Catamaran Cruise to Saona Island from Punta Cana (2023)

• 3 hours of leisure on Saona Island

• BBQ Lunch and beverages on the beach

• Catamaran and speed boat cruise

• Drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)

• Hotel pickup and drop off

• Professional guide

• Scenic drive to the dock

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from Punta Blanca Golf & Beach Resort

• Gratuities

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Transportation included only to/from main hotels located in Punta Cana area. If you’re staying in a different area from the one selected at the time of booking, an extra fee may apply.

Following pickup from your Punta Cana hotel, board a comfortable bus for a scenic ride to the dock to meet your boat.
Climb aboard the catamaran and find a spot to relax and enjoy the view during your journey. Watch the beautiful tropical coastline of the Dominican Republic recede as you head out into the turquoise ocean. Get to know the captain and knowledgeable crew who will be your hosts for the day.
Stop at the 'Natural Pool' lagoon, home to a large number of starfish. Marvel at the flexible, five-armed creatures and enjoy a cocktail while you wade in the water.
Board a speedboat and continue to the idyllic island of Saona, where you'll spend 3 hours exploring. Dig in to a barbecue buffet lunch set out under the shady coconut palms. Choose how you'd like to spend the rest of your day on this island paradise. Relax with a tropical drink in the soft sand, learn to Merengue, play volleyball or swim in the warm, serene waters that lap the shores.
Zip back to Punta Cana on the speedboat, enjoying an open bar and musical entertainment on the way. Your 10-hour island adventure ends with drop-off at your Punta Cana hotel.

• Confirmation will be received at time of booking

• Not recommended for pregnant travelers

• Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund

• Not recommended for child aged 2 and under

• Note no toilets on board the bus, though tour does stop for a toilet break en route to the dock

• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 59 travelers

• For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.

• If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

• Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

• Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

• This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

4.0

Showing 1-10 of 289 reviews

The tour was just ok. Made my birthday...

michele.harris67,

Jan 2018

The tour was just ok. Made my birthday celebration into a mess. The 8 hour tour only allowed 2 hours on the island, we spent more time traveling. Photo ops by photographer was rushed as they spent more time with lighter patrons. Felt like I was fighting for civil rights opposed to vacationing

We were picked in a van from our hotel...

Siva,

Jan 2018

We were picked in a van from our hotel by 7.15 in the morning to a mall to catch a coach bus with others that were traveling to Saona. The bus brought us to boat dock after about 45 minute drive. Then we boarded a catamaran and after about an hour reached the beautiful Saona beach. The catamaran ride was relaxing and enjoyable with lot of drinks. On arrival at Saona we were served with nice local lunch We spent 3 hours on the beach enjoying the sun and water.Our return trip was by a speed boat and we stopped at a natural lagoon mid way in the sea . The water was just belly deep and everyone was allowed to jump and spend about 30 minutes in the water. The area was known for starfish and shallow beautiful crystal water. Finally we headed back and reached the hotel by 6 pm . This was the best tour we had in our travel so far and the local operator Nexus tours did an excellent job in coordinating the trip.

amazing just wish we could of spend...

Nicholas B,

Dec 2017

amazing just wish we could of spend more time at the beach, we brought toilet paper and it was a plus.

Very fun,,, don't get Lobster that is...

Isha W,

Dec 2017

Very fun,,, don't get Lobster that is offered on the beach...not worth it

We will never forget our tour guide...

Michael H,

Dec 2017

We will never forget our tour guide Fausto - Formula 1 and his amazing ability to say Brrrp Psshhh telling us about the bathroom stops!

We have been on this trip with another...

paul b,

Nov 2017

We have been on this trip with another tour company and loved it. This trip was crowded and super commercialized.

A few problems with this...

Christopher C,

Nov 2017

A few problems with this experience.1. The transportation service took a route that was very much out of the way to pick up another group of travelers. This caused me to return to my hotel at 7PM, 30 minutes behind the expected 6:30PM return.2. The Catamaran had mechanical problems in the middle of the ocean on the way to Saona Island. We had to use speedboats the rest of the trip as a result.3. The natural swimming pool was nothing more than a shallow spot a few 100 meters away from the shore. This was an extreme oversell of the excursion, and people looking to purchase this experience should be aware of this.4. The crew aggressively peddled some cheap bottle of rum and a coffee mug for 20 USD. I can buy a better bottle of rum in the DR for 8. The pushyness of the crew left a sour taste in my mouth.It seems Viator does not vet the services they sell very well.

This trip was AWESOME!!!! From the...

mayatifftori,

Sep 2017

This trip was AWESOME!!!! From the moment they picked us up at the hotel, from the moment we got back! Very organized and FUN FUN FUN!!! Our guide Jose was AMAZING!! I would recommend this excursion to everyone!!!

Absolutely must to do. Gorgeous views...

sabi0398,

Aug 2017

Absolutely must to do. Gorgeous views, friendly staff, great tour overall

A stunning place to visit and going by...

Kimberley M,

Jul 2017

A stunning place to visit and going by catamaran was fun, but the trip was a bit too long and we got very hungry so make sure you bring some snacks. We didn't feel like we spent enough time at Sonoma Island but we did get to spend some time at a beautiful spot looking at star fish which was great.

The tour was amazing! The starfish...

kcooper36,

Jun 2017

The tour was amazing! The starfish lagoon was nice, the speedboats were fun, and the photographer captured unforgettable pictures for us.

The most fun and a great stop...

MariMar,

Jun 2017

The most fun and a great stop snorkeling and star fish searching in the Blue Lagoon too!

We took a shuttle to a mall to catch a...

Sodany C,

Jun 2017

We took a shuttle to a mall to catch a coach bus with others that were traveling to Saona. The bus brought us to Bayahibe beach which was roughly around a 45 minute drive. After arriving at the beautiful Bayahibe beach we loaded on a catamaran. We spent an hour on the catamaran drinking, dancing, and enjoying the beautiful scenery while basking in the sun. When we arrived to Saona we were immediately served delicious Dominican food for lunch. We spent 3 hours on the beach and departed on a speedboat to an area called La Piscina Natural. The area was known for starfish and shallow beautiful crystal water. We jumped in the crystal clear water to see some starfish. After our adventure we headed back to Bayahibe beach on a speedboat to catch the coach bus. My overall experience was great. The trip to Saona Island was worthwhile. I will definitely do this again when I return to Punta Cana:

It was an awesome experience. The...

Michelle B,

Jun 2017

It was an awesome experience. The island is so beautiful!!

Excellent value - Food on the island...

Adrian W,

May 2017

Excellent value - Food on the island was good and plentiful. Drinks also plentiful, standard of coach, catamaran and speedboat wa really good. Our provider was Nexus which were excellent except I tried to confirm by email as one of the options in the stated instructions only to get no response. 3 or 4 emails to Viator also sent and no response from Nexus even to them. Finally ended up calling and trip was confirmed - not so good - improvement needed here. Beware of photographers travelling with you taking photos and video who then try to sell these at an extortionate price.ALL IN ALL - I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS

Saona Island is beautiful and worth the...

skibinskic,

Apr 2017

Saona Island is beautiful and worth the time/trip out there. The lunch/food was delicious.

ADVICE!!! 1. Bring goggles 2. Bring...

Sarang B,

Apr 2017

ADVICE!!! 1. Bring goggles 2. Bring sunscreen 3. Bring a camera 4. ENJOY THE AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!! This excursion was an amazing experience. The catamaran cruise was relaxing, with lots of good music and dancing to entertain you when you are not fixed on the beautiful blue and green waters. The staff was lively, engaging, and polite. Saona Island was absolutely breath taking. The beach was so beautiful, and the blue/green ocean was unlike anything I have ever seen. My husband and I agree we have never been to a more beautiful beach. The food they provided on Saona Island was the best food we had eaten all week. They had a good variety, and everything was so full of flavor. There were people whom were trying to sell jewelry on the beach, but they weren't as bothersome as some had mention previously. There were plenty of lounge chairs on the beach for everyone. After spending time in the gorgeous ocean, we relaxed in the lounge chairs to soak in the amazing view. This alone was worth the whole trip. On the boat ride over to the natural pool where the starfish were, you could easily spot all the giant starfish in the water. It was so clear and super exciting to see how many starfish were in the water. One of the staff members jumped out of the boat to grab one of these starfish stayed in the water with it, and was gently drug behind the boat until we got to our final stop. The boat was anchored by a large number of other boats no doubt they were there for the same reason, and we were let out to seek out starfish. GOGGLES WERE NOT PROVIDED, so I recommend you bring your own! Unfortunately, at the given spot they let us out at, the only live starfish we saw was the one the man jumped out of the boat for. The starfish was SUPER COOL and so beautiful. I did manage to find a large dead one, but no others. No one else in our group found any starfish either. This was a bummer, but maybe if I had goggles I would have had better luck if I swam away from the group. The speed boat ride was a lot of fun! The staff was safety conscious, while also ensuring everyone had a great time. The only cons were:1. We were told we would be picked up at 7am. The bus did not arrive to get us till almost 8am. We tried calling, but no one answered the English phone line. We were about to give up thinking they had forgotten about us, when they showed up. It didn't set the mood for the trip, but we were certainly glad we stayed. This reason is the only reason for the four stars.2. We had no idea the scenic drive was going to be a little over 1.5 hour drive from the resort to the boats. The drive was certainly beautiful, and our guide, Adam, was very knowledgeable and friendly. Adam made time pass quickly. The drive back to the resort, we just slept most of the time so it didn't seem as long. Conclusion: This trip is without a doubt worth every penny and minute of your time. This 10 hour day was the best excursion we have ever been on. We highly recommend this excursion, and plan to do it again when we return to Dominican Republic. You won't be disappointed, I promise

Thought there should be some snacks on...

schleichs,

Apr 2017

Thought there should be some snacks on the catamaran was the only down side.Views were amazing.I do not think the star fish were alive.

This was an outstanding day and should...

Elodie H,

Apr 2017

This was an outstanding day and should absolutely be added to your itinerary. The two different boat rides each are fabulous. The speedboat driver was so fun, and he stopped for us to watch dolphins play. The island is stunning and a little taste of paradise. Sandbar/starfish amazing photo opportunities! The only reason this is rated a 4, not a 5, is because of communication prior to the excursion. Our paperwork had a number for us to call and confirm our hotel pick-up. That took over 20 minutes and there was a huge language barrier and a lot of transferring of calls. We were told to be ready 10 minutes early for our 7am pick-up from the resort. To be safe, we got there at 6:40. We saw all the other hotel excursions leaving at 7, 7:15, 7:30... We then had the concierge call the numbers on our confirmation papers. The first was not yet open for business. The second was disconnected. The third finally answered and told us he'd be there in four minutes. He arrived almost 15 minutes later. Know that your pick-up may/may not be on time, and that there will be no text alert or communication about it. That was a frustrating was to start what ended up being a fabulous day. Some sort of text alert would make it so much less stressful.

Tour Guide was great and very...

bbarron1215,

Apr 2017

Tour Guide was great and very knowledgeable of areas as we drove to our destination. Comfy bus, though no restroom. Food was okay, but I didn't have high expectations after reading reviews. Unfortunately we got rained out while on the island and had to take cover, but my thought, I was there to get wet anyway! I enjoyed the catamaran trip and did see A starfish.