Isla Catalina — Local services in La Romana

At 750 AM we took a small bus from our hotel about 20 minutes to the meeting spot where we joined with people from several other people from other resorts on a larger bus. Then we had about a 40 minute ride to Romana where the divers and snorkelers are geared up and given a safety brief (This was with Scuba Caribe, booked through our hotel). From there, it was about a 20 minute boat ride to the island to the island itself. Please note that once you leave your hotel, you most likely won't have access to a restroom until you get to Romana. Everyone got off of the boat there and we were given instructions about food, drinks, shopping, etc. In our case, there were people to set up beach chairs for us- these were free. Umbrellas were available but these were an additional charge. There are several palm trees that you could get shade under, but you would just have to chase the share as the day went on. Then you are approached by several people who have products and services that they want to pitch you-several small shops with handmade and commercially made souvenirs and a massage booth, for the most part. They aren't super pushy or aggressive, though. The beach is very clean but the sand is deep and gets very very hot. In fact, this would be a good time to point out that I would suggest a long sleeve swim shirt, cover up, etc. I had a pretty good tan going in and used a ton of sunblock but still I almost got sunburned by the end of the day. This is NOT the day to skip on sun or skin protection, because this is an ALL DAY trip. We then had a guided snorkeling adventure right at the beach. There is a separate snorkeling and swimming area and they are both clearly marked. The divers are taken by the boat to their area and of course the location is dependent on the wind/ weather. We saw some cool things, even though the water was somewhat dirty in some places. You can choose to either snorkel with the guide, without the guide, or not at all. Then you will have some time to burn swimming, sunbathing, shopping, or walking the nature trail as this is a national park. We saw several species of lizards on a short walk. They had two bars side by side; one was free and that included water, Sprite, and beer. The other was the "premium" bar which was cash and was other alcoholic drinks. There they charged $12 for one small pina colada. I ordered one and watched as the bartender made it. He had me taste it and to his credit it was good, but I have him a $20 and he just took it without offering any change. That was pretty much when I decided not to spend any more money on this island. At 1 PM, they served lunch that was included with the trip. This was Dominican food and it really was pretty good. The way it works is that you just go through the line with a plate and serve yourself for the most part except for the hot food, which is portioned or to you. Then you go under a large tent with tables to sit and eat. At 2:45 in the afternoon, we all boarded the boat and returned to Romana. We saw some type of shark on the way back, which was really exciting for everyone on the boat. When you get back, you pretty much do the same thing in reverse until you get back to your hotel. We did tip our snorkeling guide because he was funny and because he took a lot of time to explain things and show us fish and other creatures on the bottom of the ocean. You should definitely pack towels and possibly a dry change of clothes, along with bottles of water if you have the space to carry it. There is water in the boat and island but they'll only pour you small cup fulls and then you feel obligated to tip... It's almost like you feel discouraged from drinking water and this is definitely a day when you need to hydrate. At the end of the day, we had a good time snorkeling but benefit of hindsight I would've opted for one of the other excursions. The bulk of what we did was lie on the beach and we could've done that at the hotel. From what I've heard, I would choose the excursion to...

Catalina Island or Isla Catalina is a tropical island located 1.5 miles from the mainland on the south-east corner of the Dominican Republic, near La Altagracia and La Romana. It is an occasional destination for cruise ships on Caribbean routes. In particular, Costa Cruises has a private beach on the island. Their ships anchor offshore and transport passengers to shore via tender. On December 13, 2007, the shipwreck of a 17th-century merchant vessel was found at a depth of three meters roughly 70 meters off of the island. It has since been identified as the pirate Captain William Kidd's 1699 Quedagh Merchant, also known as the Cara Merchant, according to Kidd's original testimony during his trial prior to his hanging on May 23, 1701. A team of researchers from Indiana University led by Charles Beeker, Director of the Office of Underwater Science at Indiana University, first discovered the wreckage in 2007 and have since established a Marine Protected Area in an attempt to preserve both the archaeological remains of the shipwreck and its surrounding reef ecosystem. The famed shipwreck has been nominated as a Living Museum in the Sea. Living Museums in the Sea is a program started by Charles Beeker with the goal of protecting submerged cultural and biological resources...

Welcome to this private island... designated by its owner, the Dominican Republic, as a National Monument...

Therefore, unlike other islands where you can simply take your own personal boat and visit, you either need to be on a cruise ship, or get government permission to go...

Once there, its been historically known for its pristine beach and clear waters, and a simple relaxing vibe with not much else to do but swim...

but as of lately, beachside art galleries and shop stalls have been under construction... eager local stall managers are anxious to solicit your business now, just like other Carribean island destinations... special shout out to stall #15, "Danny's Shop," who gave me a free wooden souvenir necklace as a welcome...

HIGHLIGHTS: a big dance floor hut with awesome music if you feel the need to bust some moves... and a local crew of dancers and singers who are at the dock once...