Beata Island, Protected island in Pedernales Province, Dominican Republic
Beata Island is a protected island off the southwestern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Pedernales Province, with a roughly triangular shape and a limestone base. Mangroves line its northern shore, while dense forest covers most of the interior.
Christopher Columbus reached the island in 1494 during his second voyage to the Americas and found Taino communities already living there. It was one of the earliest recorded encounters between Europeans and indigenous people in the Caribbean.
Fishermen from the nearby coast use the island as a temporary base, building simple wooden shelters with metal roofs for short stays. These basic structures are the only signs of regular human presence that a visitor will actually see on the ground.
Visiting the island requires advance permission from Dominican authorities, as it sits within a protected area. There are no facilities of any kind, so all food, water and supplies must be brought along.
The interior of the island hides numerous limestone sinkholes and cenotes beneath the forest cover, where feral pigs move freely. These animals are thought to be descended from domestic pigs left behind on the island long ago.
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