Ask any Dominican where to find the most beautiful place in their country and the answer is almost always the same: Isla Saona. Not the resorts of Punta Cana. Not the colonial streets of Santo Domingo. Saona Island — wild, protected, and breathtaking — is the answer that needs no argument.

The Geography of Isla Saona

Saona Island lies at the southeastern tip of Hispaniola, separated from the Dominican mainland by the Catuano Channel. At 22 kilometers long, it is the largest island in the Parque Nacional del Este — a UNESCO-recognized natural reserve. Its northern coast features the shallow turquoise lagoons and white sand beaches that have made it world-famous, while its southern coast meets the open Atlantic with dramatic surf and dense mangrove forests.

Wildlife You Will Encounter

The waters surrounding Isla Saona teem with marine life: hawksbill sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, tropical fish, and living coral. On land, rhinoceros iguanas bask on sun-warmed rocks while migratory birds fill the mangroves. The natural starfish pool — a shallow lagoon home to hundreds of wild Caribbean starfish — is one of the most extraordinary natural encounters in the entire region.

How to Visit Isla Saona from Punta Cana

The only way to reach Saona Island is by boat. Saona Island Tours departs daily from Punta Cana, offering a full-day excursion with hotel pickup, speed boat crossing, natural pool stop, beach time, Dominican lunch, open bar, and catamaran return. It is the most complete, most authentic way to experience this extraordinary island.

“Saona Island doesn’t ask you to slow down. It simply makes speed impossible — you arrive, and you are already still.”

— Saona Island Tours Editorial