Punta Cana & the Southeast
There’s a reason why boatloads of tourists descend upon this island every day. The powdery, white-sand beach doesn’t seem real from afar, and a dip in the aquamarine surf is a gentle restorative, while palm trees provide a natural awning from the intense sun.
All of this would be perfect if it weren’t for that ear-splitting dance music that’s blasted from competing sound systems and the vendors wandering the beach in search of those in need of hair braiding, shells and other knickknacks.
There isn’t much coral to speak of, since much of it has been damaged by heavy boat traffic and inexperienced snorkelers. Most of this 12km-by-5km island is taken over by various companies and all-inclusive resorts that have set up lounge chairs, small dance floors, bars and buffets. Mano Juan (population 500) is the only established community on the island, which is separated from the mainland by the narrow Paseo del Catuano.
The majority of visitors are ferried to Bayahibe early in the morning from resorts further east and expect a booze-cruise-like experience, and usually aren’t disappointed. Most trips include a catamaran ride out to the island and then a speedier motorboat trip back, or vice versa (plus, admission to the park is included). A stop at the piscina natural, a shallow sandbank that extends far from the shore and has crystal-clear water, often includes young Dominican men and women wading through the water serving up glasses of rum and soda to tourists in need of a drink. The buffet lunch tends to be large and quite good.
Unless you specifically request a trip that avoids the standard stops, don’t expect a peaceful paradise, much less a protected national park. The dive shops in Bayahibe tend to offer more rewarding trips that stop for lunch at Isla Saona, but only after visiting other spots for hiking, snorkeling or both. Every hotel, restaurant and shop advertises Saona trips with little variation in quality and price (US$45 to US$80).
Parque Nacional Cotubanamá
16.06 MILES
Much more than simply Isla Saona, which is all that most people see on a group tour, the Parque Nacional Cotubanamá (formerly known as Parque Nacional del…
Padre Nuestro
17.25 MILES
Located deep inside Parque Nacional Cotubanamá, Padre Nuestro is a weaving stalagmite- and stalagtite-filled 290m tunnel flooded with freshwater that can…
Altos de Chavón
22.85 MILES
While a trip to a faux-16th-century Italian-Spanish village created by a Paramount movie-set designer won’t exactly give you a window into Dominican…
Cueva del Puente
14.73 MILES
Parque Nacional Cotubanamá has more than 400 caves, many of which contain Taíno pictographs (cave paintings) and petroglyphs (rock carvings)…
Isla Catalina
25.65 MILES
In the 15th century, pirates including Francis Drake would lurk around Isla Catalina, waiting to pounce on Spanish ships sailing to and from Santo Domingo…
Casa Ponce de León
19.31 MILES
Just east of the two-lane highway linking Higüey to Boca de Yuma, outside the small town of San Rafael del Yuma, is a fine rural Dominican town surrounded…
Isla Catalinita
3.45 MILES
This tiny uninhabited island on the eastern edge of Parque Nacional Cotubanamá is a common stop on snorkeling and diving tours. Arriving on the island’s…
Parque Nacional Cotubanamá – Eastern Entrance
15.03 MILES
There's little formality or information available from this entrance as few people enter here (and nobody is around to collect an entrance fee), but there…
1. Isla Catalinita
3.45 MILES
This tiny uninhabited island on the eastern edge of Parque Nacional Cotubanamá is a common stop on snorkeling and diving tours. Arriving on the island’s…
2. Cueva del Puente
14.73 MILES
Parque Nacional Cotubanamá has more than 400 caves, many of which contain Taíno pictographs (cave paintings) and petroglyphs (rock carvings)…
3. Parque Nacional Cotubanamá – Eastern Entrance
15.03 MILES
There's little formality or information available from this entrance as few people enter here (and nobody is around to collect an entrance fee), but there…
4. Cueva de Berna
15.26 MILES
This large cave, with scattered Taíno pictograms (and graffiti) and stalactite and stalagmite formations, is several kilometers west of Boca de Yuma on…
5. Parque Nacional Cotubanamá
16.06 MILES
Much more than simply Isla Saona, which is all that most people see on a group tour, the Parque Nacional Cotubanamá (formerly known as Parque Nacional del…
6. Playa Dominicus
16.14 MILES
The advantage of staying in Dominicus Americanus is being able to walk to Playa Dominicus, a beautiful stretch of thick, nearly white sand, with good…
7. Padre Nuestro
17.25 MILES
Located deep inside Parque Nacional Cotubanamá, Padre Nuestro is a weaving stalagmite- and stalagtite-filled 290m tunnel flooded with freshwater that can…
8. Playa Bayahibe
18.08 MILES
Much of Playa Bayahibe, the town beach to the right of the parking lot, is occupied by dozens of motorboats waiting to ferry tourists to Isla Saona…
For Explorers Everywhere
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