Samaná
A green peninsula on the north-east of Hispaniola, where humpback whales come into the bay each winter and the karst islets of Los Haitises rise across the water.
- Arrival
- Samaná El Catey International · AZS
- To Samaná
- About 40 minutes by car
- Private jets
- AZS open around the clock; small aircraft at Arroyo Barril
- Best time
- January to March
The city
Whales in the bay, karst across the water.
The town of Samaná looks south over a long, sheltered bay. Between January and March humpback whales gather there, and boats go out to watch them. On the far shore the limestone hummocks of Los Haitises National Park rise from the water, and just offshore lies Cayo Levantado, a small island ringed with white sand.
A road runs east to Las Galeras and the beach of Playa Rincón; inland, the El Limón waterfall is reached on horseback or by trail; and the Boulevard Turístico del Atlántico crosses to Las Terrenas above the Bay of Cosón. El Catey airport, opened in 2006, put the whole coast within a short drive.
- Samaná Bay in winter Humpback whales in the bay from January to March, watched on boat excursions.
- Los Haitises National Park Karst islets and limestone formations across the bay, reached by boat.
- Playa Rincón A long beach beyond Las Galeras, at the eastern end of the peninsula.
Arriving
A long runway, and a short one by the bay.
El Catey, west of the peninsula near Sánchez, is the gateway: about 40 minutes by car to Samaná and 30 to Las Terrenas. Closer to town, Arroyo Barril is a small daylight airfield ten kilometres to the west.
- St Maarten 1 h 15
- Barbados 2 h 00
- Aspen 5 h 45
- San Francisco 7 h 25 long-range jet
- Milan 10 h 05 long-range jet
When to go
January to March.
It is hot all year (28 to 31 °C, with the sea at 26 to 29 °C) and it rains in every month: February is the driest at about 100 mm, May and November the wettest at nearly 240 mm. The tourism authority recommends January to March, when the whales are in the bay.
- 28° J 122 26°
- 29° F 98 26°
- 29° M 101 26°
- 30° A 146 27°
- 30° M 239 27°
- 31° J 163 28°
- 31° J 170 28°
- 31° A 194 28°
- 31° S 191 29°
- 31° O 227 29°
- 29° N 239 28°
- 28° D 185 27°
Where to stay
An island of its own in the bay.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
Where to dine
Dinner on the island.
No MICHELIN Guide covers the Dominican Republic, and the town has no high-end restaurant. These are the evening restaurants of the Cayo Levantado Resort, described from the resort’s own dining page.
- Senda Signature restaurant, Cayo Levantado Resort Dominican tasting menu Cayo Levantado Resort, about 5 km off Samaná by boat
- Carey Gourmet restaurant, Cayo Levantado Resort Contemporary Cayo Levantado Resort
- Manaya Steakhouse, Cayo Levantado Resort Grill and fish Cayo Levantado Resort
Elsewhere in Dominican Republic
More reasons to come.
- Punta Cana An airport of its own, beside the long eastern beaches.
- Casa de Campo Golf, a marina and polo, with La Romana airport next door.
- Santo Domingo The first European city of the Americas, its colonial zone listed by UNESCO.
- Puerto Plata The north coast, and a cable car up Mount Isabel de Torres.
Flying to Samaná?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.