Cayo Arena, Paradise Island Tour: Explore the Beautiful Landscape and Marine Life of the North Coast

Embark on a thrilling adventure to Cayo Arena, also known as Paradise Island, and discover the stunning landscapes and vibrant marine life of the North Coast. Explore the mangrove jungle, snorkel among tropical fish and coral, and indulge in fresh fruits and drinks on the island. Don’t miss the chance to visit the local market on your way back!

Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Playa Ensenada - We pick up at the hotels in Cabarete, Sosua and Puerto Plata. We drive through the country side to Punta Rucia.
    At Playa Ensenada the Speed boat is waiting to take you to Paradise Island
  • Cayo Arena - Cayo Arena, the local name of Paradise Island. Here you will get fresh fruits and drinks, Snorkeling Gear and a guided

What's Included
  • Carbonated beverages
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch
  • Use of snorkeling equipment
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
  • Pictures from tour on a USB drive
  • Drinks with the lunch is not included
Additional Information

Discover one of the most picturesque islands on the North Coast, Paradise Island. It greets you with vibrant coral, pristine white beaches, and crystal-clear waters. Explore Monte Cristi National Park, where you will have the opportunity to wander through a mangrove jungle and observe the local fauna.
After we pick you up from your accommodation in


Location
Playa Ensenada
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(58 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Transportealeika
Apr 13, 2026
Excellent - excellent experience very beautiful
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Allison_m
Mar 3, 2026
Look no more! Highly recommend for island and mangrove tour - Extremely responsive in updating us with a pick up Time from our hotel. Bus was pleasant with AC and not overcrowded. We traveled in a Monday not sure if this had something to do with that. Crew was fun and accommodating. Lunch had great options for all types of palettes. We had our own personal attentive videographer and photographer Matis during the trip and he even dropped off our finished edited memory chip at our hotel the next day! Overall memorable experience and would highly recommend with our tour guide Izzy!
Review provided by Viator
417shelbyn
Jan 19, 2026
SO WORTH THE MONEY & AMAZING EXPERIENCE - We absolutely loved this experience!! The island was absolutely gorgeous. Crystal clear waters like the pictures, coral reefs with tons of fish, we got to feed some of them by hand, which was really fun. And all the gear was provided for us. If I had to give one negative it would be that the bus ride was really long
 over 2 1/2 hours. But the driver and host were very friendly, the bus was well ventilated and the time went by fast. After the snorkeling, we got to speedboat around the mangroves in the national park and that was so fun also. The lunch buffet that they provided was absolutely delicious! I would recommend this to anyone. It was once in a lifetime memorable trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Passenger743494
Dec 6, 2025
Wonderful! - Very nice activity, as described. The trip is a bit long but if you are a snorkeler, it is definitely worth it. We stayed 2 hours on the island, we saw a lot of fish. Then we visit the mangroves. A lot of fun! On the way back, we stop at a cigar and jewelry manufacturer who explains his work. No pressure to make purchases. People are friendly. The guide gives us information about the Republic in 4 languages. Very appreciated! A buffet is served upon return. Delicious! I liked everything about this outing!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Delia_v
Feb 22, 2025
Cayo Arena - From start to the finish we had a great experience. The bus trip was exceptional, the guide as well. The 12 km speed boat ride was impressive.
Review provided by Viator
Dirk_g
Jan 13, 2026
Great day trip - An overall very successful day trip to Cayo Arena near Punta Rucia. At first we took a minibus to Punta Rucia to change to a boat on the beach, which then takes us to the island – the trip was already a great experience. The small island/sandbank itself is fantastically beautiful, with crystal clear water and fine sand. Fruits and drinks were also offered on the island, including rum, which also provided a very good and relaxed atmosphere. Snorkeling was then on the agenda: You can see many different fish and you also get bread to feed/attract them. Definitely one of the highlights of the day. This was followed by a drive through the mangroves, which were especially popular in the 2nd century. Part was really fun due to the high speed and provided some action. Finally, there was a buffet that was fine – nothing out of the ordinary, but solid. In my view, the stoppage of sales in the so-called “cigar factory” was somewhat waived. Such visits are clearly designed for tourists, and the prices are correspondingly high. The tour guide and all the staff involved were easygoing, friendly and helpful at all times. Overall, the positive impressions clearly outweigh those. If you are looking for nature, sea and a beautiful snorkeling experience, this excursion is the right place for you.
Review provided by Viator
Julawry
Aug 27, 2025
cayo arena - cayó arena was an amazing experience , one of a kind, beautiful small island 10 minutes from shore in a speed boat . everything was good except the boat driver he seemed to have an attitude , looked like he didn’t want to be there , the other 2 guys were helpful and informative
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ben_a
Feb 19, 2026
Most honest review! Must read! - We were with them for 11h from pickup to drop off, 4h drive one direction, got on boat, and went to the island, max time spent on island is 1.5H and then back on boat, in some mangroves for 10min, back to bus and got lunch about a hour food was 6.5/10 and then drove back 4 hours and got dropped off, full day of driving for 1.5 hours of fun, tiny island with probably 300 people crowded on it, 25 people packed into each small boat, if I saw a honest review like this I probably wouldn’t have gone, but cool experience
Review provided by Viator
569trevm
Jan 17, 2026
A special place followed by the tourist trap - Paradise Island is a special place. It was great there. The food was basic but very good. I just wish the staff would have been more involved and excited. It seems as though they were just going through the motions. I also feel the cigar factory was just thrown in at the end as a tourist trap. It was a very short description of a cigar factory followed by a longer time of the employees trying to get you to buy something in their shop.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roam68169724402
Jun 17, 2025
Excellent adventure - Great experience, but way too long a trek. Left hotel at 6:30am returned at 8pm. Exhausting day. Snorkeling was amazing and the guide was very culturally proficient
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $89
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).