Wildlife · Anamuya
Monkeyland: squirrel monkeys in the hills above Punta Cana
A hillside reserve where squirrel monkeys move freely through the trees.
- The activity
- A five-acre hillside reserve in the Anamuya mountains where a colony of squirrel monkeys lives in open forest and interacts with visitors.
- Location
- Anamuya, in the hills inland from Punta Cana. Access is private: the reserve is sold only through tour operators, so a guided visit is required.
- Duration
- Around five hours door to door, of which roughly 45 minutes is spent with the monkeys.
- Best time to arrive
- Morning. The squirrel monkeys are most active before the heat of the day, which is when the encounter works best.
- Admission cost
- Roughly $60 to $95 per adult with transport, and about $60 for children. Combined packages with the Anamuya ziplines run higher.
- The visit
- Groups arrive by open-air safari truck and enter the forest with guides to watch and hand-feed a colony of around 20 squirrel monkeys, raised to be comfortable with people. The animals climb on visitors freely.
- Practicalities
- Sunscreen and insect repellent must not be worn, as the monkeys climb on bare skin. Declare a peanut allergy in advance. A plantation stop with coffee, cacao, vanilla and mamajuana tastings and a botanical garden walk are included.
What to expect
The monkeys are habituated and confident, and they will climb onto shoulders and heads without hesitation. Guides manage the interaction closely, hand out the food and control how long each group stays in the enclosure.
The plantation element is a genuine working smallholding, with coffee and cacao processing demonstrated and tastings offered, plus a walk through a botanical garden of native plants. It is more interesting than most visitors expect, and it fills what would otherwise be a very short excursion.
The honest takeaway
Widely enjoyed, particularly by families, though visitors with concerns about wildlife interaction should consider the format carefully.
What visitors praise
- Close encounters. The monkeys are relaxed and the interaction is unforced.
- Well managed. Group sizes and feeding are controlled by the guides.
- Excellent for children. Among the most popular family excursions in the region.
- Plantation stop adds substance. Coffee and cacao processing is genuinely interesting.
What visitors find difficult
- Wildlife interaction raises questions. Habituated feeding is not to every visitor's taste.
- Short time with the animals. The enclosure visit is about 45 minutes out of a five-hour day.
- Long transfer. An hour each way from the coast on rough roads.
- Photo sales. Souvenir photographs are pushed at the end.
Drawn from the recurring themes in public visitor reviews of the activity and the tours that reach it. We do not reproduce individual reviews or aggregate scores; for current ratings, check Viator or another booking platform directly.
Getting there
Anamuya is inland from Punta Cana, around an hour by road including a stretch of unpaved track. Tours include hotel pick-up, and independent access is impractical for most visitors.
Wear light clothes you do not mind being climbed on, and leave sunglasses and loose jewellery on the bus.
How to make the most of the day
- 1Take the first group of the day. The monkeys are most active and the enclosure is quietest.
- 2Skip the sunscreen and repellent that morning. Operators prohibit both, because the monkeys climb on bare skin.
- 3Wear a light long-sleeved top. Claws are sharp, even in play.
- 4Stay for the plantation. It is the more informative half of the trip.
- 5Flag any peanut allergy when booking. Peanuts are what visitors feed the monkeys.
- 6Do not go if you have a cold. Operators refuse interaction to anyone with a cold or flu, to protect the colony.
A little more background
Squirrel monkeys are not native to Hispaniola; the colony was introduced and is managed within the five-acre reserve, established by a Canadian couple with a background in zoo animal care. The island lost its own endemic primates centuries ago, which is why every monkey attraction in the country involves introduced species.
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