Granberry and Vescelius (2004) suggest a Macoris etymology for the name Saona, comparing it with sa-ona 'full of bats' in the purportedly related Warao language of the Orinoco Delta.

[5][10] Saona Island is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) off the coast of peninsula that comprises the mainland section of the Cotubanamá National Park.

[5] The island itself is 110-square-kilometer (42 sq mi) and is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, with sandbars, and a number of coral reef ecosystems with a wide marine diversity.

[11] Of the 539 registered species of endemic flora within the Cotubanamá National Park, most of them are found in the diversity of ecosystems on Saona including wild bushes and mangroves, semi-humid and salted forests.

Four species of neotropical mangrove are present along the Catuano Channel - red, white, black, and button mangle.

[5] 112 species of birds are found on the island,[10] including brown pelicans, magnificent frigatebirds, flamingos, gulls, endemic Hispaniolan parrots, and red-footed boobies.

[15] Saona Island is one of the key tourist locations in the Dominican Republic with over 1 million visitors per year.