Samaná

Located off the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic, the Samaná Peninsula, a natural paradise, is as coveted today as it was in the 16th century. Pirates used its lush palm forests, secluded beaches, and hidden coves as hideouts, while European and Haitian troops fought over the deep waters of its bay.

Today, Samaná, often abbreviated to refer to the entire peninsula, is well connected by land and air, yet it remains the idyllic, remote escape of wild beaches, coconut plantations and tropical jungles of the Dominican Republic.

Its rolling mountains and valleys form the crystal-clear rivers that flow into the Atlantic as they plunge toward brilliant white-sand beaches that stretch hundreds of miles around the peninsula’s rocky coastline. It is as if the approximately 1,500 humpback whales that visit the Bay of Samaná each year appreciate this natural splendor as much as the visitors. These giant mammals return each year to this special corner of the Dominican Republic to mate, give birth, and enjoy this glorious tropical landscape.

In addition to seasonal whale-watching boat tours in picturesque Samaná Bay, there are more ecotourism adventures: bodyboarding and kitesurfing in Las Terrenas; hiking, bird watching and speleology or caves in Los Haitises National Park; canyoning or horseback riding to reach the El Limón waterfall; and boat trips to the magnificent white sand beaches, at the base of 90-meter cliffs, or to the coast of the island of Cayo Levantado.