Casa Rosada — Hotel in Saona Island

We completely loved our stay at Casa Rosada. It was indeed the highlight of our trip to Republica Dominicana. Casa Rosada & Isla Saona are basically a hidden gem. Many people do not even know that you can sleep at Isla Saona. In total, we stayed four nights at Casa Rosada and it was outstanding! Gaby really made us feel at home. Her cocktails were amazing! Peter took also very extremely good care of us during our stay. He was so welcoming & nice! The sunsets were just out of a vacation postcard. The rooms were also very modern & clean (for a 400 people island). The hammocks, chaise longs & beach equipment were very new & comfortable.

How to get there: We came to Mano Juan with the public transfer from Bayahibe. It leaves from Bayahibe everyday at 09h and leaves from Mano Juan at 14h. Just ask for “Bienve” at the Bayahibe dock. It cost us 2.000 pesos for a round trip (two way).

What to do: At Isla Saona, we went to Playa “El canto” (our absolute favorite) and Playa “el Toro”. Playa “el canto” is an amazing beach with white sand and crystal blue water, you cannot miss it. The best time to go there is early in the morning or around 12h, when all the tourists are leaving. You can go there by bike (30 min). Bikes are available for free at Casa Rosada. On the other hand, we found Playa “el Toro” quite overrated and the smell due to “la laguna” was awful. It is not worth going.

You need also to bear in mind that Isla Saona is an island where only 400 people live. So come here if you want to relax and escape from the crowds at the resorts. However, do not expect so much luxury (we did not have hot water during our stay and the water in the bathroom at Casa Rosada was sea water, since there is not a desalination plant on the island right now). Do not expect also too much activity during the night.

All in all, our stay at Casa Rosada was the BEST place to stay at Isla Saona. Staying there was like a dream and by far our highlight of our trip to Republica Dominicana. Thank you very much Gaby for sharing your piece of...

First of all, the vibe here is great. To get here is challenging, there are only 2 public boats (1000 DOP/1 way) from bayahibe, and so many private boats which charge a lot. The house is right on the beach, with sun beds, hammocks, dining area and lounge patio all included. The swim equipment (kayak, paddle board, surf boards) and bikes are included. The food is great, a little pricey compared to other options from island, but definitely the portions here are bigger and the food is tastier. The service varies from 30 minutes up to 1:30 h. The rooms are small, the bathroom too. It would be nice to have regular cleaning service because it easily gets dirty. It has wifi (sometimes low) and warm water. The hosts...

Casa Rosada is by far the best place to stay on Saona Island. I stayed three nights and met people who were staying at other places… everyone was almost jealous that we were lucky enough to book the rooms (they only have 9 rooms btw).

Casa Rosada is actually located on the beachfront, best part of the village. It is clean, beautiful and has a wonderful vibe!

Don’t expect a 5-star hotel on an island that is a part of a national park. It is pretty basic but functional, sufficient and truly pretty… and the hostess, Gabriela, with her amazing passionfruit mojitos as well as her super helpful recommendations definitely deserve a...