Dominican Republic Guide
The Samaná Peninsula
It's not hard to appreciate the beauty of the Samaná Peninsula, a thin strip of land poking from the Dominican Republic's northeast. Perhaps the most appealing part of the whole country, the region boasts a coast lined with beaches that conform strictly to the Caribbean archetype of powdery white sand and transparent green-blue sea.
Besides bumming on the beach, visitors come to see the thousands of humpback whales that migrate to the Bahía de Samaná during the winter. Whale-watching has become a thriving local industry, peaking between mid-January and mid-March. Most whaleboats depart from Samaná, the largest town on the peninsula and a welcome break from the more typical beach-oriented tourist resorts. To the east, Las Galeras is a pristine horseshoe of sand with an air of tranquillity. Along the peninsula's north coast are the beautiful beaches of the remote expat colony of Las Terrenas, an ever-growing hangout for independent travellers.