Saona is a national-park island off the south-east coast, and almost every operator in both towns sells a day there. The island does not change; the journey does. Bayahibe is the near port, Punta Cana the far one, and the difference shows up in the price, the hours and how early the bus comes. Prices read on the operators' own pages on 2 October 2026.
- The same day from two towns
- What $65, $85 and $90 buy from Bayahibe
- From Punta Cana: $89 and $90
- How many people are on the boat
- When a private boat makes sense
The same day from two towns
Dominican Emotion runs one four-stop day and sells it from both towns, which makes the comparison clean: $90 per person from Bayahibe, 8:30 to 17:00, against $120 from Punta Cana, 7:00 to 19:00. Same boat, same stops, $30 and two hours of your day apart.
The stops are Canto de la Playa, the village of Mano Juan, a beach for lunch and the Piscinas Naturales, with about 2 hours 30 at the lunch beach and about 50 minutes at the sandbank.
From Bayahibe
Saona Island Tours is the cheapest full day at $65 per person: out one way by boat and back the other by catamaran, with a buffet lunch and drinks on the beach. Which way round depends on daily operations and sea conditions rather than on the booking.
Saona Island Stars charges $85 per adult for the same pairing of boat and sailing catamaran, with the Piscina Natural and a beach for lunch. Pick-up from Bayahibe hotels is 09:00–09:15, and cancellation is free until noon the day before.
From Punta Cana
PUNTA CANA TRIP charges $89 per adult and includes the crossing by catamaran or boat, a snorkelling stop with gear for hire, a buffet lunch and the natural pools with starfish, with Mano Juan as an optional visit. Cancellation is free 24 hours ahead, with a full refund if the operator cancels.
Eco Adventures is $90 per adult with a buffet by the shore and an open bar. It runs daily from Punta Cana and Bayahibe, but only on Thursdays from Playa Nueva Romana, Juan Dolio and Boca Chica — worth checking if you are staying further west. It also prints a peso figure beside the dollar one: 5,490 DOP per adult.
How many people are on the boat
This is the number that changes the day most, and it is published least consistently. Dominican Emotion caps its Lancha Rápida or Motomarán at 35. Saona Island Stars takes up to 50 on its catamaran day, which runs on Fridays — not a quiet sail.
A private boat
Saona Island Stars runs a private boat at $700, about thirty minutes out on a 200 or 400 hp vessel, with lunch at the quiet beach of Mano Juan and a stop to feed the fish on the way back. Booking from a Bayahibe hotel takes $100 off, so $600 for a couple; from Punta Cana the discount is $50.
Against $85 per adult on the same operator’s shared catamaran, the private boat never wins on money: two people pay $170 shared against $600–700 private, and four pay $340 against $720–820, since each guest beyond two adds $60. What it buys is a different kind of day, not a saving.
The Saona days side by side
| Operator | From | Hours | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saona Island Tours | Bayahibe | full day | $65 per person |
| Saona Island Stars | Bayahibe | 09:00–09:15 pick-up | $85 per adult |
| PUNTA CANA TRIP | Punta Cana | 8–10 hours | $89 per adult |
| Dominican Emotion | Bayahibe | 8:30–17:00 | $90 per person |
| Eco Adventures | Punta Cana | full day | $90 per adult |
| Dominican Emotion | Punta Cana | 7:00–19:00 | $120 per person |
| Saona Island Stars, private | Bayahibe | full day | $700 per boat |
Questions people ask
How long does the day really take?
PUNTA CANA TRIP gives its day as both 8 hours and approximately 8–10 hours. Plan for the longer figure, particularly if you fly that evening.
Is photography included?
Not with Dominican Emotion: the photo service is $45 and sits outside the price.
What time does the bus come?
Saona Island Stars collects in Bayahibe between 09:00 and 09:15 and in Punta Cana and Bávaro between 07:00 and 08:00. Eco Adventures sets the time by where your hotel is.
