Isla Beata

Beata lies off Cabo Beata at the southwestern tip of the country, a low limestone island of about forty-one square kilometres inside Jaragua National Park, with no permanent civilian population beyond a small naval post and a few fishing camps. It matters biologically: the island and the smaller Alto Velo beyond hold endemic reptiles including a distinct subspecies of rhinoceros iguana, and the surrounding waters and beaches are important for turtles and seabirds. Visits are day trips by chartered boat from Bahía de las Águilas, landing on beaches of pale sand and clear water with nothing built anywhere on them, and are entirely weather dependent.

History

Europeans first came to Beata on Christopher Columbus's second voyage in 1494. Once home to Taíno people, the island became a possession of the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo and the Spanish Empire, and it saw various clashes between the Spanish and roving pirates. Roughly triangular, flat and about 41 km² in area, it now belongs with the smaller Alto Velo to Jaragua National Park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve (Wikipedia, Beata Island).

What's there

• The empty beaches - pale sand and clear water with no development at all.
• Endemic reptiles - iguanas and lizards found only here and on nearby cays.
• Alto Velo - the steep islet beyond, the country's southernmost point.
• The crossing - open water off the southwestern cape.

When to go

December to April has the calmest sea, though the waters off Cabo Beata are exposed and trips are cancelled often. Boats are chartered from Bahía de las Águilas or Pedernales and arranged locally. The whole trip depends on wind.

Before you go

This is a charter, not a scheduled service, and the cost falls on whoever books it, so it works out expensive for small groups. The crossing is exposed and frequently rough. There is nothing on the island: no shade, no water, no facility, and no help if something goes wrong. Park permission is required and is not always straightforward.

Nearby

Bahía de las Águilas is the mainland base; Pedernales is the nearest town.

Key facts