CAYO LEVANTADO — It’s a White Lotus moment. We’re boarding a boat that will take us 10 minutes across the water to a dock lined with twinkling lights and smiling people waiting to greet us.
I’ve arrived at Cayo Levantado, a tiny tropical island with the Caribbean Sea at its shore off the coast of Samaná Bay in the Dominican Republic.
This five-star, all-inclusive resort opened in 2023, and features local design and authentic architecture, with materials and details “made from Dominican hands,” as our hosts say, with great pride.
There are 218 suites and villas, and the local community and the natural elements work in tandem to provide a guest experience that I feel is a call to sustainable luxury.
But before I even step on the dock or even boarded my flight to the D.R., Cayo Levantado resort ambassadors have sent me an email, inviting me to “enjoy the hidden rhythm of the island, enjoying our four paths and choosing the ideal one for you,” and to complete a survey to let them know what exactly I hope to achieve during my visit.
When I arrive, I meet my ambassadors in real life; they’re available 24/7 so tag team while I’m there.
The resort gives its guests a choice of four wellness paths: Refresh, Restore, Relax or Renew. Do I need to kick-start better nutrition? Check. Makeover my fitness routine? Yup. What about really, finally, learning how to meditate and make it stick. Yes, again.
You can be as mellow or as active as the ‘path’ allows; the point is to try to achieve a sense of balance and find my own inner rhythm.
Because the resort has the island all to itself, it’s easy for me to lose myself in the surroundings.
I can sort of feel a rhythm – frogs and birds provide a soundtrack; the sea breeze hums through the palms.
Endemic and indigenous flora and fauna cover most of it; pathways to each of the two pools are carved through nature in the least invasive way possible; the two beaches, one public and one strictly for resort guests, are diminutive but turquoise and swimmable.
Speaking of swimming, a pod of North Atlantic Humpback Whales are spotted no more than a football field’s length away – they’re best seen during mating season from January through March. Arched backs shimmer in the sun; fluking tails signal they’re going for a deep dive.
“At Cayo Levantado Resort, we have our own dedicated system for bookings, which allows both regular guests and travel agents, tour operators (TTO), retailers, and wholesalers to make direct reservations,” says Ambar Grosch Rodriguez, Sales Manager at Cayo Levantado Resort.
“This ensures a seamless process for all our partners and clients. For the Canadian market, you’ll be able to find us in collaboration with Air Transat and Transat, which makes it easier for our clients to book with us directly.”
In terms of commissions and educational components, Grosch Rodriguez adds that the resort offers commission opportunities for their travel agent partners, and they also provide educational programs to help agents become more familiar with the resort and enhance their selling experience.
A dedicated portal called ProAgents gives travel professionals access to sales tools, up-to-date info on the destination and more information on commissions for each sale.
Part of the Bahia Principe Luxury group of properties, Cayo Levantado Resort is also the recipient of Forbes Travel Guide’s Four Stars “verified luxury” for 2025; the suites are a luxury in themselves.
A slim bracelet worn by each guest opens the rooms’ doors and signals to staff that I’m part of the all-inclusive guest roster (it helps as the public beach is open during the day to anyone, but is exclusive to hotel guests in the evening).
Suite-width balconies have tree-top canopy or ocean views. Some of the bath products are also made by Dominican hands: a rich coconut butter body cream housed in a hollow coconut shell; a citrus-scented body scrub and a coconut soap included.
A small bottle of D.R. rum is gifted to every guest, and you can also partake in a rum tasting.
The culinary offerings are surprisingly varied for a singular resort. Fresh buffet/market style at Palma Real; the open-air Carey, for Nikkei Peruvian-Japanese fusion; carnivores will appreciate Manaya and its cooked-over-fire menu; and Senda, the resort’s nod to D.R. cuisine.
The spa’s water circuit therapy area is well thought-out without being overwhelming, with steam, sauna, experience showers, a cold plunge and a pool.
Yubarta, which is a dedicated wellness area and with its own slow-food ethos restaurant, comes at an extra cost, and allows guests to try holistic treatments like sound healing, where resonant bowls transported me into deep relaxation, or engage in self-knowledge through tarot and astrology. Restorative practices also include tapping, voice therapy and breathwork work to help regain balance.
In the 48 hours I’m at Cayo Levantado, I experience an energy cleansing, listen to the music of plants (yes, they sing!), watch whales float by, and finally get the nerve to take a full cold plunge; all of which nearly brought me to tears. It’s a regenerative approach, for me and for the island’s ecosystem, to travel.
More information about Cayo Levantado Resort can be found here. To register for ProAgents, click here.