Is there shade on the boat?
Yes, part of the boat is shaded and part of the boat has sunshine so you can sit according to your preference.
What are the drink options?
On the boat, included in your package, we have Coca-Cola, Sprite, Dominican Rum, Mamajuana, and water.
With lunch we have all the above options as well as beer also included.
On the island there are Piña Coladas available for purchase.
Are there vegetarian options for lunch?
Yes! Our lunches always include vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.
What shoud I bring?
- Reef Safe Sunblock
- Swimsuit
- Sandals
- A Towel
- Some cash for souvenirs or Piña Coladas
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Snorkeling Equipment if you have your own that you would like to use (we also provide snorkeling equipment if you would like to snorkel, but don’t have your own equipment.
Insidertrips Saona is perfect for you if…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saona_Island
(Spanish: Isla ) is a 110-square-kilometer (42 sq mi) tropical located off 1.5 miles (2.4 km) off the south-east coast in Dominican Republic’s La Altagracia province. It is a government-protected nature reserve and is part of Cotubanamá National Park.[1] There are two permanent settlements, the town of Mano Juan and the naval base at Catuano. The is a popular tourist destination in the Dominican Republic.
Etymology
Granberry and Vescelius (2004) suggest a Macoris etymology for the name , comparing it with sa-ona ‚full of bats‘ in the purportedly related Warao language of the Orinoco Delta.;[2] However, it is widely accepted that Christopher Columbus named it after the Italian city of Savona.[3]
History
has pre-Columbian pictographs and petroglyphs found at Cueva de Cotubanamá.[4] The was known as „Adamanay“ by the indigenous Taino.[5] The was baptized “ “ by Christopher Columbus, who landed on it in May 1494[6] during his second voyage to the Americas. Columbus named Michele da Cuneo the first governor of the .[7] The name was meant „… to honor Michele da Cuneo, [Columbus‘] friend from Savona.“[3] By 1500, the Tainos on the provided Santo Domingo with most of its cassava.[8]
The is the site of a series of shipwrecks dating back to the early Spanish control of the . At least three vessels wrecked on the due to storm, or piracy.[9]
did not have permanent inhabitants until 1944, when the first buildings were constructed on the .[10] Since then a village was established at Mano Juan which has homes for the local fishermen along with boutique hotels.[5][10]
Geography
is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) off the coast of peninsula that comprises the mainland section of the Cotubanamá National Park.[5] The itself is 110-square-kilometer (42 sq mi) and is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, with sandbars, and a number of coral reef ecosystems with a wide marine diversity.[4][5] The itself is covered in white sand.[10] The northern coast of the is more rugged, while the southern and western coasts hold the best open beaches on the .[5] The has multiple lagoons including the larger Secucho lagoon located inland and the Canto de la Playa and Las Flamencos lagoons on the southern part of the .[11]
Flora and fauna
The red-footed booby or „Sula Sula“ as known in the Dominican Republic
Of the 539 registered species of endemic flora within the Cotubanamá National Park, most of them are found in the diversity of ecosystems on including wild bushes and mangroves, semi-humid and salted forests. Four species of neotropical mangrove are present along the Catuano Channel – red, white, black, and button mangle.[12] The also has large palm forests and lowland rainforest.[5]
112 species of birds are found on the ,[10] including brown pelicans, magnificent frigatebirds, flamingos, gulls, endemic Hispaniolan parrots, and red-footed boobies.
is the Dominican Republic’s most important site for sea turtle nesting.[5] The site is threatened by climate change and coastal flooding.[13] In the surrounding Caribbean Sea, 40 species of fish, 10 coral, and 124 mollusks can be found,[12] with other marine life including green sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, manatees, bottlenose dolphins, rhinoceros iguanas, and octopuses.
Municipalities
There are two permanent settlements, the towns of Mano Juan and Catuano. Mano Juan is the only inhabited village on the . Catuano is the site of a naval base.[14] The is powered entirely by renewable energy produced by a solar power plant that provides electricity to the 600 residents of the .[15]
Economy
is one of the key tourist locations in the Dominican Republic with over 1 million visitors per year.[16] It is the most visited protected area in the Dominican Republic, capturing 45% of the visits to protected areas in 2019.[4]
A secondary economy is based around film production. Films such as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and The Blue Lagoon have been filmed in part on .[10]
See also
flagDominican Republic portalicon s portal
List of s of the Dominican Republic
References
„Ley 5597 de 1962 que modifica la ley 5220 de 1959“ (PDF).
Granberry, Julian; Vescelius, Gary (2004). Languages of the Pre-Columbian Antilles. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0-8173-5123-X.
Taviani, Paolo Emilio (1991). Columbus the Great Adventure. New York: Orion Books. p. 185.
Dominican Republic’s Tourist Destinations Report (PDF) (Report). Punta Cana: Ministerio de Turismo. April 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-07-09.
“ : a genuine Caribbean paradise“. barcelo.com. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
“ „. Bayahibe Village. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
Fernández-Armesto, Felipe (1991). Columbus. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. pp. 103–104.
Floyd, Troy (1973). The Columbus Dynasty in the Caribbean, 1492-1526. Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press. p. 57.
Marx, Robert F. (1987). Shipwrecks in the Americas. New York City: Dover Publications. pp. 368, 370, 374. ISBN 0-486-25514-X.
Taylor, Lauren (July 3, 2024). „How to holiday like a celebrity in the Dominican Republic’s secret unspoilt „. Irish News. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
“ – Complete Travel Guide 2022″. Lopesan Costa Bávaro. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
“ , a paradisiacal place!“. Visita Dominicana. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
Jacobo, Julia (20 April 2023). „Sea level rise could wash away turtle breeding grounds around the world, researchers say“. ABC News. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
„U.S. plans to build a US$1.5 M naval base in „. Dominican Today. 18 February 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
“ already works 100% with renewable energy“. Dominican Today. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
Hosteltur. „Gobierno dominicano anticipa un plan para relanzar Bayahíbe | Economía“. Hosteltur: Toda la información de turismo (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2022-03-18.
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