Samana

What else is nearby
Those traveling to the province of Samana should plan on spending their entire vacation in Samana. This is because Samana is a multi-area tourism destination in itself. The hotels are primarily located in Samana City, Las Galeras (25 kms. from Samana City), Las Terrenas and El Portillo. It takes about half an hour to cross the peninsula north to south and about an hour to go from West to East or vice versa. There is a small airport in El Portillo with commuter flights to Santo Domingo, if your budget allows.

How to get there
Fly into Santo Domingo or Puerto Plata, overnight there, and the next day take the domestic commuter flight into Portillo air strip on the north side of Las Terrenas. If your hotel is in Las Galeras or Samana City, you may consider renting a jeep at El Portillo Resort across the street from the airport and going by car. If you are in Santo Domingo, a Metro Bus leaves at 7 am and will take you into Samana city, dropping you off on the Malecon. If you are in Puerto Plata, take the Caribe Tours bus that leaves at 7:30 am from Sosua into Samana. Note that Las Terrenas is about a 45 minute drive from Samana City. These are very inexpensive, service is comfortable coach and these are scenic rides, albeit you will be on board for about 4 hours. This bus connection gives time to make the whale-watching trips, but prepare for an exhausting day.

Getting around
You can get around on foot, by moto-concho (motorcycle taxi) or taxi, but the best way to see Samana is to rent a small 4x4 jeep. Whether traveling on the undulated sand roads along Las Terrenas beach on the northwest side of the peninsula, or at Playa Rincon on the northeast side, the jeep will come in extra handy. Take extra care when driving along the panoramic highway from Sanchez to Las Terrenas. To do a loop of the attractions, take the El Portillo road going East and stay on it until you get to the Limon sign.

If you continue East along this road you will end up in Samana City, from which you can travel to Las Galeras. Retrace your way back to Samana and then to Sanchez, to make it back north to Las Terrenas
Once you are in Las Galeras, there are daily small boat ferries to Playa Rincon beach, a spectacular 2 km. bay.

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Beaches
North side of the peninsula: Las Terrenas, El Portillo (tranquil waters), Cozón (fun waves, can be rough), Playa Bonita (fun waves).
South side of the peninsula: Playa Galeras (about an hour and a half from Las Terrenas), Playa Rincon (40 minutes drive on rough roads from Samana, easy to go from Las Galeras by boat) and Cayo Levantado. Cayo Levantado is an island of about one square kilometer, made of a protruding coral reef which protects Samana bay from the Atlantic waves. With its lovely white sand beaches flanked by tall coconut trees, this island is a popular day outing with boat loads of tourists arriving daily.
The El Limon waterfall (about 10 kms. East of Portillo air strip.)

Samana city
Samana city claims an unusual history and, as a result, an unusual character. It was settled by two shiploads of freed American slaves around 1824 and, to this day, many residents speak English as a first language. The US cultural influence is also apparent in many of the last names of the settlers of this area. Urban renewal is improving the overall look of Samana city.

Los Haitises National Park
Easily reached by a short boat ride across the Bay is Los Haitises National Park. This area is known as having one of the most important rainforests and mangrove reserves in the entire Caribbean, complete with keys and caves. You can only enter the park with a certified guide. Day excursions can be booked from most hotels.

Las Terrenas town
Worth a stroll. Lots of shops feature all sort of beach wear and gear. Great supermarket in town, restaurants, delicious pate and pastry shops, reflecting the European influence.

El Limon Waterfall.
Take the El Portillo road going East and stay on it until you get to the town of El Limon. The waterfall is about 300 meters above sea level and has a 40 meter drop that ends in a very deep but swimable pool of crystal clear waters.

Whale-watching
Samana has some of the best whale-watching in the world. Every year, the excursions depart to catch the frolicking giant creatures from 15 January to 15 March.

The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
The humpback whale is not a fish, it's a marine mammal which means it breathes air and nurses its offspring just like us

85% of the humpback whales of the North West Atlantic are born in Dominican waters, where they return every year to breed and give birth. At present, the humpback whale is an endangered species, for there are only about 6,000 of them in the entire world. Of those, it is estimated that some 2,000 to 3,500 visit the Silver Bank and the Marine Mammal Sanctuary in our northern waters.

Features & Identification
A humpback whale has black or dark gray skin and their "throat" and "chest" are colored white. Once adult it grows as large as 18 meters (40 to 50 feet) and weighs from 55 to 65 tons.

It is one of the large whales and belongs to the Mysticeti order, for it has no teeth but some large filters it uses to collect food. Humpbacks are easily identified by their pectoral fins, which measure up to 15 feet long.

The coloring of its tail varies from one individual to another and is used to identify, in similar fashion to human fingerprints, a particular whale, easing the study of their migrations, population and new offspring.

Behavior
Humpback whales are famous because of their joyful jumps into the air and the playful flapping of their flippers on the water surface. As they come out to the surface to breath, they produce an impressive blow of humid air (not water, as popular belief tells) of some 8 to 10 feet high.

One curious fact is that they do not feed themselves at all during their entire stay (over a couple of months!!!) in Dominican waters.

Another singular aspect of the humpbacks is the characteristic "chant" of the males, sung by the males during their stay at the Sanctuary. This "songs" are complex patterns of sounds with lengths of up to 20 minutes and are shared by all the whales in a specific area. Its function has been associated with courtship and breeding. The song changes little by little through simple modifications introduced by members of the whale population.

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Mountain biking, hiking, horse riding
There are few destinations as great as Samana for these ecotourism sports. Be on the lookout at your hotel for tour operators that offer these activities. Note that there is no better way to really see the area than by mountain bike, hiking or horse riding. End the day with a plunge in a deserted beach. Horse riding excursions that will take you through jungles and paradise beaches are offered at many hotels. Highly recommended.

Caving
Samana has many caves for exploring. Check out the availability of excursions offering sightings of petroglyphs and pictograms from the days of the Indian settlers. Samana is known as the site of the first battle between the Indian settlers and the European conquerors - the Battle of the Arrows.

Rock climbing
Rock climbing enthusiasts should look into the Playa Fronton excursions. Playa Fronton is located at the end tip of Las Galeras. It is a spectacular beach, even if you are not into climbing.

Excursions

Take the four wheeler excursion to discover the many beaches on the northwestern coast of the peninsula, off Las Terrenas.

If you are staying in Las Terrenas, visit Playa Rincón Beach on the other side of the peninsula. Considered one of the best in the Dominican Republic, this beach can be reached by four wheel car, horseback over the mountains or by a short boat trip from Las Galeras. To get to Las Galeras, take the Samana road east to the end.

Whale-watching excursions from January 15-March 1. Best time to see the whales is late January and the first two weeks of February. If you are staying in Puerto Plata, use the Caribe Tours bus connection that leaves early enough for you to get there in time and make the bus back when taking an excursion that departs after 11 am. It will be an exhausting day, though. Some of the better excursions leave at 9 am and make a stopover at Cayo Levantado island, which wouldn’t leave time to make it back on the bus. Samana and whale-watching are really worth a visit on their own. Or at least try to overnight in Las Terrenas (one hour away), or Las Galeras (half an hour away from the port), or Samana (right there).

There are several all-inclusive resorts in Samana, but most of the accommodation is located in small hotels that do not include meal plans with their rates. Even if you choose to stay at an all-inclusive hotel, venture out and sample the fare of the many good restaurants in Samana.

Dining outside the hotel
Since most hotels in Samana do not book guests with all their meals included, there is a wide selection of small restaurants to choose from in Samana City, Las Galeras or Las Terrenas.

Places to shop
The better shopping areas are located in Samana city and Las Terrenas town. Las Terrenas has a small but well-stocked supermarket.

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Golf
There is a nine hole course that is part of the Gran Bahia hotel. This course is described as fun to play, albeit not for serious golfers.

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Scuba Diving
Samana features the best adventure diving of the north coast of the Dominican Republic. This rocky coastline with high cliffs leads to an exciting underwater world of sheer drop-offs and pinnacles that rise from 165 feet to within 15 feeet of the surface. Underwater visibility in this region can range from 100 to 150 feet. During the winter season (January 15-March 15), visiting humpback whales can be seen and heard underwater as they migrate toward Silver Shoals. Dive shops take their divers to Punta Tibisi (Cabo Cabron) for snorkeling and swimming. For advanced divers, there is the site known as The Tower. This underwater pinnacle rises from 165 feet. Down below at 40 feet, views are serene and magestic.

The sea floor of the Samana peninsula varies broadly from shallow, reef sites featuring multitudes of deep undercuts, to systems honeycombed with large caves, tunnels and swim-throughs such as those surrounding the small rock islands of Las Ballenas (The Whales). Beneath the moderate depths of 30 and 50 feet, their vast collection of dave and tunnel formations, are difficult to count in the course of one dive. The El Portillo-Las Terrenas area also offers attractive dives to a mixture of shallow and deeper coral reefs and caverns, as well as coral gardens for snorkeling.