Saona, La Altagracia Province, The Dominican Republic
🇩🇴 Saona Island (Spanish: Isla Saona) is a 110 square kilometer tropical island located off the south-east coast in Dominican Republic's La Altagracia province. It is a government-protected nature reserve and is part of Parque Nacional Cotubanamá.
There are two permanent settlements, the towns of Mano Juan and Catuano. Mano Juan is a fishing village with wooden houses and "Catuano beach" has a detachment of the navy.
The island is a popular destination for tourists from all over the Dominican Republic, who arrive in fleets of catamarans and small motorboats on organised excursions every day. It is known for its beaches, and has been used on a number of occasions by filmmakers and advertisers looking for a stereotypical "deserted island" setting for their film or product.
Such notable films include Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), and The Blue Lagoon.
Santo Domingo Time
