Bayahibe and Isla Saona, Dominican Republic

For our first big weekend trip since arriving in the Dominican Republic, we headed east to Bayahibe. This small fishing village is the jumping off point for Isla Saona, which we had been told was one of the most beautiful parts of the Dominican Republic. The drive is easy as most of the route is on a newly constructed highway. If you stay on the highway, the trip takes about 2 hours. On the way there our Garmin routed us through some towns, however, as I believe some stretches of the highway are closed for repairs. But on the return trip we managed to stay on highways almost the entire way.

Bayahibe itself is a very charming village right on the water which has a good mix of tourists and locals. While many tourists choose to stay in one of the small inns in Bayahibe, we saw a parking lot filled with dozens of coaches that presumably brought cruise ship passengers to Bayahibe en route to Isla Saona. Bayahibe itself never felt crowded, as the cruise ship passengers go directly from the beach where the Isla Saona tours drop off directly to the parking lot to catch their ride back to their cruise ship. At about 5 p.m., you can watch a flotilla of catamarans and speed boats come racing back to shore to drop off all of the people who ventured to Isla Saona during the day. 

We were so happy that we chose to stay in Bayahibe and not at one of the all-inclusives. We stayed at a local inn called Villa Iguana. The inn's website makes it seem as if though it is a German-themed in, but we found that it is German only in the sense that it is German-owned. At breakfast it seemed that most of the other guests were American or Canadian. From the inn you can walk to a number of great seaside restaurants that are locally owned and have a nice atmosphere. From Bayahibe you can watch the sunset and  listen to the gentle sounds of the ocean as you wash down your meal with an ice-cold Presidente. We liked a seaside shack that had a surfboard as a table and had a great view of the harbor.

For our day trip, we booked the VIP Saona tour with ProExcursions for US$130. It was without question an amazing experience which we highly recommend. Most tourists opt for the US$50 day trip, which includes a speed boat out to Isla Soana and a catamaran trip home (with a stop at the Natural Pool to see the giant starfish). All of the tours include lunch on the island, which featured the local lobster. Incidentally, when you snorkel you can also see this species of lobster hiding in the reefs. You can see from the pictures below that the scenery on Isla Saona is simply hard to describe in words. Enjoying this island together with the Natural Pool via Pro Excursion's catamaran was the best way in our opinion, and we were glad we paid the extra money for a smaller group (the limit is 25 people on board). If you want a more private tour, there are dozens of local boatsmen who will sell an ad-hoc day trip. Simply go to the harbor in the morning and you can work out a price. 

If you want to immerse yourself in a quaint Dominican fishing village where the palm trees sway in the salt air, roosters wake you at dawn, and locals share a Presidente at the local watering hole, then Bayahibe is a great option.

A colorful house in Bayahibe.

Looking out over Bayahibe from our hotel balcony.

The view of Bayahibe from our hotel balcony.

The Bayahibe harbor.

The Bayahibe harbor on a cloudy day.

Sailing en route to Isla Soana.

Isla Soana, Dominican Republic

Isla Soana, Dominican Republic

See the washed-away pier to the right? That is one of the snorkeling sites included in most tours. The pier was destroyed by Hurricane George, and now is home to reef fish and lobsters.

Isla Soana, Dominican Republic

Isla Soana, Dominican Republic

Isla Soana, Dominican Republic

Isla Soana, Dominican Republic

Isla Soana, Dominican Republic

Isla Soana, Dominican Republic

Isla Soana, Dominican Republic

Isla Soana, Dominican Republic

The so-called Natural Pool, where you can pick up giant starfish.  You can also see the private yachts of wealthy residents from Casa de Campo, which is a short boat ride away.

After the free rum starts flowing, dancing naturally follows! Here the staff leads a dance on board the Pro Excursions catamaran tour.