Merengue, Bachata und
Salsa-Rhythmen
Saona Island or
Isla Saona



The Saona is a tropical island located a short distance from the mainland on
the south-east tip of the Dominican Republic, near La Romana Province. It is a
government protected nature reserve and a popular destination for tourists from
all over the Dominican Republic, thousands of people arrive in fleets of
catamarans and small motorboats every day. The Island is famous for the natural
beauty of its beaches, and has been used on many occasions by film-makers and
advertisers looking for a stereotypical 'desert island' setting for their film
or product. It is promoted amongst European visitors as the setting for the
famous Bounty chocolate bar adverts.



The seas around the Island are rich in wildlife, with many species of birds and
tropical marine fish, and there are large areas where natural sandbars offshore
bring the depth to just a few feet. These are once again popular with the
tourist trade, with small boats stopping hundreds of meters off the beach and
disgorging tourists into the waist-deep shallows where they snorkel, drink and
check out the fields of starfish indigenous to the region.





History of Saona Island

The Island Saona was baptized "Saona" by Christopher Columbus, who
discovered it in may 1494 on his way to the Americas. The name was meant to
honor the commune of Savona, where Columbus lived at the time. Columbus named
Michele da Cuneo, his friend and a savonese himself, first governor of the
island. Saona Island and the modern city Savona, in Italy, still have twinning
relationships; the small power plant in Saona Island is a gift of Savona.





The Visit to Saona Island - Tour Guided



Colonial Tour and Travel: This is a excursion you have to do when staying in Punta
Cana, La Romana, Bayahibe, Boca Chica, Juan Dolio or Santo Domingo. While
the journey to the island can be an adventure that is part of the fun. Colonial
Tour and Travel offer you this beautiful excursion. This is the chance of a
lifetime. Picking you up form the hotels in Drive to the charming fishing
village of Bayahibe, where we will board an Incredible Catamaran to the Saona
Island. Spend the morning taking in the natural beauty is of this national park
with its pristine white beaches and the marvel­ous clear Caribbean waters.
Volleyball, meringue and salsa dancing, an open bar, will be followed by a fine
barbecue/buffet lunch. After lunch we’ll head back to the mainland, with a stop
for a swim in a natural swimming pool. Our Catamaran will bring you back
to Bayahibe, where we’ll disembark and board our bus for Altos de Chavon, a
perfect recreation of a 15th century Mediterranean vil

lage. Enjoy a relaxing to visit the impressive amphitheater, small
church, art galleries, bou­tiques and a great view of Rio de Chavon.



Our bus picked us up at our resort, and grouped us by language. The boats were
large and the ride was dry. The tour ran from 9 am - 5 pm, and the trip to the
island was about an hour and a half via the scenic route. The island itself offered
us plenty of lounge chairs on the beach, lots of souvenir shacks, and the most
beautiful scenery. Lunch was served, but the choice was limited (especially if
you don't like seafood). A bar was available for drinks, and the music was
lively. They provided a volleyball area, if laying around or walking along the
beach is too boring for you.



On the way back, they stop at the "natural pool". This is an area of
the sea that is very shallow and warm (waist deep). They stop to allow you to
swim, and take pictures of the star fish (lots of them around).



It was a very nice tour, especially prepared for you!!!