Samana

Why choose Samana?
Samana is a destination for nature lovers and adventurers. Green, green mountains, long beaches, solitude, lively little towns in between, turquoise waters. Samana is also a romantic destination, and several of its small hotels are perfect for honeymooners. Samana is also a good choice for experienced scuba divers. And the place to stay if whale-watching is high on your agenda.

It is the place to sit on a porch or in the shade of a palm tree, sipping something cool and discover the rare feeling of being happy just being alive.

The exuberance of the area, the variety of natural attractions make it the preferred choice of those seeking an active vacation. Oh, there is action if you want it. Horseback riding, swimming, snorkeling, diving, sailing — all the activities that come with beautiful nature.

It is possible to spend your days vegging out at the beach in front of the hotel, but Samana is truly for explorers. Samana has a distinct European flavor - The French were first, but now many Italians and Spaniards have opened up businesses to cater to tourists in the area.

Important to note, Samana is one tourist area in the DR where credit cards are not as readily accepted. It is best to bring cash, travel checks or use your ATM card at one of the banks in town.

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.

Port of Entry/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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