Isla Saona’s low Caribbean shoreline off La Romana
Published on 09/12/2026 at 08:37 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Isla Saona off La Romana in the Dominican Republic is a low coral island where shallow Caribbean water, pale sand and mangrove thickets run into one another along a long shoreline. Set within Cotubanamá National Park in the extreme south?east of the country, it forms one of the better known offshore islands attached to the provinces of La Altagracia and La Romana.
A coral island shaped by sea and sand
Isla Saona is a tropical island of around 110 km² (42 sq mi), lying a short distance off the south?eastern coast of the Dominican Republic in La Altagracia province and administratively linked with La Romana.110 km² tropical island The island is largely low?lying, formed on coral and limestone, with beaches that slip gently into shallow Caribbean water rather than ending in cliffs or sharp drops.low?lying coral island
Along much of its coast, pale sand and coconut trees are interspersed with mangroves and lagoon?like shallows, giving many stretches a banded appearance of vegetation, sand and water. The surrounding Cotubanamá National Park covers a wide area of subtropical forest and marine habitat, and Isla Saona forms its seaward edge towards the open Caribbean.part of Cotubanamá National Park
History from Adamanay to Cotubanamá
Long before Spanish ships reached this corner of Hispaniola, the island was known to the Taíno people under the name Adamanay.Taíno name Adamanay In 1494, during his voyages through the Antillean Caribbean, Christopher Columbus stopped at the island on his route back towards La Isabela on the northern coast of Hispaniola and recorded an eclipse of the moon while sheltering with his ship in the channel now known as Catuano.Columbus visit in 1494
During that visit Columbus granted the island to his companion Michele da Cuneo, who renamed it Bella Savonese in reference to his home city of Savona in Italy; the modern name Saona derives from that form.Bella Savonese and the origin of Saona Centuries later, in the twentieth century, the island’s coconut groves were exploited under the rule of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, before national protection brought it into the framework of Cotubanamá National Park through decree 1,311 in 1975.decree 1,311 in 1975
Nature reserve at the edge of Cotubanamá
Isla Saona is designated as a government?protected nature reserve within Cotubanamá National Park, formerly known as Parque Nacional del Este.protected nature reserve The island sits near the fishing town of Bayahíbe, a recognised departure point on the mainland coast near La Romana, and is separated from the continent by the channel of Catuano, across which small boats and excursion craft travel.offshore of the south?eastern tip
Within the wider park, Saona contributes both terrestrial and marine habitats, with coastal forest, mangroves and offshore shallows forming a continuous belt. Studies of the reserve highlight the presence of a notable proportion of endemic Caribbean species on and around Isla Saona, underlining its role within the 791.9 km² expanse of Cotubanamá.extension of Cotubanamá National Park
Visiting Isla Saona: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Isla Saona lies offshore of the south?eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, opposite Bayahíbe and near La Romana, and is reached by boat across the Catuano channel from coastal ports in this part of the country.
- The island is largely low?lying, with long sandy beaches, areas of mangrove and shallow coastal water; visiting involves walking on sand and moving between beach and boat along simple coastal landings rather than paved piers.
- The surrounding Cotubanamá National Park brings subtropical forest and marine habitats close to Isla Saona, so views from the island take in both sea and stretches of protected mainland coast.
- The official language is Spanish and the currency is the Dominican peso.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Isla Saona on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Isla Saona
Where is Isla Saona in relation to La Romana?
Isla Saona lies off the south?eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, near the mainland towns of Bayahíbe and Boca de Yuma, and belongs administratively to La Romana province.
What kind of landscape should visitors expect on Isla Saona?
The island offers long sandy beaches, shallow Caribbean water, mangroves and areas of subtropical coastal forest, with low?lying terrain rather than hills or cliffs.
What makes Isla Saona distinctive within Cotubanamá National Park?
Isla Saona forms the seaward edge of Cotubanamá National Park as a protected coral island, combining marine and coastal habitats and carrying a notable share of endemic Caribbean species.
