Saona Island day trip

A long day, and the one most people book. Saona is a big, flat, protected island inside Cotubanamá National Park, off the southeast corner of the country, with palm-backed beaches along its south and west sides and only two settlements: the fishing village of Mano Juan and a navy post at Catuano.

From the Bayahibe and Dominicus resorts the boats are a short drive away, which spares you the long bus ride guests from Punta Cana face. The standard trip goes out by speedboat and back by catamaran (or the other way round), with a stop at the natural pool, a shallow stretch of sand offshore where starfish lie on the bottom. Leave them where they are, since lifting them out harms them. Lunch is a simple buffet on the beach with rum and soft drinks. The main beaches get crowded and the snorkelling is thin, and vendors sell massages, cigars and piña coladas. Say no once and they move on.

Pricier small-group boats head further round, to Canto de la Playa, a lagoon and beach on the remote side, and to Mano Juan, which has a turtle sanctuary and can be walked in 15 minutes. You can also take the public boat from Bayahibe to Mano Juan and spend the day there on your own.