Catalina Island
News

Falling in Love With Catalina Island

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - July 11, 2016

The untouched paradise of Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic

By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

Can you fall instantly in love with an island you’ve never even spent the night on? I ponder this question as a strip of palm-fringed sand comes into focus.

Catalina Island Beach

Sandwiched between sapphire seas and cerulean skies, Catalina Island is swiftly revealing her beauty, seducing me just as she no doubt did Christopher Columbus, who landed on this paradise, about a mile offshore from La Romana on the Dominican Republic’s southeast coast, back in 1494.

Catalina Island

Today, centuries later, I’m as beguiled as the explorer, although I’m arriving not with a conquering armada but with a catamaran excursion from RIU Republica, a couple of hours away in Punta Cana. The resort, which opened just a month ago, offers day trips to the 3.5-square-mile uninhabited isla, now designated a national park.

Catalina Island Beach Boat

While Catalina is open to everyone, Scuba Caribe, the hotel’s water sports tour company, has snagged exclusive access for RIU guests to the beach club here that’s managed by Casa De Campo.

Catalina Huts

Which means that when we disembark and settle ourselves, we soon realize that we have all the ingredients for a perfect playa day here on the coral island’s western tip: Sand as fine as sugar; refreshingly cool water that laps the shore and takes our cares with it; leaning palm trees for shade; and a tranquil ambience uninterrupted by blaring reggaeton or the buzz of jet skis. Topped off with a barbecue lunch and cerveza service right to our water’s-edge lounge chairs, it’s the quintessential Caribbean beach experience packed into one perfect afternoon.

So when, three short hours later, we pull away from Catalina, and Bob Marley via the catamaran’s CD player plaintively asks, “Is this love that I’m feeling?” I know, without a doubt, that the answer is yes.

Popular Posts beach house silversands

Why Grenada Is a New Caribbean Luxury Hotspot

From its world-renowned chocolate to its pristine beaches to a region-leading focus on sustainability, Grenada is as fascinating and unique as destination as you’ll find in the Caribbean.  But in the last few years, the lush Eastern Caribberan island has […]


5 Adults-Only Resorts to Visit Right Now in the Caribbean 

galley bay

Sometimes you just want that extra degree of serenity, of privacy, of seclusion. There is a reason, after all, that adults-only resorts are booming in popularity, particularly in the Caribbean: travelers want to know that when they arrive, they know […]


The Best Caribbean Islands to Visit This Summer, From Antigua to St Croix

verandah antigua

We’ve been saying it for years, and we’ll keep saying it: in some ways, the Caribbean is even better in the summer months. The water is warm. It’s a bit less crowded, a little bit quieter. At night, the trade […]


Related Posts an aerial view of the new resort at casa de campo in the dominican republic

The Newest Luxury Resort in the Dominican Republic Is Now Open

The Dominican Republic is now home to its most anticipated new luxury resort in years: the new wellness-focused Premier Club at Casa de Campo in La Romana. The new resort-within-a-resort is the first phase of a $90 million expansion for […]


US Virgin Islands, St Maarten Top Caribbean Visitor Growth 

us virgin islands st maarten

The US Virgin Islands and St Maarten are leading the way for international visitor growth in the Caribbean right now, according to new data from analytics firm ForwardKeys.  The United States Virgin Islands saw a 22 percent increase in international […]


Caribbean Cruises Are Back in a Big Way  

royal caribbean grand bahama

The Caribbean tourism industry has rebounded spectacularly from the pandemic – and so, too has the cruise sector. Plainly, Caribbean cruises are back in a big way, according to travel agents.  More cruise ships, some larger, are sailing, operating at […]


SUBSCRIBE!

Sign up for Caribbean Journal's free newsletter for a daily dose of beaches, hotels, rum and the best Caribbean travel information on the net.


No. Thank You