The Samana Peninsula
The lush Samana Peninsula, on the northeast coast, is the Dominican Republic at its most beautiful and unspoiled, a green finger of coconut palms, hidden beaches and dramatic bays. It is a quieter, wilder counterpoint to the resort coasts, and many travelers tell us it is the side of the island they remember most.
Each year from mid-January to late March, thousands of humpback whales gather in the warm waters of Samana Bay to mate and calve, and the whale watching here is among the very best on earth, with breaches, tail-slaps and the haunting song of the males carrying through the hulls of the boats.
Beyond the whales, Samana rewards exploration: the thundering El Limon waterfall reached on horseback through the jungle, the mangrove channels and caves of Los Haitises National Park, and the postcard-perfect sands of Cayo Levantado and Playa Rincon.
