Paradise Island & The Mangroves (Cayo Arena)

Paradise Island & The Mangroves (Cayo Arena)

Paradise Island & The Mangroves (Cayo Arena)
4.5
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
About
Escojan cual de nuestras embarcaciones los transportan hacia la fantástica isla de Arenas Blancas, Aguas Turquesa y una brisa fresca de Océano atlántico. Asombrosos arrecifes de coral y gran variedad de coloridos peces que podrán disfrutar con nuestro "Snorkeling". Además visitaras los fantásticos manglares en el Parque Nacional de Montecristi y aprender acerca de las maravillas de la naturaleza.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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See what travelers are saying
  • Mark B
    2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful be wary of where you stay.
    The people are very friendly, the food and drinks were great, and there are many interesting and beautiful sights to see in Puerta Plata. However, be wary of staying at Lifestyle Holiday Vacation Club. Again, the staff was great, the food and drinks were great, but we got stuck in two Villas that were poorly maintained and unsafe in places. Crown Villa 10 and Crown Villa 71. No handrails to the pool, steep steps with no slip strips (two out of five us slipped), roof leaked and I almost slipped going to the bathroom at night, power was out for almost half a day, can’t drink the water or put toilet paper in the toilet. There is a waste basket by every toilet. I would never trade my timeshare for this brand. However, I would recommend going to Puerta Plata.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 11, 2024
  • Andy Camejo
    Bronx, New York9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful beach
    I recently had the pleasure of staying at Paradise , and my experience was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment I entered the lobby, I was greeted with warmth and hospitality. The staff was incredibly attentive, ensuring that every aspect of my stay was perfect.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written April 25, 2024
  • Rita Travels
    San Francisco, California3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Truly Paradise.
    This Island is truly paradise in the middle of the ocean. The only down side is that because its so small, there aer a lot of people there all at one time and when there is a group that is all about drinking, its very loud and not really enjoyable. Great snorkeling here. Water is pristine. It would be great if the trips of different companies were spaced out so that they don't all overlap at the same time.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written April 29, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,331 reviews
Excellent
891
Very good
268
Average
90
Poor
50
Terrible
32

Salla
Turku, Finland50 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
First things first: it's not an island. Our trip happened during high tide and there was basically a 15 x 40 meter strip of sand full of people and small huts to serve them. The waves sometimes flushed over the whole "island".

The snorkeling was fine, the waves made it quite hard. I would've wanted to enjoy the corals more, but was advised to come back were everyone else was: standing in the sand looking at grey fish while the guides threw bread for the fish. The corals actually were quite nice and you could see colourful fish there.

However it wasn't really worth it, as there was nothing else to see on the island. We stayed in the water almost the whole two hour stay, as there were so many people there. Indeed the surroundings were nice, but the amount of people was just crazy.
Written January 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rita Travels
San Francisco, CA3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Solo
This Island is truly paradise in the middle of the ocean. The only down side is that because its so small, there aer a lot of people there all at one time and when there is a group that is all about drinking, its very loud and not really enjoyable. Great snorkeling here. Water is pristine. It would be great if the trips of different companies were spaced out so that they don't all overlap at the same time.
Written April 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jennifer & Randy
26 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
Paradise Island/ Cayo Arena is a small Island in the Ocean you can only reach by boat. We purchased an excursion thru our resort. It included a scenic bus ride to the area where we boarded a yacht, and a stop at a natural pool. The water is beautiful and clear, you see the bright turquoise water against the darker blue water from the boat. After the natural pool we went to Paradise Island, called Cayo Arena by locals. It is a piece of paradise in what seems like the middle of the ocean. The sand is white, the water is clear, and there are lots of fish to see while snorkeling. My husband snorkeled while I sat in the sand and drank a few rum and cokes, because I don’t swim, even with life jacket I’m not comfortable in water. But I could still walk a few feet into the water and see fish. Afterwards, the boat took us thru the mangroves. We hoped to see manatee in the water but didn’t. We ate lunch and had drinks at the Paradise Island Beach Resort after the trip. Pricey but beautiful trip, worth the money.
Written May 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mark B
2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
The people are very friendly, the food and drinks were great, and there are many interesting and beautiful sights to see in Puerta Plata.

However, be wary of staying at Lifestyle Holiday Vacation Club. Again, the staff was great, the food and drinks were great, but we got stuck in two Villas that were poorly maintained and unsafe in places. Crown Villa 10 and Crown Villa 71. No handrails to the pool, steep steps with no slip strips (two out of five us slipped), roof leaked and I almost slipped going to the bathroom at night, power was out for almost half a day, can’t drink the water or put toilet paper in the toilet. There is a waste basket by every toilet.

I would never trade my timeshare for this brand.

However, I would recommend going to Puerta Plata.
Written February 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dodie V
Niagara Falls, Canada18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
Well worth it! Book yourself online much cheaper. We booked through Eric tours ourselves. Matteo was an amazing guide
You are not allowed to wear any shoes on the island due to bringing back sand to the main land.
Fresh pineapple, watermelon and bananas are given to you. Run and coke is supplied. Sprite is also supplied. Bring bread or banana to the fish while snorkeling and they will come to you
The lunch was delicious.
Long day but well worth it
Written April 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wendy C
Morgantown, PA14 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Family
This was well worth the money! Amazing team provided a thoroughly wonderful time. It is a long day! Be prepared. Plenty of fun and sun.

Also it is crucial that you bring CASH with you for tips and photos. These guys work so hard and probably lose out on tips because no one brings it.
Written July 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ana M
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023 • Family
Trip was amazing! Booking with William is extremely easy and pleasant. We were able to book from New York and he arranged everything for us. His brother Fernando and his wife were great during the whole trip, at all times we were safe and had so much fun! It is our second time booking trips with William and definitely recommend him.
Written January 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andy Camejo
Bronx, NY9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Family
I recently had the pleasure of staying at Paradise , and my experience was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment I entered the lobby, I was greeted with warmth and hospitality. The staff was incredibly attentive, ensuring that every aspect of my stay was perfect.
Written April 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

travelersK&W
Fredericksburg64 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
My wife and I booked this trip through Applevacations. It cost $83.00 per person. We were picked up at 7:40 to go to the island. On the way we made several stops to pick up additional guests. While this is understandable it took an inordinate amount of time to get to the dock where the boats were. The boat trip over was very nice and similar to other trips I have taken in Belize. Upon arriving at the island we were shocked at the number of people there. Lots of people and (at least in our group) chaos. We were told to wander about and that we could get our snorkeling gear in about an hour. This is a SMALL island. No where to wander to. After a long and hot hour we did get our gear and opted to go with the guide around the reef. The fish were great and the water clear. The guide however, stomped on coral a couple of times which was heartbreaking.

Upon the end of the tour (about 30 minutes) we had to wait an additional hour to get back on the bus. Then they took us a different (LONG) way back that consumed the rest of the day and evening. We had lunch at a local restaurant that was terrible.

My advice would be to avoid this tour. I'm sure you could arrange for a snorkeling trip with another guide and go to a less crowded place. This tour is more of a bus ride.
Written February 18, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sloweyka
birmingham29 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We booked our paradise Island Trip through the plaza at playa dorada, cheaper than holiday reps

Our group of 8 adults and 2 children were collected from our hotel at 7.30am in a comfortable airconditioned bus, we off for a rest at approx 9.30am and then continued our journey over the roughest terrain to a restaurant for lunch at about 11.15am, the scenery was beautiful and thought provoking. At the restaurant it was typical dominican food buffet style.

We then continued our journey to the beach to get the boat to pardise island. As we got off the coach local children gathered round and begged for peso's, we had sweets my partner was mobbed.

After waiting about 20 minutes we all got on to speed boats (which supplied life jackets) and travelled over to paradise island, this took about 15minutes, the first sight of pardise island was breathtaking, a small island, housing about 5 little open huts, with cystal clear ater and coral surrounding it.

When we got onto the island we had a briefing from the tour guide, you could go with a rep for a snorkel to see the coral further out, we opted to stay near the island, my children are 3 and 7 and would not be able to swim out so far. The sea was shallow, but a deffinate tide was strong and pulled you further out. I snorkelled close to the island, feeding brightly coloured fish banana's.

The island was extremely windy at times, but very hot. Refreshments were available of fruit and soft drinks and rum.

After 2 and half hours we left the island and took a tour in the speed boat round the mangroves.

We got off the boat and started the journey home, we stopped briefly at a local cigar factory and shop.

The day was very long and we arrived back about 6.30pm, but a recommend this trip for an adventure and also an insight into the country.
Written February 4, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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PARADISE ISLAND & THE MANGROVES (CAYO ARENA) (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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