Cayo Arena (Paradise Island) tours: prices and how to go

Shared tour with hotel pickup

Runners Adventures runs a 10-hour Cayo Arena day for US$95 per adult, US$75 per child aged 3 to 12, with infants free. It picks up in Cabarete, Sosúa, Cofresí and Puerto Plata, drives to Punta Rusia on La Isabela Bay, then takes a boat through mangroves in a national park, where manatees are sometimes seen, for about 45 minutes. The price includes a buffet lunch, national park admission, an official guide, snorkel gear, soft drinks and water; guests sign a liability waiver (Runners Adventures).

Cruise passengers cannot book Runners directly: it says its tours can only be bought through the cruise line (Runners Adventures). See our cruise shore-excursions hub for port logistics.

Private tour for your group

SG Caribbean Transfers & Tours sells Punta Rusia and Cayo Arena as a private full day, 8:00 am to 5:30 pm, with ground and boat transport, a Dominican buffet lunch and water, soda and beer. Its price calculator shows US$123.95 per person (US$619.75 in total for the group size shown), tours need at least four guests, and groups of seven or more can ask for a better rate. Pickups are in Sosúa, Puerto Plata and Cabarete (SG Caribbean).

Punta Cana · Photo: Leonardo Rossatti / Pexels

From Buen Hombre, by boat or kite

Kite Buen Hombre leaves from Playa Buen Hombre, about 14 km from the cay, from US$65 per person, by boat or, for experienced kiters, as a downwinder back to Buen Hombre for the same price. It says the drive to Buen Hombre takes about three to four hours from Cabarete and a little longer from Puerto Plata, and that it can arrange transport in its own van for up to 14 people; other operators leave from Punta Rucia, about 20 to 25 minutes away by boat (Kite Buen Hombre).

AGK Kite School's Buen Hombre retreats also include a Paradise Island excursion along with transport and food (AGK). If you are combining the trip with lessons, our Cabarete kitesurfing guide compares schools and wind months.

When to go and what to bring

Kite Buen Hombre says mornings are best for the boat trip all year round, and afternoons for kitesurfing, when the wind is strong and steady. There are no toilets on its boat or on the sandbank, so plan a stop before you leave. Snorkel gear is included and the boat has shade; bring reef-safe sunscreen, a rash guard, a hat, water, a towel and a waterproof phone case (Kite Buen Hombre). Runners asks guests to bring swimwear, a towel, sunglasses and sunscreen (Runners Adventures).

Which option fits

Staying in Puerto Plata, Sosúa or Cabarete without a group: the shared tour is the simplest, with pickup, lunch and the park fee in one price. A family or group of four or more who want their own boat and schedule: compare the private quote. Already in Buen Hombre, or learning to kite there: the short boat ride from the village is the cheapest published option. For more days out on the north coast, see excursions in Puerto Plata and the 27 Charcos of Damajagua.