Saona Island Catamaran Tour: Starfish Pool & Beach Lunch
You swim among starfish in a sandbank pool in the middle of the Caribbean.
A full-day catamaran tour from Punta Cana to Saona Island, Dominican Republic's most visited destination, includes a stop at the Palmilla Natural Pool where you can swim and observe starfish, free time on the white sand beaches, a lunch buffet of local dishes, and a festive return journey with music and an open bar. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.
Step-by-step itinerary
Saona Island tour and catamaran cruise
- Travel to Saona Island
- Swim in the Natural Pool with starfish
- Enjoy free time on Saona Island beaches
- Eat buffet lunch with local cuisine
- Return by catamaran with music and open bar
- Optional: Professional photographs
- Saona Island Entry included 3h
- Palmilla 40m
What’s included
- Professional tour guide and entertainer on board.
- security teams and staff assistance throughout the day.
- transportation by catamaran and speedboat.
- roundtrip hotel pickup and drop-off.
- lunch buffet with local cuisine.
- open bar on the return journey.
- Every day 07:00
Information
Catamaran day trip from Punta Cana to Saona Island with stops at the natural starfish pool, white sand beach time and a local lunch buffet, plus hotel pickup and return.
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The experience
What makes this day work is the natural pool: a sandbank in the middle of the sea where the water stays so shallow and clear you can see starfish moving across the bottom. The catamaran leaves from Punta Cana with a guide who speaks English, Spanish or French, and the ride itself is part of the experience: music plays, drinks flow, and the atmosphere builds as you cruise toward Saona Island through turquoise water. Once you reach the Palmilla Natural Pool, you have time to swim, float and watch the starfish in their habitat before the boat moves on.
The second half of the day is yours on the white sand beaches of Saona Island. You can walk, photograph, rest in the shade or wade back into the water. There's no fixed schedule here, just space to move at your own pace. Around midday, a buffet of local cuisine appears on board: the food is built around what the Dominican kitchen does well, and eating on the water with the island in view is the setting that makes it land. The return journey back to Punta Cana turns into a celebration, with the open bar and live music transforming the catamaran into something closer to a floating party than a boat ride home.
The whole day runs about eight and a half hours from pickup at your hotel to drop-off. A professional entertainer and security staff stay with the group throughout, and the catamaran itself is built to handle the crossing safely. Infants can travel in a stroller, and the tour suits all fitness levels. Most of the day is spent floating, walking on sand or sitting on deck.
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English, Spanish and French.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 9 years); Infant (under 4): free.
What is the natural pool on this tour actually like?
The Palmilla Natural Pool is a sandbank in the middle of the Caribbean where the water is so clear and shallow it looks like a giant aquarium. You can swim there and observe starfish living on the bottom in their natural habitat.
How much free time do you get on Saona Island itself?
You have unscheduled time on the white sand beaches of Saona Island to swim, walk, photograph or rest as you choose, between the natural pool stop and the lunch service.
Is the catamaran ride back to Punta Cana part of the tour experience?
Yes. The return journey includes music, an open bar and a festive atmosphere that transforms the boat ride into a celebration, not just transportation home.
Does the price include hotel pickup?
Yes, roundtrip transfer from your selected hotel in Punta Cana is included in the tour.
Operated by JAC Tours Punta Cana. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated today
Saona Island Catamaran Tour: Starfish Pool & Beach Lunch
8h 40m · EN · ES · FR · at your hotel
from US$ 62 per person
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