Saona Island Speedboat Adventure and Turtle Sanctuary Visit

Boarding in Puerto Bayahibe (3 minute walk from the hotel)
Your adventure starts with a smooth, quick check-in and boarding at Puerto Bayahibe, the lively marina just a 3 minute walk from our hotel. After a short stroll to the waterfront, you’ll meet our crew, get a brief safety introduction, and step aboard a fast motorboat ready for the ride to Saona. Settle into your seat, secure your belongings, and get your camera ready - the Caribbean views begin the moment we leave the dock.

2) Entering Cotubanamá National Park & cruising to Palmilla Beach (approx. 15 minutes)
After departing Bayahibe, we head out across the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea and enter the protected area of Cotubanamá National Park. From the sea side, you’ll see the coastline open up into a more natural, untouched landscape as we cruise along the park’s shores. The ride to Palmilla Beach takes about 15 minutes—a perfect moment to enjoy the ocean breeze, admire the changing colors of the water, and start feeling that true “Saona vibes” long before we reach the sand.

3) Palmilla Beach – iconic photo stop & first refresh in the water (15 minutes)
We then arrive at Palmilla Beach, a picture perfect spot famous for its curved palm tree - the ideal place for that must-have Caribbean photo. Here you’ll have time for a quick first dip in the warm, crystal-clear water and a moment to cool off and relax. We’ll spend about 15 minutes at Palmilla, because the next highlight is coming up fast: the Natural Pool, where you’ll have the chance to see starfish in their shallow, turquoise paradise.

4) Saona Natural Pool (Piscina Natural) -starfish spot & Open Bar (40-60minutes)
Next, we stop at the Saona Natural Pool (Piscina Natural) our trusted, carefully chosen spot known for its abundance of starfish in shallow, crystal-clear water. This is where the fun level goes up: it’s time for the OPEN BAR. Enjoy unlimited quality rum, mixed with Sprite (Santo Libre) or cola (Cuba Libre), or choose chilled water to stay refreshed. We’ll also serve fresh fruit to keep the tropical vibes going.

We’ll spend about 40-60 minutes here, giving you plenty of time to relax, sip your drink, and enjoy this unique natural “pool” before we continue the adventure.

5) Cruise to Catuano – TV show locations, mangroves & sea turtle spotting, then snorkeling
From the Natural Pools, we continue by speedboat toward Catuano, where we’ll dock at an old pier for our snorkeling stop. The journey itself is part of the experience: along the way we pass famous TV show filming locations—the “playground” areas used for worldwide hits like Exatlón and Survivor.

After that, we cruise past the mangrove forests, keeping our eyes on the water as we look for sea turtles in their natural habitat. It’s a beautiful, more “wild” side of the island—before we jump in at Catuano to explore the underwater world with a mask and snorkel.

6) Mano Juan fishing village – beach lunch at Flamingo Bar, village walk & turtle sanctuary (approx. 2 hours)
Next, we cruise from Catuano to the charming fishing village of Mano Juan (about 15 minutes by boat). Once we arrive, we’ll enjoy a relaxed lunch right on the beach at our restaurant, “Flamingo Bar” (check the reviews!).

We’ll spend around 2 hours here. After lunch, we’ll take a short walk through the village and visit the local sea turtle sanctuary, where our friend who has been working for 18 years takes care of incubating turtle eggs of the species found in Cotubanamá National Park: hawksbill (carey), green, and leatherback turtles. Thanks to this long-term effort, the turtle population in the area has grown many times over.

After the walk, it’s free time: you can relax on the beach, or head back to Flamingo Bar to taste some of the best cocktails on Saona.

7) Return journey with a beach stop - Playa Flamingo (El Toro Lagoon) (approx. 1 hour)
After we’ve eaten well and had time to relax in Mano Juan, we begin our return trip to Bayahibe but the adventure isn’t over yet. On the way back, we’ll stop for beach time at Playa Flamingo - "El Toro", a stunning spot set by a beautiful lagoon with calm, inviting water and postcard views.

We’ll spend about 1 hour here, giving you the perfect chance to sunbathe, swim, unwind, and enjoy one more slice of Saona’s natural paradise before heading back.

Reminder: throughout the entire trip, we have an OPEN BAR on board with unlimited rum and soft drinks, plus water to stay refreshed.

8) Final snorkeling stop – Magellan Beach reef, then back to Bayahibe (20 minutes + 5-minute cruise)
From Playa Flamingo – El Toro, we continue toward Bayahibe, with about a 35-minute cruise to Magellan Beach. Before entering the port, we’ll make one last highlight stop: snorkeling at Magellan Beach. We’ll spend about 20 minutes here, enjoying a beautiful reef with excellent snorkeling conditions—your final chance to get back in the water before returning to land.

After snorkeling, it’s just a short 5-minute boat ride to Bayahibe port, where we’ll dock and end the excursion.