The 8 Best Island Hopping Sailing Trips in Punta Cana

1.Catamaran Boat to Saona Island with Buffet Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,822 reviews · 8 hours · from $82Our pick

Travel by bus, speedboat, and catamaran from Punta Cana to Saona Island. Swim in a starfish-filled natural pool, enjoy a Dominican buffet, relax on white sand, and return with music and dancing. Guides may include Christian, Alex, Eduardo, or Juan. The day is fun but often lasts 12 hours.

“christian was an amazing tour guide who provides an amazing vibe to the trip. very versatile in both english and french. the bus ride was a little long but the bus had ac and pit stop for the washroom. The bathrooms on saona was disgusting but other then that you definitely get your moneys worth with the lunch buffet and open bar. My favourite part of the trip was the dancing girls on the catamaran.”

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2.Saona Island Catamaran Tour with Food & Open Bar

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 380 reviews · 8 hours · from $67

Spend eight hours traveling from Punta Cana to Saona Island by bus, speedboat, and catamaran. You will stop at the Natural Swimming Pool, eat a Dominican buffet, and get beach time with an open bar. Guides may include Indiana Jones, and pickup varies by hotel or Airbnb.

“Saona Island is a beatyfull place 🏝️ But you should not expect 4 hours at the island. Expect more time travelling and time to stop at the souvenir shop than descibed. So if you have a lot of patience this tour is great and recommendable. Remember to bring water for the bus - no drinks are provided in the bus.”

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3.Catamaran/Speedboat Tour to a Dream Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 315 reviews · 7 - 10 hours · from $89

From Bayahibe, you’ll reach Saona Island by speedboat and sailing catamaran, with 2.5 hours on the beach, buffet lunch, open-bar drinks, music, and a 30-minute natural pool stop. Guides such as Christian, Juan, and Paula have earned warm praise for their care and energy.

“it was one of the prettiest beaches we‘ve been and not to forget the guides, especially andy:)”

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4.Saona Island Full Day Excursion from Punta Cana + Catamaran Party

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 103 reviews · from $79

Spend about nine hours traveling from Punta Cana to Saona Island by road and boat. You will stop at a natural pool, eat a Dominican buffet, enjoy white-sand beaches, and join a catamaran party with music, dancing, and drinks. Guides such as Enrique and Danny have earned strong praise for friendly service.

“It was a great pleasure, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Thank you, Will. First time going to isla saona and it was the best time will definitely recommend to other families and friends.”

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5.Saona Island Tour All Inclusive Speedboat and Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 33 reviews · 10 hours - 630 minutes · from $70

Spend a full day traveling from Punta Cana to Bayahibe, then by speedboat to Saona Island. You’ll stop at a starfish natural pool, enjoy two hours of beach time, lunch, local drinks, and a catamaran ride back. Guides speak English, French, and Spanish.

“Massentourismus pur. Das Wasser ist über die Jahre durch den Massentourismus ki plett zerstört. Überall im Wasser liegen Knochenreste vom essen und das Wasser ist aufgrund 100 er Bote aufgewirbelt. Man erkennt überhaupt nichts einfach nur Müll. Bist 3 h unterwegs weil der Bus diverse andere Touristen von hotels einsammeln, voll mit Urlaubern aus frn Nachbarländern (Kolumbien, Kuba etc.). nicht zu empfehlen!!”

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6.Catalina Island Swim, Sail & Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 20 reviews · 8 hours · from $79

From Punta Cana, ride by air-conditioned bus to the La Romana area, sail toward Catalina Island, snorkel at the Caribbean Sea Coral Reef Wall, then spend about four hours on the beach with lunch, drinks, and snacks. Your return ride ends with bachata and merengue lessons.

“Perfect tourist guide who can speak more languages. We had enough time in the island to snorkelling. There is beautiful places, white sand and turquoise sea. Really good day.”

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7.Saona Island Catamaran and Speedboat …

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 16 reviews · 10 hours · from $57Best value

Spend about 10 hours traveling from Punta Cana to Bayahibe, then to Saona Island by speedboat and catamaran. You will swim at a shallow natural pool, eat a Dominican-style buffet, and return with music and an open bar. Federico has led small, well-run groups, but transfers can be slow.

“El servicio pésimo, llegaron retrasado a buscarnos al hotel, luego estuvimos casi una hora en una gasolinera subiendo y bajando de buses porque no tenían coordinadas las cantidades, al llegar a bayahibe nos subieron en una lancha y luego de eso estuvimos en cada parada máximo 20-25 minutos. Al terminar el tour almorzamos donde nos comentan que después de almorzar nos vamos en 30 minutos, terminamos de almorzar y volvimos 2 horas después al bus recién. En ese bus había gente esperando dos horas que se completaran los asientos, nosotros también esperamos 30’minutos más. Finalmente esas 10 horas que aparecen en el tour son 4 o 5 de solo traslado…”

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8.Saona Island All Included Open Bar Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 15 reviews · 8 hours · from $76

Travel from Punta Cana to Bayahibe, then cruise to Saona Island by catamaran with local drinks, Dominican music, lunch, and beach time. A multilingual guide leads the day in English, Spanish, French, or Afrikaans. The return includes a speedboat stop at a shallow natural pool filled with starfish.

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