Bayahibe: a village, a national park and the boats to Saona
Bayahibe is a fishing village on the south-east coast that became the departure point for Isla Saona, and never quite became a resort strip. It is small, low-rise and walkable, the water is calm, and it sits at the edge of Cotubanamá National Park — which is why the diving here is the best in the country and why the day trips leave from its beach rather than from Punta Cana.
What it actually is
A few streets of painted houses, a church on the point, a beach with fishing boats drawn up on it and a row of restaurants facing the sea. You can walk all of it in twenty minutes. There are large all-inclusives just outside, on Dominicus beach, but the village itself stayed a village.
That makes it unusual on this coast: somewhere with all-inclusive resorts that also has a place to walk to in the evening, eat where local people eat, and see fishermen come in.
Saona and Catalina leave from here
Isla Saona sits inside Cotubanamá National Park, and the boats go from Bayahibe — which is why a Saona trip from Punta Cana starts with an hour and a half in a bus to get here. Staying in Bayahibe removes that from both ends of the day.
Saona
Palm beaches, a sandbar in the middle of the sea, and a village on the island. Every operator sells a version; the difference is the boat, the group size and whether lunch is a buffet on a beach with two hundred people.
Catalina
Smaller, closer, and the better snorkel of the two. A wall dive on one side that is among the best in the Caribbean.
The park itself
Mangroves, caves with Taíno petroglyphs, and protected reef. Entry is regulated and guided.
The diving
Bayahibe is the Dominican Republic’s dive base: protected reef inside the national park, the St George wreck, the Atlantic Princess, and the Catalina wall. Visibility is good most of the year and the sites are a short boat ride out. If anyone in the party dives, this is where to stay.
The beaches
Playa Bayahibe
The village beach, small, with boats. Calm and fine for a swim, not a lounging beach.
Playa Dominicus
Ten minutes away, wide, Blue Flag, with the resorts behind it and public access at one end. The proper beach day.
Saona
The postcard, an hour out by boat.
Getting here
La Romana airport is about 25 minutes away and is the closest. From Punta Cana airport it is roughly an hour and a half, and from Santo Domingo about two. If the trip is built around Saona and diving, flying into La Romana saves a long transfer at both ends.
Keep planning
La Romana · Punta Cana · Punta Cana Airport
Traveler questions
Why do Saona trips leave from Bayahibe?
Is Bayahibe better than Punta Cana?
Which airport is closest?
Is the diving good?
Which beach should I spend the day on?
Sources
- Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourismgodominicanrepublic.com · checked 2026-09-25
