Spotlight on Samana

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER VIEW OF MAP

White sandy beaches, cool azure waters, balmy Caribbean nights: the Dominican Republic’s Samana Peninsula is this and more. Coconut-covered mountains that march down to the sea, majestic capes that plunge to the ocean’s depths where vibrant, coral reefs teem with brightly-colored fish and spiny lobster, crystal-clear streams that wend their way through the peninsula’s lush arroyos, playful waterfalls tumbling down the verdant hills, the shrill chatter of bright green, Dominican parrots, the murmur of the ever-present trade wind caressing the feathered arms of the coconut palms, cicadas singing through the starry night, the melodic strains of bachata, merengue and salsa: the sights and sounds of Samana are never far away. 


 Described by Christopher Columbus as “the fairest land on the face of the earth,” the Samana Peninsula is considered by Dominicans and visitors alike as the prettiest part of the island of Hispaniola. It is the jewel in the crown of Republica Dominicana. And with much of the Caribbean now well-developed, the peninsula’s pristine beaches and sparsely-populated, mountainous terrain resplendent with an abundance of tropical vegetation are not only a welcome change, but are all that remain of the true magic of the tropical Caribbean.

Samana is the real Caribbean, the Caribbean of 40 years ago, the Caribbean that awakens memories of a bygone era when each tropical shore, each bend in an old dirt road brought new adventure and a wondrous sense of anticipation exploring a developing region that had seemingly shielded itself from the stress and pressures of modern day life. Samana today is still that; a return to a simpler place and time where the magic of discovery still awaits visitors.