Samaná

Jutting out of the DR’s northeastern shore and basking in the ocean, the nature haven that is the Samaná Peninsula is as coveted today as it was in the 16th century. Pirates hid in its lush, palm-filled forests, isolated beaches, and hidden caves, while European and Haitian troops competed over its deep water, protected bay. Today, Samaná–often abbreviated to refer to the entire peninsula–is well connected by land and air, yet it remains the DR’s secluded, paradisiacal escape of wild beaches, coconut plantations, and rainforests.

Its rolling mountains and valleys form the crystalline rivers that feed into the Atlantic, as they cascade toward brilliant white sand beaches stretching hundreds of kilometers all around the peninsula’s rocky coastline. It’s as if the approximately 2,500 humpback whales that visit Samaná Bay every year appreciate this natural splendor as much as visitors do.

The giant mammals return every year to this special corner of the DR to mate, birth, and bask in this glorious tropical scenery.

Aside from seasonal whale watching boat excursions in Samaná’s scenic bay, more ecotourism adventures are a stone’s throw away: body-boarding and kitesurfing in Las Terrenas; trekking, birding, and caving in Los Haitises National Park; canyoning or horseback riding to reach El Limón waterfall; and boat-hopping to magnificent white sand beaches at the base of 90-meter (300-feet) cliffs, or to offshore Cayo Levantado island.

TALKING ABOUT SAMANÁ´S CULTURE

AVENIDA DE LA MARINA
The scenic Samaná Bay wins over every photographer’s eye. This seaside promenade is the heart and pulse of the town of Santa Bárbara de Samaná. Residents and visitors relax on shaded benches facing the bay waters to take in views of anchored boats, ready to whisk visitors and fishers.

LAS GALERAS
This remote fishing village is home to a handful of the DR’s most beautiful beaches, including the world-ranked Playa Rincón. Daytime crowds flock here to hop on a boat excursion to Playa Rincón, Playa Madama, and Playa Frontón.

LAS TERRENAS
Las Terrenas is the perfect blend of a dreamy beach village and a cosmopolitan town. Its waterfront boasts multiple stunning beaches, as well as a variety of small hotels, bistros, apparel and arts and crafts boutiques, and lively bars.

MUSEO DE LAS BALLENAS
You’ll learn why the Dominican Republic’s northeastern coast is one of the most important humpback whale sanctuaries in the world. Exhibits include the full, 40-foot skeleton of a humpback whale found in 1993 along the rocky coastline between Santa Bárbara de Samaná and Las Galeras.

PUEBLO DE LOS PESCADORES
Smack in the heart of Las Terrenas, Pueblo de los Pescadores was originally the main landing site for the area’s fishermen. Over time, this beachfront evolved into a hub of seafront entertainment with its colorful row of trendy restaurants and bars.

SANTA BÁRBARA DE SAMANÁ
Hugging a breathtaking bay dotted with sailboats and flanked by verdant bluffs, this small waterfront hub retains its fishing traditions, but it’s also an eco-tourism destination thanks to the yearly visit of humpback whales. History and culture are also reflected in the diverse population, cuisine, and architecture.

NOW THE BEST ACTIVITIES

CAYO LEVANTADO
The small, picturesque island of Cayo Levantado sits just five kilometers (three miles) from Samaná Bay, and boasts brilliant white sand and palm-fringed beaches. Spend the day swimming, sunbathing, kayaking or paddle boarding, and enjoying fresh fish.

LAS TERRENAS NIGHTLIFE
With beachfront bars where DJs spin the latest hits and nightclubs, Las Terrenas has the most active nightlife scene on the peninsula. Head over to Pueblo de los Pescadores, where a row of lively seaside lounges and bars offer happy hours, and the music gets louder after midnight until the wee morning hours.

LOS HAITISES NATIONAL PARK
Los Haitises National Park is one of the crown jewels of the Dominican Republic’s national park system. Los Haitises attracts numerous visitors who come here by boat to see its magnificent series of high rock formations; also, it boasts extensive mangroves along its bay, dotted with keys and caves.

SAMANÁ CASINOS
For betting entertainment, try your luck at various casinos located throughout the Samaná region.

SAMANÁ DINING
Restaurants in Samaná pride themselves on serving fresh fish from Samaná and shrimp from Sánchez. Fishermen bring in the catch of the day to Las Terrenas and Las Galeras beaches, where guests staying in apartments can strike bargains with the fishermen and take home and cook the freshest seafood available in the country.

SAMANÁ NIGHTLIFE
Santa Bárbara de Samaná combines casino fun with a host of lounges and bars lining its scenic waterfront boulevard. After sunset, Avenida de la Marina takes on a new energy, with a handful of seafront trucks for refreshments, as well as casual bars and dance spots across the boulevard.

SAMANÁ SHOPPING
Samaná’s shopping is diverse and plentiful, offering both Dominican and international arts, crafts, textiles, and souvenirs. Boutiques and shopping centers stock designer beachwear apparel and accessories, as well as locally sourced jewelry, Taino-inspired ceramics, and Caribbean-inspired paintings.

LA PLAYITA
Off the beaten track of Las Galeras village, La Playita is lovely white sand, crescent shaped stretch shallow enough to walk for several feet. With a beachfront casual restaurant–crystal LOS HAITISES NATIONAL PARK

Los Haitises National Park is one of the crown jewels of the Dominican Republic’s national park system. Los Haitises attracts numerous visitors who come here by boat to see its magnificent series of high rock formations; also, it boasts extensive mangroves along its bay, dotted with keys and caves.

MARINE MAMMAL SANCTUARY
Thousands of visitors flock to Samaná every year for its chief seasonal attraction: the equally large number of humpback whales that return to court, mate, and birth in the Atlantic waters off Samaná Bay–an area officially declared a Marine Mammal Sanctuary in 1986.

PLAYA ANADEL
The private beach club near Samaná city offers changing rooms, a restaurant, nice bathrooms and rental loungers. Day passes available.

PLAYA BONITA
Playa Bonita is as pretty as its name suggests–a crescent-shaped, cozy white sand beach lined with a variety of boutique hotels, villas, and restaurants. The western edge of the beach is as still as a swimming pool, while the eastern side offers active waves for the adventurous.

PLAYA COSÓN
Among the top three most stunning beaches on the Samaná Peninsula, this golden, soft-sand stretch is ideal for long walks, popular for kitesurfing–with on-site classes–and body surfing, and there are a handful of boutique hotels flanking its western and eastern sides.

PLAYA EL LIMÓN
Few visitors make it to the pristine, brilliant white shores of Playa El Limón; make the effort to reach Playa El Limón and you’ll enjoy one of the peninsula’s quietest stretches. For more adventure, hop on a hiking excursion that will take you to this beach by wading your way down the Limón River.

PLAYA EL VALLE
Flanked by towering bluffs, and dotted with fishermen canoes, the undeveloped Playa El Valle is a great spot to get away from the crowds. Enjoy a seafood lunch on the beach, and take long hikes amid this rugged landscape while fishers bring in their catch or head out to sea.

PLAYA FRONTÓN
Reached by boat from Las Galeras, Playa Frontón’s stunning shoreline is a sight for sore eyes. Its brilliant fine white sand sits at the foot of a 90 meter (300-foot) metamorphic, rocky cliff, with its shoreline dotted with bright green coconut trees.

PLAYA MADAMA
Playa Madama’s small size belies its numerous, precious finds all around–forest paths flanked by cliffs, hidden caves, and bright corals under the strong turquoise Atlantic Ocean. Snorkeling here will reveal black sea urchins and vibrant corals.

Among Samaná’s most secluded and historic beaches, few make it to the golden Playa Morón, but the trek rewards those who find its long, golden sands. You’ll ride past farmlands and bumpy gravel roads to reach the beach entrance.

PLAYA PORTILLO
Lined with resorts and villas, Playa Portillo begins at the entrance of Las Terrenas town, stretching all the way east as the first part of the whopping five kilometer long coastline. Its soft white sand boasts a coral reef close enough to swim to and snorkel.

RÍO CAÑO FRÍO
This stunning emerald-colored river doubles as a popular natural swimming pool where it meets the ocean on the western end of Playa Rincón. Residents and visitors love to cool off here, before or after enjoying fresh fish and lobster away from the tourist throngs on the eastern side of the beach.

PLAYA PUNTA POPY
Playa Punta Popy is the social and water sports beach hub of Las Terrenas. Peppered with a maze of giant palm trees, its white sand shores offer the perfect wind and wave conditions for kitesurfers, new or experienced.

PLAYA RINCÓN
Ranked by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the top ten most beautiful beaches in the world, Playa Rincón’s pristine, long white sand beach lining a bay of calm turquoise waters, peppered with coconut trees, captures every visitor’s eye.

PUNTA BALANDRA
If you can’t get on a boat excursion but still want to observe Samaná’s majestic humpback whales from land, the Punta Balandra observatory offers a unique perspective. Aside from spotting the humpback whales, you’ll get a splendid panoramic view over the peninsula’s surrounding coastline.