If you are looking for an eco excursion without crowded beaches, this is the right one for you. We bring you to the places of interest away from the thousands of tourists that populate the catamaran beaches of Saona Island every day. The excursion is all about nature; with the feeling of a real adventure tour. We'll visit the three most remote beaches of Saona. Warm turquois waters, waving green palm trees and endless white beaches! With our experienced tour guides you not only see the beautiful island but also earn about the culture and wildlife such as Starfish and sea turtles.
After leaving Bayahibe we proceed along the coastline of the Cotubanama National Park until we get to the rocks of El Penon, once home to the aboriginal Tainos. Our experience tour guides will explain about their culture and the history of the place, giving you some interesting insight on the Dominican history and culture.
Our experience tour guides will explain about the rocks, the National Park and the Tainos, their culture and the history of the place. That will give you some interesting insight on the Dominican history and culture.
Our next stop is the charming fishing village Mano Juan, with no cars and only 300 inhabitants. Explore the village and learn about local life. You will visit the sea turtle project and learn about these beautiful creatures. The project is aiming to increase hatchling survival to stabilize the population.
Canto de la Playa: the most remote corner of Saona Island with crystal clear waters and untouched nature. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and relax under the palm trees, enjoy a drink or go snorkeling in the shallow waters. The bay is protected by the reef barrier and the water is no more than 5 feet / 1.5 meter deep, making it ideal for beginning snorkelers. Canto de la Playa is also known for being the filming location of some well known movies.
Our third beach stop is at Catuano Beach which is SeavisTours' concession beach. A beautiful beach lined with palm trees and gifted with crystal clear water and pure white sand. Here you will enjoy a traditional Dominican BBQ lunch buffet. Afterwards, you can relax on one of the beach chairs or hammocks spread around the beach.
Now we will pass the Mangroves on our way to the channel that separates Saona Island and the mainland. The mangrove forests are the nursery of the ocean through the protection and food they provide. The government has recognized the importance of this area and since September 2013 it is closed for all boat traffic. We will go along side the mangroves.
Our last stop and one of the Highlights of the excursion is at the "Piscina Natural", the famous natural swimming pool. This large sand bank is well-known for the indigenous starfish which really do live there! We locate our boat in an excluded spot, so you feel alone in the middle of the ocean and can see the starfish in their natural habitat among the grasses. Learn about these fascinating animals and get some insight on why they are so special. The water is shallow -even far from the shore it will never be more than waist deep- and the colors of the water are incredible turquoise and blue.
Enjoy our office space after arriving back from the excursion, have a refreshing drink until you are ready to leave.
Please enter you Hotel name and Location as the pick up location. Generally Pick Up is at 07:00 AM at the front gate of your hotel. In case there is any difference for your hotel we will send you specific pick up details including pick up location and pick up time depending on your specific hotel.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Eco Saona Island Excursion from Punta Cana lasts about 7–8 hours. The itinerary has 8 stops.
Prices start at $155 per person for this Dominican Republic experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Yes, pickup is offered. Please enter you Hotel name and Location as the pick up location. Generally Pick Up is at 07:00 AM at the front gate of your hotel. In case there is any difference for your hotel we will send you specific pick up details including pick up location and pick up time depending on your specific hotel. Pickup points include JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar.
The experience is available in DE, EN, NL, ES.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 24 participants.
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 119 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by SeavisTours.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
This review is for goods customer service rather than the actual trip... We booked this trip but had to change dates a couple of time before having to cancel altogether (my 6 year old daughter was full of cold). Throughout the process, SeavisTours couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating.
Excellent organization, good timing for organizing the different stops of the tours. Special mention for Adalberto, cordial and attentive. The photographer needs to improve his customer service manners. It takes away your desire to buy from him, it seems like he is in a bad mood.
Hola sof_ar110, Muchísimas gracias por su reseña! Nos alegra mucho saber que la organización y los tiempos del recorrido fueron de su agrado. Le pasaremos su especial mención a Adalberto, le dará mucho gusto saber que su atención cordial hizo la diferencia en su día. Por otro lado, gracias por comentarnos lo del fotógrafo, ya que esto nos ayuda a mejorar siempre la calidad de nuestro tour. Le agradecemos de corazón por compartir su experiencia con nosotros, esperamos verles de nuevo en un futuro viaje.
We booked the "Saona Island Excursion – Saona Private Excursion" as the closing activity of our week in Punta Cana and, overall, we enjoyed it: the crew was friendly and we had the flexibility to decide when to leave each stop. But several things fell well short of what you'd expect from a tour marketed as premium, private and exclusive. First, the water. The only water available on board came from a barrel with a tap — it was not bottled mineral water. On a tour at this price point, having mineral water bottles available to guests should be the bare minimum. Second, the promise of privacy. The boat is private, yes, but the itinerary is anything but exclusive: every single stop was packed with tourists, at exactly the same spots where the large party boats anchor. Outside of the boat itself, we never had any sense of privacy. Third, the included lunch. We understand it's advertised as typical Dominican food, but both the quality and the variety were disappointing. The restaurant right next door had barbecue options that smelled fantastic and beer available — on our tour there were no alternative options at all, and no beer included, either at lunch or on the boat. These are small comforts, but they're exactly what separates a premium tour from an ordinary one. I sent this same feedback directly to the organizer before writing this review and never received a reply, which reinforces the impression that the after-sales follow-up also needs work. Would I recommend it? Possibly, for anyone who just wants a comfortable boat and flexible timing — but with adjusted expectations, and not at the price of an exclusive service.
Hi Marcos717171, Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback with us. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our friendly crew and appreciated the flexibility on timing throughout your day. At the same time, we are sorry to hear that certain aspects of the tour did not match your expectations. As mentioned in our direct message to you, we always strive to offer a seamless, relaxed alternative to the large party boat crowds. To clarify, the national park is a public space and no company can offer a private beach on Saona. However, we always do our best to time our stops when locations are least crowded. Regarding the water on board, as an eco-conscious company, we use large dispensers of potable water rather than single-use plastic bottles, which is both part of our green commitment and required by national park regulations to reduce plastic waste. We are also sorry that our buffet lunch - which includes stewed chicken, fried fish, two rice dishes, tomato spaghetti, fresh salad, and fruit—did not live up to your personal taste. We always aim to be transparent, and this menu is fully detailed in our tour description prior to booking. Finally, we appreciate your patience regarding our reply to your direct message. We always prefer taking the time to review and address detailed feedback thoroughly rather than rushing out a quick response. Despite these points, we hope you were still able to take home some wonderful memories of your time in the Dominican Republic.
We booked the small-group excursion to SAONA departing from Punta Cana, with Ingrid, on July 13, 2026. It was simply magical! Ingrid is great, very good atmosphere in the small group (several nationalities) and the places visited were simply wonderful!! Simply our best excursion in the Dominican Republic! (to the point that we recommended it to another group of French people at our hotel, who booked right away). To be done again if we come back!!!!
Salut Z134IJcatherineg Un grand merci d'avoir pris le temps de nous laisser ce super avis ! Nous sommes vraiment ravis de savoir que cette journée à l'île de Saona a été votre meilleure excursion en République Dominicaine. Nous allons transmettre vos compliments à Ingrid et à toute l'équipe, ils seront enchantés de savoir que leur bonne humeur et la belle ambiance du groupe ont rendu ce moment si magique. Un énorme merci également de nous avoir recommandés aux autres voyageurs français de votre hôtel : c'est vraiment la plus belle des récompenses pour nous tous ! Pour rappel à nos futurs voyageurs, nous proposons cette excursion en anglais, espagnol, néerlandais et allemand. Ce fut un vrai plaisir de vous accueillir, et nous espérons avoir le bonheur de vous revoir lors d'un prochain voyage !
We had an amazing experience on the Seavis VIP Tour to Saona Island. The whole day was incredibly well organised, and it was by far the best Saona tour I’ve been on. A special thank you to Ingrid, who made the trip so memorable. She is such a kind and thoughtful lady, checking throughout the day that everyone was okay and enjoying themselves. She explained everything in detail, which made each stop even more interesting. She even brought along snacks and made sure we had plenty of time at each location without ever feeling rushed. One of our favourite parts was visiting the little village on the island. It was lovely to explore, meet all the friendly dogs, and enjoy the delicious food there. We also really enjoyed the turtle sanctuary—it was such a sweet and fascinating experience. Unlike previous Saona tours I’ve done, there was no unnecessary waiting around or wasted time. Everything ran smoothly, and we were back at a very reasonable time while still feeling like we’d experienced everything the island had to offer. I would highly recommend the Seavis VIP Tour to anyone visiting the Dominican Republic. Thank you, Ingrid, for making it such a wonderful and unforgettable day!
Hi Lauramae1804, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a glowing review! We are absolutely thrilled to hear that this was the best Saona tour you’ve experienced and that the entire day ran so smoothly from start to finish. We will be sure to pass along your wonderful feedback to our team—they work so hard to ensure every guest feels genuinely cared for and has the best experience possible! Mano Juan, the only town on Saona Island, is truly worth visiting. It is such a beautiful place, and we love giving our guests enough time to get the real island feeling. Thank you again for your high recommendation. It was a true pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you back on a future trip!
My girlfriend and I took the full day speedboat tour of Saona Island in July of 2026. We enjoyed the tour, the guide, the food, everything...except the photographer. Michael (a tall black guy) was our "photographer" for the trip. We were even told that we didn't need to bother taking pics with our phones because Michael would capture everything and we would be able to buy the pics for $50 at the conclusion of the tour (this is also advertised on their website). We did NOT ask Michael to take a bunch of pictures of my girlfriend and I. We weren't on a honeymoon or anything like that. Michael too pictures of us posing in different positions, several times throughout the day. At no point did he tell us that we would be paying more than the advertised $50 for the photos. He was doing the same thing with another couple who was on their honeymoon and some of the other families. We didn't think much of it. When the tour was over, Michael told us our pics would cost us $160 (a dollar a pic). We were shocked!!!! First off, he didn't take that many pics of us...hell, I didn't take that many pics at my wedding!!! I told him that was outrageous, but would give him $100 as a gesture of good faith. He refused. I then requested the scenery pics that he was supposed to be taking as part of the $50 package. He refused to sell those to us. I spoke to the lady in charge at the beach office and she said that he should have told us ahead of time about his little independent operation and that there was nothing she could do. This was very unprofessional and somewhat of a "bait and switch" operation that was being run. I'm glad that we did take pics with our own phones. When I emailed Laura (the contact I had been corresponding with during and after the booking) about this she offered to sell me the scenery pics for $30 as a gesture of her good faith. She sent me 2 screenshots of what was supposed to be 29 pictures. There were 24 pics in the attachments that I opened (16 that were full pics and the rest were cut off in the middle of the pic). Furthermore, most of these pics were the pics on their website!!! I could simply click on them and save them directly to my computer without paying anything. I thought this was an insult and very cheap to try to pass off pics that were supposedly from our trip (and other trips as she indicated). I guess she thought I wouldn't notice...but I did. Overall, the tour was worth it, but beware of the PHOTO SCAM!!!! Make sure you ask if the pics that any of their "independent" photographers take are going to cost you more that the ADVERTISED PRICE OF $50. I've attached the screenshots that Laura sent me to support what I've included above.
This trip was great and my 21 year old and 10 year old both loved it. The island was beautiful, the experience was remarkable and we felt safe. My 10 year old enjoyed the speed boat and the dogs on Saona island the best. Myself and my 21 year old enjoyed the snorkeling the best. The food served on the island was typical Dominican food and was delicious. Joy was our guide and she was very nice and informative and makes me want to be an ex-Pat and move to a tropical pandas. Luis was our driver from Punta Cana and he was great and reliable.
Hi michellerC1133BU, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review! We are so glad to hear that your whole family had a great day on the water and that both your 10-year-old and 21-year-old had such a fantastic time and felt safe throughout the entire trip. The thrilling speedboat ride, the friendly island dogs and the great snorkeling make a wonderful combination for different kinds of people to enjoy our excursion. We will be sure to pass along your kind words to our team. Joy will be thrilled to know she made such a great impression (and inspired a few tropical dreams!). Thank you again for joining us and we hope to welcome you all back to paradise in the future!
Ingrid and her tream were exceptional!! My family and I enjoyed the entire day! Lunch was delicious but I would say for large groups have more fruit.l lol
Hi Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely review! We are really happy to hear that Ingrid our team made the day so exceptional for you and your family. It is fantastic to know that everyone of your family enjoyed the tour and that you loved the lunch! We also really appreciate your suggestion about adding extra fruit for larger groups—feedback like that is always super helpful as it helps us to make our tour even better. We would be happy to welcome you again on a future trip!
Unbelievable day out! Speed boat tour with multiple stops! Ingrid and her team were fantastic and it was an experience we'll never forget!
Hi jayhH5219DC, Thank you so much for leaving such a wonderful review! We are absolutely thrilled to hear that you had an unbelievable day out and an experience you'll never forget - that is exactly why wo do what we do! We will be delighted to pass along your fantastic feedback to our team—they always work hard to make sure every stop is packed with fun and great memories. Our team says hi and we would be very happy to welcome you again on a future trip!
Our experience with Seavis Tours on Saona Island was simply spectacular! From the beginning to the end, everything was perfectly organized. Joy was super sweet and kind, and Idalberto, our guide, was excellent, very attentive and fun. The food was delicious, the photographer Héctor Positivo captured incredible moments, and the boat driver made the entire trip safe and enjoyable. Everything was wonderful! An unforgettable experience and definitely one to repeat. We recommend them 100%.
Hola yeni8006 ¡Muchísimas gracias por tus palabras tan bonitas! Nos hace superfelices saber que todo el equipo dio lo mejor de sí para hacer que tu día fuera especial y que sentiste que todo estuvo superbién organizado. Ten por seguro que le pasaremos tu mensaje a todo el equipo. ¡Nos encantaría volver a compartir otra aventura contigo en el futuro!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eco Saona Island Excursion from Punta Cana | 7–8 hours | 4.8 (119) | $155 | |
 Saona Island Day Trip From Punta Cana with Lunch and Open Bar | 9 hours | 4.3 (3,315) | $82 | View |
 Punta Cana: Saona Island All-Inclusive catamaran drinks and lunch | 7–8 hours | 3.8 (69) | $75 | View |
 Saona Catamaran Island Lunch and Transfer from Punta Cana | 8h 40min | 4.6 (35) | $62 | View |
 Punta Cana Zipline Adventure with Buggies and Horseback Riding | 6 hours | 4.9 (5,396) | $100 | View |
 Monkeyland and Plantation Safari Tour from Punta Cana | 6 hours | 4.8 (4,813) | $95 | View |
 Punta Cana Airport Private Transfers to Hotels | 15 min | 4.9 (4,616) | $23 | View |