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Saona Island Day Trip Punta Cana: Altos de Chavon & Catamaran

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/39

Duration9h

GroupUp to 300

LanguagesEN · DE +4

PickupAt your hotel

Saona Island & a 16th-Century Village in One Day From Punta Cana

You board a catamaran from Bayahibe port and stop at a natural swimming pool before reaching Saona Island for three hours of beach time. Lunch and drinks are included, and you visit the recreated Mediterranean village of Altos de Chavon on the way back. Hotel pickup and drop-off from Punta Cana are part of the package, and small-group organization keeps the experience from feeling crowded. Book for a Wednesday or Saturday departure.

Step-by-step itinerary

Travel to Bayahibe port
Take speed boat and catamaran rides
Stop at Natural Swimming Pool for drinks and photos
Relax on Saona Island white sand beach
Enjoy barbecue lunch and open bar
Return to Punta Cana hotel

The Experience

The bus was supposed to leave at 7:30, but we didn't pull out until nearly 8 — someone's hotel was running late, and the driver just waited. That's the rhythm of these things. The hour-long ride from Punta Cana hotels takes you inland toward La Romana, where the real trip starts at Bayahibe port. You're organized into small groups, which means the catamaran doesn't feel packed, and when you board, there's actual room to move around. The boat heads out toward Saona Island, but first there's a stop at the natural swimming pool — this shallow, clear-water spot a few miles offshore where you can stand in water that's maybe three feet deep and just float there, taking photos, drinking something cold from the open bar.

Altos de Chavon comes before the island, not after, and it's stranger than the photos suggest. It's a full recreation of a 16th-century Mediterranean village, built on a ridge above the Chavon River, and it's used as a film set so often that walking through it feels like you're in a movie that hasn't started yet. Cobblestone streets, stone buildings, a church — all of it designed to look old but built recently. You're not rushed through; there's time to wander, buy a drink, sit on a bench and just look at the river below. Then back to the boat, and then the actual island.

Saona Island is the part you came for. Three hours on white sand with coconut palms, and the water is the color that makes you understand why people come back to the Caribbean. The barbecue lunch happens here — typical Dominican fare, salads, grilled meat — and the open bar means beer, rum, and soft drinks whenever you want them. You're not on a schedule once you're on the sand; the time is yours. Some people swim, some people sleep under a palm, some people just sit and watch the water. The group stays small enough that it doesn't feel like a beach resort crowd.

The whole day is about eight to nine hours from pickup to drop-off, depending on traffic back to your hotel. You'll want sunscreen and a hat — the sun is direct and relentless. Bring a waterproof bag if you have a phone you care about. The boat ride is smooth most days, but it's still a boat, so if you're sensitive to motion, take something before you leave the hotel. The tour runs Wednesdays and Saturdays only, so plan around those dates.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off from Punta Cana.
round-trip catamaran transport to Saona Island.
30-minute stop at the natural swimming pool.
visit to Altos de Chavon village.
three hours on Saona Island.
buffet barbecue lunch with typical Dominican fare and salads.
open bar with beer, rum, and soft drinks.
snacks throughout the day.
small-group organization.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Caribbean Route

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want the main Saona Island experience without arranging your own transport or timing — the fixed Wednesday and Saturday schedule and included pickup handle the logistics, leaving you to focus on the beach and the day itself.