Samana Visitor's Guide

Halfway between Punta Cana and Puerto Plata on the north side of Hispaniola, the Samana Peninsula is the most pristine tourist destination in the Dominican Republic, if not the flashiest. Having just opened the region's first airport in 2006, and first major highway (connecting the area to Santo Domingo) in 2008, Samana's charms are largely unknown to most incoming travelers, but the region is growing as an ecotourism destination.

Samana is home to 50 or so resorts and hotels, most located in the seaside town and former fishing village of Las Terrenas ("The Earth"). Although the beaches are lovely, the lush vegetation and teeming coves of Samana lend itself to more active travelers, with prominent activities including the waterfalls at El Salto del Limon, humpback whale and dolphin watching in Samana Bay, diving in Las Ballenas ("the whales" -- a series of underwater tunnels popular with divers), and hiking the rural and unspoiled Cabo Cabron peninsula.