Samaná is one of the 31 provinces that make up the Dominican Republic and is located in the northeast of the country, completely occupying the Samaná Peninsula. Its capital is the city of Santa Barbara.
Samaná is the Dominican Republic’s paradise, a remote escape surrounded by wild beaches, coconut plantations and rainforests. You will be amazed by its rolling mountains and valleys form crystalline rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean, as they tumble toward brilliant white sand beaches that stretch for hundreds of kilometers around the peninsula’s rocky coastline. A tour to Samana is one of the best day trips from Punta Cana.
ECONOMY
Agriculture is the main source of economy of this province, it is also the largest producer of coconut in the country, but the demand for this product has been decreasing. In this province they are also dedicated to fishing, although over time it has been reduced, as the sediments in the Bay of Samaná contributed by the Yuna River increase. There is a small mining activity, producing marble. Tourism is becoming the main economic activity in the province.
CAYO LEVANTADO aka BACARDI ISLAND
Cayo Levantado is a small island, a beautiful small piece of land located on the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic in the Bay of Samaná. It has humid forest vegetation, paradisiacal beaches, white sand and crystal clear waters, nestled in a beautiful landscape.
In Cayo Levantado, lovers of nature and stunning beauty will find a paradise. The entire island is a little gem, a perfect place to escape for a day. Powder-white sand, crystal-like turquoise waters – ideal for snorkeling or gentle swimming. Various birds are there, such as Hispaniola parrots, owls and sandpipers.
This island is also called Bacardi Island because some of the palms there appear those from advertising Bacardi rum. A beautiful island with hundreds of tourists visiting every day. You can walk the entire island on foot in just 25 minutes.
Cayo Levantado is a place that is only 1 kilometer long but has everything a person could want to spend a great vacation, from swimming to snorkeling. If you are going to visit this beautiful place, we recommend that you bring your camera.
WHALE WATCHING
Samaná and its enormous bay is a place full of surprises and one of them are the humpback whales, which every year travel from Canada and the North Atlantic to the warm waters of the tropics in order to reproduce. They begin to arrive on the coast in January and leave in March.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 humpback whales visit the waters of Samaná Bay and Banco de la Plata each year. The most common way to see humpback whales is on boat or boat excursions that visit the Sanctuary.
-Whales can measure more than 15 meters long and weigh around 30 tons.
-Their migration can exceed 1000 km annually.
-After almost 12 months of gestation, the babies are born in Dominican waters and measure 5 meters long and can weigh 1 ton.
-The males are characteristic for their way of singing, which they use as a mating method and they also really like to show off their jumps out of the water.
EL LIMON WATERFALL
Another of Samaná’s attributes is the famous El Limón Waterfall, considered the most beautiful waterfall in the entire Dominican Republic not only because its fall ends in a beautiful turquoise natural pool, but also because of the surrounding landscapes; caves, tropical forests, unparalleled fauna and flora, sea views.
Once you reach the Limón waterfall (about 55 meters high), you will be able to appreciate its three outlets through which the water flows onto a solid wall of green ferns (note the humidity of the area). The path has about 200 steps that reach the waterfall, where you can see a beautiful landscape.
How to get to the waterfall
To avoid a negative impact on the environment, you cannot reach the Salto del Limón in any type of motor vehicle. But there are different routes and options to get to the waterfall:
- Hiking: If you are one of those who likes to stop, observe nature, take photos and don’t mind walking, this is your option.
- Horse or donkey: If you are one of those who likes to see nature, but prefer to have another type of experience, horseback riding routes are perfect for you.
Although the path at first seems intimidating because you go through paths with stones and dirt, the guides help you at all times, what’s more, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to ride a horse since they are very well trained.
TOP 7 BEACHES IN SAMANA
Clearly you cannot miss these natural accretions of Samaná, the 7 best beaches that Samaná offers us are:
1. Playa Rincón is considered not only one of the best in Samaná, but one of the best in the world, it is almost 3 km long and at one end is the Caño Frio stream, quite frequented with mangroves and turquoise waters.
2. Playa Frontón is incredible, it is full of coconut trees and vegetation, it is a short boat ride from the galleys. Very similar to Philippine beaches, but you have to be careful with the sea urchins.
3. Playa Bonita is a very quiet beach, with palm trees and golden sand. The water has a beautiful color, ideal for watching the sunset. In this area there are some restaurants and accommodations.
4. La Playita, in Las Galeras. Not very big, but beautiful since from it you can see the green mountain range in front. At the ends there are rocks, so we will not be able to walk without limits. It has all the services such as restaurant, bars, water sports.
5. Playa Portillo is very quiet and has calm waters, with fish that can be seen from the shore, which makes it ideal for snorkeling on your own. It is protected by the reef, so it is a good option if you don’t like waves.
6. Playa Coson is very extensive and wild, ideal if you enjoy walking by the sea. It is usually windier and has strong waves, which makes it good for surfing.
7.Playa Las Ballenas, very quiet, without waves. There is plenty of shade, so it is a good option to spend the whole day on the beach.
HOW TO GET FROM PUNTA CANA TO SAMANA
Punta Cana and Samaná are two of the most popular destinations in the Dominican Republic. Samaná is about 310 km (192 miles) from Punta Cana, which would be about 4 hours driving. Bear in mind there will be many tolls on the highway and moving to the north of the country they become more and more expensive. Bring a lot of cash as you can’t pay by card unless you have the pre-paid pass. Another option would be to book with us one of the different excursions we offer and enjoy this wonderful experience leaving by bus from Punta Cana. We will pass through the new Miches highway and reach the village of Las Canitas, where we will take a motor boat and then in one hour we will be in the Samaná Bay.
