Samana - Cayo Levantado
 
30 miles from El Catey International Airport
Beaches, Excursions, Hotels , Whale Watching
 
 
 
     
     
The Samana peninsula is located on the north-east coast of the Dominican Republic.
 
   
Samana peninsula air view

You can reach Samana from Las Americas airport and nearby Boca Chica, using the new Samana Highway that leads North to the peninsula. It is approximately a two hour ride. Caribe Tour and Metro bus leave also go to Samana from Santo Domingo.

 
   
Boca Chica - Samana Highway

If you arrive by plane at Puerto Plata on the north coast, the trip along the coast to Las Terranas also takes two hours.

An alternative route for enthusiast explorers goes from Boca Chica to San Pedro, then north as far as Hato Mayor astride the mountains. Then a wild and winding descent to Sabana de La Mar on the south coast of Samana bay. From here you can visit Los Haitises Natural Park, very impressive and interesting to explore the mangroves by boat.

 
   
Los Haitises

To continue on to the Samana Peninsular take the ferry from Sabana de La Mar.

 
   
ferry from Sabana de La Mar up to Samana
     
Samana bay air view
 

Why Samana

If you love nature, the green colors of the forest, long white solitary sandy beaches with turquoise water and lovely little towns, this is your ideal place.

If you love active vacations, walking, diving, snorkeling, horseback riding, sailing, then this is your destination.

You can spend your time relaxing on a beach right in front of your cozy hotel, but this is truly a place for explorers, Whale-watchingzip-line tours and pirate adventures, and national parks await.

These are the main attractions of this lovely peninsula, and there are many.

You'll find most of them detailed with pictures in the Excursion section.

To the south side is Cayo Levantado, an easy and well-known trip, just 15 minutes from Samana. It is a lovely island with white sand beaches (playa Bacardi) flanked by coconut trees.

Los Haitises National Park has mangrove forests and caves.

     
 
zip-line tour ...
 
in the jungle
Many Las Terrenas hotels and local tour operators can arrange these trips but you can do it by yourself with a four wheel drive car or quad ATV for a little dose of adventure.
 
quads

A French Canadian couple spending the winter here in the Dominican Republic, had this to say:

''We divide our long vacation betweenSamana peninsula and Boca Chica. In the north, we find virgin and uncontaminated beaches of Las Terrenas surrounded by luxuriant hills (because of more frequent rains), while Boca Chica beach is not virgin but spectacular in its own way, with all services, a warm and calm water, and always good weather. And we are nearby Santo Domingo, rich in color and night life.''

From Samana is possible to reach the impressive beaches of Las TerrenasLas Galeras and Playa Rincon, that extend for miles, with a multihued ocean, easy and safe to swim while inside the reef. Outside the reef is for expert swimmers and scuba divers. 

 
   
Las Galeras

Las Terrenas beaches on the north side from West to East:

Playa Coson, windy and solitary.

Playa Bonita “the nice beach”, gentle and cozy.

Playa Las Terrenas, with many lovely bays all the way to Playa El Portillo.

Playa Moron, an extraordinary adventure.

Playa El Valle, getting there is half the fun.

Playa Rincon, one of the loveliest bays on our planet.

 
   
Playa Rincon
There is scuba diving and snorkeling for everybody all year long.  
Highly recommended are horse riding and mountain-biking. Horses will take you through jungles and to untouched sands.
 
   
horse riding

 

In the middle of the peninsular are the spectacular Limon Fall accessible by horse or on foot.

 
   
And don’t forget the unforgettable experience of whale-watching in Samana Bay, from mid January to mid March.
 
   
jorobadas whale in Samana Bay

Finally, From Samana a excursion to Cayo Levantado island, with an impressive deserted beach, accessible via a short ride by motor boat or ferry.

 
   
Cayo Levantado