The island of Saona, which resembles a paradise, is called the heart and soul of the Dominican Republic, as well as the diamond of the Caribbean Sea. Locals claim that to visit the Dominican Republic and not visit Saona is equivalent to the fact that you, while vacationing in Paris, will not climb the Eiffel Tower. Despite the fact that the island is considered the most tourist destination in the Dominican Republic, here you can always take photos on the Cote d’Azur without the influx of tourists and vacationers. To get to the island, just buy a tour from a private guide or tour operator.
General information about Saona Island
Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Saona in the Dominican Republic in the fall of 1494. Various conjectures and theories are associated with the name. According to one version, Saona is a city in Italy, where a close friend of Columbus Michele de Cuneo lived. He was the first to see the shore and pointed out to Columbus. Michele de Cuneo later became governor of the island. By the way, the authorities of the Italian city and island maintain friendly relations.
There is another version — the island is named after the daughter of a traveler who traveled with the famous navigator, Bella Savonessa.
Useful information for tourists:
- The island covers an area of 112 square kilometers.;
- The island is 12 km long and almost 5 km wide.;
- the island is 800 m away from the coast of the Dominican Republic;
- the sea depth near Saona is 100 m;
- the island surface is a plain, the only elevation is the mountain of Punta Balaju.
Saona seems to be a deserted and uninhabited island, but there are settlements here, where mostly local fishermen live, in addition, the military is based here.
Useful to know! You can’t build hotels on the island, so excursions are only one-day trips.
The island became famous thanks to the famous advertising of Bounty bars. The commercial promised an unearthly pleasure from the treat, but many, first of all, drew attention to the amazing nature and azure water around the island. It is not surprising that millions of tourists around the world wanted to visit a small island in the Caribbean Sea to see with their own eyes the amazing scenery, walk on soft, white sand, soak in the shade of palm trees and swim in the purest, azure sea.
Photo: Saona, Dominican Republic
Interesting fact! Some people mistakenly think that the island hosted the filming of the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean”. The saga of the adventures of Jack Sparrow was filmed in Dominica.
Why you should visit the island
Beaches
The length of the coastline with picturesque beaches is several kilometers, however, tourists are brought to the places equipped for recreation, where there are sun beds, you can organize a buffet. These areas of the coast are regularly cleaned and treated for insects.
If you want to be in a more exotic place, book a private tour or photo session. As a rule, food and drinks are included in the price of the trip.
Useful to know! If you plan to go surfing, pay attention to Macao Beach.
Snorkeling
Experienced tourists note that snorkeling on the island of Saona is one of the best in the Dominican Republic — clean water, no algae and a rich sea world. Our guides will definitely tell you where the best places for snorkeling are.
Flora and fauna
Saona can be safely called a nature reserve, because there are many unique plant species-539 of them are found only on the island. The vegetation density is very high — almost the entire surface is covered with mangroves, there are areas with impenetrable jungles and swamps, there are many coconut palms, banana trees, papayas, even rare redwood and cedars.
Parrots live in the crowns of trees, and in total there are 112 varieties of birds on the island. From May to mid-autumn, turtles come to the shores of Saona to lay eggs. In the waters near the island there are 120 species of marine inhabitants, more than 120 varieties of mollusks and a dozen different corals, you can also meet dolphins, rays.
Business card of the island-starfish
Off the coast of the island is the largest natural pool with a depth of only one meter, where starfish live. Every excursion is sure to stop near this sandbank for snorkeling. When choosing an excursion tour, keep in mind that not all travel agencies know the “hot” places where there are really enough starfish and few tourists.
Photo: Saona Island
Important! On the territory of the Dominican Republic, there is a law that aims to protect and increase the population of starfish. According to the document, it is strictly forbidden to get marine life out of the water, but you can take photos and shoot videos.
Saona Island excursions from Dominican Republic resorts
Of course, an excursion to the island of Saona is a must-have event when traveling to the Dominican Republic. Every travel agency will tell you that it would be an unforgivable mistake to fly to the Dominican Republic and not take photos with starfish. At first glance, everything is simple — buy a tour, swim to the island and enjoy your vacation. But the organizational aspects should be treated with great attention.
Tour price
The price of an excursion to Saona Island depends on:
- selected tour operator;
- a tourist program.
On average, the price of an excursion to the island of Saona in the Dominican Republic varies from $ 65 to $ 250 per person. Also, when setting the price, the location of the beach on the island is taken into account — the cleaner and more beautiful the coast, the more expensive the guide will have to pay, and the dishes that are included in the lunch.
Organizational aspects of the tour
Be prepared for the fact that the beach where you will be brought is located next to a swampy area, where there are many mosquitoes and other insects. All beaches are equipped with sun beds, sun beds, umbrellas. Of course, the quality of the beach is the main criterion for choosing an excursion.
The number of people in a group varies from 25 to 60 people — the more tourists, the cheaper the cost.
Important! The optimal ratio of comfort and cost is 30-35 people.
Transport is provided comfortably-with air conditioning, the only difference is the capacity. Buses can accommodate from 25 to 50 people. It depends on how many hotels the transport will pass through, respectively, the time spent on gathering the group. As for water transport, speedboats take the group to the island, and a comfortable catamaran is provided for the return trip, where you can dance, drink rum and relax.
Every Saona tour in the Dominican Republic involves lunch. As a rule, this is a buffet, the set of dishes depends on the cost of the trip. The traditional menu includes chicken, fish, seafood, potatoes, pasta, rice as a side dish, salads and seasonal fruits are always served. If desired, you can buy a lobster, the cost is from$ 25 to $ 40. The choice of drinks is quite diverse — local rum, sprite, juices, beer, water.
The standard excursion program to the island of Saona in the Dominican Republic is as follows.
– Tourists are picked up from the hotel at about 7-30, because the bus stops at several hotels, the road to the port takes about 1.5 hours, the guide is Russian-speaking.
— At the port, the group transfers to a speedboat and goes to the island.
— After a quarter of an hour, the boat stops in a natural pool so that tourists can swim and take photos with starfish. Many tourists note that in sunny weather, the color of the water in this part of the sea is unusual. The duration of the stop is approximately 30 minutes. Remember that it is strictly forbidden to pull starfish out of the water, they quickly die without water.
— After a quarter of an hour, the group arrives on the island and before lunch, tourists walk, enjoy the beauty, take pictures. The island of Saona welcomes guests with loud music, but if you want, you can find a secluded, quiet area. On the beach there is a beach bar where you can buy drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. A dining table is served on the beach at approximately 1 pm. After lunch, animators start their work-tourists are taught to dance salsa and bachata.
– At 15: 00 tourists leave the island. The return trip is always more fun, because tourists are already familiar with each other, and alcoholic beverages drunk during lunch also affect. At the request of tourists, the catamaran stops at the reefs. With fun music, dancing and drinks, the road to the hotel will fly by unnoticed.
How to choose a good tour
When choosing an excursion, first of all, you need to specify the program and find out the maximum number of people in the group. Be sure to choose a program with a Russian-speaking guide, as there are guides who speak only Spanish and English, they work with local residents.
Also check if you plan to visit the sea pool with stars. Some programs include an excursion to the city of Artists — Altos de Chavon.
Useful to know! The capacity of the catamaran is 100 people, so often excursion buses are combined and several groups travel by sea.
Specify which route the group will take. Traditionally, tourists are offered a visit to the natural pool with sea stars and the city of Artists, but there are also extended programs that include exploring cane plantations and mangroves.
The next question that is important to ask the guide is what the beach will be like. It is the quality of the coast and the sea that determines the impression of the entire trip, it is a shame if it is spoiled by a nearby swamp, midges. On the island of Saona, there are enough exclusive beaches where you can relax comfortably, take beautiful photos, and enjoy the picturesque landscapes.
A tip! If you are part of a large group of tourists, once on the island, immediately take a chaise longue or sunbed — after lunch you will want to relax calmly and comfortably.
As for photos, huge queues of tourists line up to take pictures near palm trees that lean towards the water. Take a walk along the shore, and you will probably find other equally picturesque places for photos, where there will not be such an influx of guests.
Another important criterion is lunch. If we are talking about a budget, standard excursion, lunch is served only on the island in a buffet format, and in a more expensive program, tourists have lunch on a boat or catamaran.
Many tourists note that the locals do not know how to cook pork, so it is better not to try meat dishes, but to choose fish or seafood. It is also not recommended to take salads seasoned with mayonnaise, as they quickly deteriorate in the heat. If you really want to remember the taste of mayonnaise, be sure to take a local rum, it will have an antibacterial effect.
In expensive excursion programs, there is a separate dining area for only one group and personal waiters.
A few words about additional impressions during the tour
The City of Artists is a closed area located in the elite Casa de Campo complex. The appearance of the medieval village of artisans was recreated by specialists of Paramount Pictures. The Chavon River, near which the city is located, flows into the Caribbean Sea. the filming of the movie “Anaconda”took place here.
If you want to fully enjoy the experience and spend a comfortable time, book a Saona Deluxe tour. Advantages of the trip:
- small group;
- lunch price includes crawfish;
- a photo session is provided;
- mandatory visit to the City of Artists;
- separate dining area.
In addition, you can book a private tour for two people or a helicopter program to Saona Island.
Useful tips
- Have a hearty breakfast before traveling.
- Be sure to bring sunscreens and insect repellents.
- Don’t forget beach accessories — swimsuits, towels, you can’t buy them on the island. It is better to wear a swimsuit before the tour starts, since there is no place to do this in the port.
- If possible, do not take very expensive equipment to the island — you will have to constantly monitor it so as not to lose it.
- Take the money for additional expenses-buying lobsters or coconut oil.
Saona Island is a rare place in the world where amazing nature has been preserved, untouched by man.
