Transportation from Punta Cana to Las Terrenas

On my first visit to the DR, I went to Punta Cana, planning to go to Las Terrenas the next week. Only after looking closely did I realize there is no direct route. I did not especially want to drive all the way to Santo Domingo, then to Las Terrenas. I was staying in an apartment with a wonderful host who managed to get me a tour on our last day all the way to El Limon. We drove north from Punta Cana, then took a boat to Caye Levantado. We stayed there for an hour or so, then went to El Limon to ride horses and see the waterfall. After that, my wife and I took a cab to Las Terrenas. I think we paid $55 or so for the boat tour, tipped the guide $20 for looking out for us and working with us as he swapped the schedule a bit to make it more convenient for us. Then he called the taxi, who charged $80 to drive us. I think there are tour buses which regularly go to El Limon from all over, so it seems possible to schedule your ride with them if you have the right connections. We felt the cab ride was a bit high, but by then, we were just glad to be done. Considering the alternative was to drive the entire way, we were glad to have the adventure and the discount.