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Saona Island or Isla
Saona
The
Saona
is a tropical island located a short distance from
the mainland on the south-east tip of the Dominican
Republic, near La Romana Province. It is a government
protected nature reserve and a popular destination for
tourists from all over the Dominican Republic, thousands of
people arrive in fleets of catamarans and small motorboats
every day. The Island is famous for the natural beauty of
its beaches, and has been used on many occasions by
film-makers and advertisers looking for a stereotypical
'desert island' setting for their film or product. It is
promoted amongst European visitors as the setting for the
famous Bounty chocolate bar adverts.
The seas around the Island are rich in wildlife, with many
species of birds and tropical marine fish, and there are
large areas where natural sandbars offshore bring the depth
to just a few feet. These are once again popular with the
tourist trade, with small boats stopping hundreds of meters
off the beach and disgorging tourists into the waist-deep
shallows where they snorkel, drink and check out the fields
of starfish indigenous to the region.
History of
Saona Island
The Island Saona was baptized "Saona" by Christopher
Columbus, who discovered it in may 1494 on his way
to the Americas. The name was meant to honor the
commune of Savona, where Columbus lived at the time.
Columbus named Michele da Cuneo, his friend and a
savonese himself, first governor of the island.
Saona Island and the modern city Savona, in Italy,
still have twinning relationships; the small
power plant in Saona Island is a gift of Savona.
Our tour to Saona Island Catamaran- Speedboats :
Colonial Tour and Travel:
This is a excursion you have
to do when staying in Punta Cana, La Romana, Bayahibe, Boca Chica, Juan
Dolio or Santo Domingo. While the journey to the island can be an adventure
that is part of the fun.
Colonial Tour and Travel offer you this beautiful excursion. This is the chance of a lifetime.
Picking you up form the hotels in Drive to the charming
fishing village of Bayahibe, where we will board an Incredible Catamaran to the Saona Island. Spend the
morning taking in the natural beauty is of this national park with its pristine white
beaches and the marvelous clear Caribbean waters. Volleyball, meringue and
salsa dancing, an open
bar, will be followed by a fine barbecue/buffet lunch. After lunch we’ll head back to
the mainland, with a stop for a swim in a natural swimming pool. Our Catamaran will bring you back to Bayahibe,
where we’ll disembark and board our bus for Altos de Chavon, a perfect recreation of
a 15th century Mediterranean village. Enjoy a relaxing to visit the impressive
amphitheater, small church, art galleries, boutiques and a great view of Rio de Chavon.
Our bus picked us up at our resort, and grouped us by
language. The boats were large and the ride was dry. The tour ran from 9 am - 5 pm, and
the trip to the island was about an hour and a half via the scenic route. The island
itself offered us plenty of lounge chairs on the beach, lots of souvenir shacks, and the
most beautiful scenery. Lunch was served, but the choice was limited (especially if you
don't like seafood). A bar was available for drinks, and the music was lively. They
provided a volleyball area, if laying around or walking along the beach is too boring for
you.
On the way back, they stop at the "natural pool".
This is an area of the sea that is very shallow and warm (waist deep). They stop to allow
you to swim, and take pictures of the star fish (lots of them around).
It was a very nice tour, especially prepared for you!!!
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