1. Snorkeling in the Dominican Republic: do it in Isla Saona
   Isla Saona is the largest island to see in the Dominican Republic. It is located in the south of the country and is part of the Cotubanamá or Eastern National Park. Surely you have already heard about this excursion that tourists who travel to Punta Cana usually take, but we are going to give you some recommendations so that you can fully enjoy this experience in which one of the essential plans is snorkeling. And it is that Saona Island is known for its beautiful coral reefs and its great diversity of fauna, such as turtles, crabs and starfish. For this reason, on your trip to the Dominican Republic you cannot miss the snorkeling equipment: goggles, tube and fins.

As we said, travelers usually take a roundtrip excursion to Saona from Punta Cana, but it is worth doing it from Bayahive if you visit this little fishing village. From here the island is closer and the tour is cheaper.

If you want to make a quiet journey to Isla Saona, it is better to hire an excursion on a covered boat, which admits fewer passengers. Always ask the route to know what stops are made in advance and for how long.

One of the best known spots for snorkeling in Isla Saona is Playa de Pepe. It is a paradise in itself, with white sand and crystal clear waters, but do not forget to submerge yourself to contemplate its reef. Other interesting stops on this excursion are the Mano Juan Turtle Sanctuary, the walk through the mangroves -an ecosystem of trees resistant to salt water- and the Natural Pool, where the famous Caribbean starfish lives. If you are a responsible traveler, limit yourself to contemplating them with your snorkel equipment, without touching or picking them up, as it is harmful to them.

Excursions to Isla Saona usually include lunch, but if you go on your own, you will find good fish in the small fishing villages in the area.

2. Horseback riding and hiking to Salto del Limón… with a happy ending!
   Considered one of the best waterfalls in the Caribbean, the route to the Limón Waterfall is one of the best excursions you can do in the Dominican Republic if you visit the Samaná peninsula. Reaching the waterfall, more than 40 meters high, is quite a reward after traveling the path on horseback or on foot.

The path allows you to enjoy the tropical forest, full of coconut palms, has steep ups and downs and takes a little more than half an hour walking and about 15 minutes on horseback, an alternative for all audiences, the latter.

Once you have reached the top of the impressive Salto Limón, it is time to bathe in its pure and crystalline waters. The bravest can take the plunge by jumping from the waterfall. Just to live this experience is worth traveling this route.

As this is a highly demanded excursion, it is important to start it very early and thus avoid traveling the trail with too many adventurers.

3. Trekking to Pico Duarte, the best viewpoint in the Dominican Republic
   If you are a trekking lover, among the excursions to do in the Dominican Republic you have the opportunity to climb the highest peak in the Antilles, Pico Duarte. With its more than 3,000 meters of altitude, it allows you to enjoy the best panoramic views of the country.

The effort is worth it. During the walk to Pico Duarte, the abundant green vegetation is the protagonist, with large forests of Creole pines and ferns. Thanks to this, trekking can be done in a much cooler environment than other areas of the Caribbean. In fact, at dawn, temperatures drop below zero degrees in the highest areas. Another attraction of the route is the source of the two main rivers of the Dominican Republic: Yaque del Sur and Yaque del Norte.

4. Kayaking in Los Haitises National Park, a 100% sustainable excursion in the Dominican Republic
   Los Haitises National Park is a dense humid coastal forest in the south of Samaná Bay made up of 56 keys and a large area of ​​mangroves. But the true protagonists of Los Haitises are the mogotes or “lomitas”, karstic mounds up to 40 meters high that emerge from the sea, the lagoons and the land, all covered by vegetation.

You can enjoy the excursion to Los Haitises on foot, but nothing like touring the park by kayak to explore inaccessible areas and the diversity of species, such as dolphins, whales, manatees, birds and reptiles. As important as the natural heritage of the park is the artistic legacy left by the Taínos, natives of the area. To contemplate it, do not forget to visit the caves of the San Lorenzo Bay and its surroundings to see the cave paintings, petroglyphs and bas-reliefs.

Without a doubt, Los Haitises is one of the best kayak excursions that you can plan in the Dominican Republic in a 100% sustainable way and in total harmony with nature.

5. Diving in La Caleta National Underwater Park, one of the best dives in the Caribbean.
   In the Dominican Republic there are many places to dive. The Dominican seabed is considered one of the most beautiful and diverse in the world, as it hosts true spectacles of shapes and colors, thanks to the coral reefs and species.

The La Caleta National Underwater Park, located east of Santo Domingo, is the first underwater park in the country to be declared a National Park and experts consider it to be one of the best diving areas in the entire Caribbean. It can be explored by divers of all levels and has depths of up to 180 meters, spread over three well-defined terraces.

La Caleta is famous for its multiple shipwrecks, caves and coral reefs, which serve as a refuge for abundant marine life: groupers, puffer fish, rays, lion fish, octopus and turtles. One of the main attractions of the excursion is the Hickory, a ship that was artificially sunk in 1984 in order to stimulate the development of species. The underwater park is also an ideal place for technical diving thanks to its impressive karst rock system, which creates a network of underwater caverns and tunnels over 100 meters long.