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SAMANA

The fishing towns of Samana Bay offer great appeal to sun seekers, nature lovers and romantics, due to its islets or keys and immense beaches. Green mountains, long beaches, lively little towns and turquoise waters make up the beautiful sceneries to see. A main attraction here is whale-watching between November and March. Also the Los Haitises National Park, with its exotic vegetation, fauna and calm waters, make for an ideal daytrip.

Accommodations can be found for any budget, and a slue of little restaurants offer delicious Dominican meals, some say the best of the island. At dusk, a stroll along its malecon is a must, where the breakwaters suddenly become alive with stalls, deckchairs, merengue music and plentiful rum.

Beaches

Playa Rincon
Four kilometres of white-sanded beach safeguarded by a coral reef and with brooks tumbling straight down from the mountains into the sea. It can be reached by boat from Las Galeras or on foot along two forest tracks.

Las Galeras
Be sure to wear sunglasses or you might be dazzled by the bright white sand or any other of the countless marvels to be found here. The consummate peace and quiet of this U-shaped bay is broken only by the sound of a fishing boat chugging back with its catch from the open sea.

Cayo Levantado
This coral reef island offers lovely white sand beaches flanked by tall coconut trees. It is a very popular day outing with boat loads of tourists arriving daily.

Other beaches include Playa Bonita, Cozon, Las Terrenas, El Portillo and Playa Popy.

Climate

The peninsula's climate is moderate tropical, with only about five degrees difference in temperature between summer and winter. The annual temperature hovers around 27� C. Short afternoon thundershowers are common in the summer months. The annual average water temperature is 27� C.

Temperature in Celcius J F M A M J J A S O N D

Maximum 28 28 29 29 30 30 30 31 31 31 30 29

Minimum 20 19 20 21 22 23 23 23 23 23 22 21

Rainfall (mm) 129 103 104 134 209 157 194 224 199 222 249 200

Flora & Fauna

With its extensive coconut trees and palms landscapes, Samana is truly unique and exotic. Plantations fields of cacao, coconuts and plantains are a common sight when traveling along the Bay and in the North coast of the peninsula.

The local fauna includes seals, turtles, and a variety of bird species. The presence of humpback whales in the bay, during winter months, makes this destination popular for whale-watching excursions. There is a proposal that wishes to declare the area as a "Biosphere Reserve" due to its high ecological value.

Geography

Samana is located in the nothern part of the Dominican Republic and bathes in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Until quite recently, the Samana Peninsula was separated from the mainland by a very narrow channel. Now filled with sediment, this island has become a peninsula. The largest city on the peninsula is called Santa Barbara de Samana, or Samana for short. This port town overlooks the country's largest bay, Bahia de Samana.

History

Samana's modern history began with the first hostile encounter between the hemispheres on Jan. 12, 1493, when an army of Indians showered Columbus's ship with bone-tipped arrows. Pirates thrived in the coves and shallow waters of the bay until the city of Santa Barbara de Samana was founded in 1756 by transplanted Canary Islanders. After the arrival of fleeing French planters and their slave from Haiti, the French took possession in 1802, but departed after being attacked by both Haitian and British forces.

The 1820's saw the arrival of thousands of escaping American slave whose North American customs influence the area to this day. During this time, the then detached island of Samana was to be sold to the United States as a military base during Santana's presidency but the deal was never realized because the United States felt it was expensive at that time. This little province was also proposed to be the capital of the country at one time.

Specialties & Characteristics

During January through March, close to 3,000 humpbak whales return to the northern coasts near Banco de la Plata, to nurse their young and breed. Boat excursions from the town's port take groups just outside the bay to witness these incredible creatures frolic in the sea.

Airport :
Samana International Airport (November 2006), Arroyo Barril International Airport

Airport Tax :
The departure tax of around US $20 is payable at the airport should it not already be included on your plane ticket, please verify.

Distance from Airport :
45-60 minutes

Tourist Office :
809-538-2332

Tourist Season :
December through April

Local Festivities

February 27 - Carnival

Transportation

Although taxis are available 24 hours a day, you can also travel in carros publicos (public taxis), buses called "guaguas", and moto conchos which are inexpensive.

Most international car hire companies have offices and facilities here. The best way to see Samana is to rent a small 4x4 jeep.

Activities & Sports

With a strong emphasis on ecotourism, opportunities for mountain biking, hiking and rock climbing abound. Horse riding excursions will take you through jungles and paradise beaches. Sailing is quite a popular local activity and a great way to see the local islets.

Golfers will have to contend with the only near by course, the easy but fun 9-hole course at the Loma de Chivo Country Club, located at the Gran Bahia hotel.

Samana features the best adventure scuba diving of the north coast of the Dominican Republic. This rocky coastline with high cliffs leads to an exciting underwater world of sheer drop-offs and pinnacles that rise up to 165 feet. Beneath the moderate depths of 30 and 50 feet, a vast collection of cave and tunnel formations offers attractive dives. Snorkel enthusiast can enjoy the coral gardens at a shallower depth.

Archaeology

The Parque Nacional Los Haitises has caves filled with Indian rock paintings. In Pre-Columbian times the Tainos regularly sought refuge in these caves. In fact, Samana is known as the site of the first battle, the Battle of the Arrows, between the Indian settlers and the European conquerors.

Another place to see ancient native art is in Las Galeras, at the Galeras Caves and the Cabo Samana Caves.

Attractions & Museums

Thronged by palm-clad hills, Samana suddenly springs up before our eyes. The town was destroyed by fire in 1946 but was rebuilt to include a few large resorts, hotels, bars and restaurants. Make your way to the Botanical Gardens, where you can sit down, close our eyes and let yourself be bewitched by the heady scents of the luxuriant vegetation. The majority of Samana's visitors come for the amazing humpback whale-watching excursions. Other excursions in Samana include walking the Bridge to Nowhere; and a visit to Cayo Levantado (Bacardi Island, used in Bacardi rum commercials during the 1970s).

Las Terrenas, a traditional old coastal town, passes through the mountainous peninsula of Samana. It is through here that access is gained to Portillo and El Limon, famous for its 300m cliff offering sweeping views of the azure sea on one side and centuries-old trees on the other, coffee plantations, carob trees and banana trees. The El Limon waterfall has a 40m drop that ends in a very deep pool of crystal clear waters. It's a great spot for a swim.

The fishing town of Las Galeras is next to an extensive white sanded beach. Popular tourist attractions include the Galeras Caves and the Cabo Samana Caves, which are filled with pictographs.

Sanchez is another fishing town, mostly shrimp, and is characterized by its small Victorian houses.

Day-tripper

No one should leave the Dominican Republic without having visited the Parque Nacional Los Haitises. This national park is set in a high, vine-strewn limestone plain with more than 10,000 sugar-loaf dwarf trees, spectacular rock formations, and caves full of Indian rock paintings. The most famous is the Boca del Diablo, a magical cavern full of stalactites and stalagmites, with coloured channels and enormous galleries.

Entertainment

At night, Dominican music is everywhere, made up primarily of Merengue, Salsa and Bachata. The nightlife in Las Terrenas and Samana, especially on weekends, is very good. A variety of cafes, bars and discos are located on the beach, in the city center, or at the hotel-boulevard on the road to El Portillo. Looking for a lively dance floor? Try:

La Loba
Naomi
Rancho Allegre

Accommodations

There's something for every visitor's budget, from several luxury all-inclusive resorts, to small hotels, or a simple room in a private home. Approximately 3,600 rooms are available throughout the peninsula.

Purchases

Most of the boutiques and souvenir shops are located in Las Terrenas and Samana with a few in Las Galeras. Here you will find an array of primitive native paintings, wood or whalebone carvings, island jewellery, semi-precious lorimar jewellery and genuine amber artefacts. Beach and kiosk vendors also sell there handmade necklaces, bracelets and anklets.

Also a visit to the Farmer's Market in Samana is always rewarding. Watch the locals do their daily errand as fresh fruit and vegetables, saddles for horses and mules, and everything else you can imagine exchanges hands.

Restaurants

Besides the few restaurant found on the peninsula (in Samana, Las Terenas and Las Galeras), the inhabitants often prepare and sell traditional Dominican foods, like grilled fish, and beer by roadside stalls.