Samana

Whale Watching

Annually from January through March, Samana Bay is a whale watchers paradise. Marvel at nature and animal life as you watch whales frolic in the distance. You can also observe the whales on land, a Land Whale Observatory opened in January 2011 at Punta Balandra.

Los Haitises National Park

This mangrove swamp located just south of the Samana Peninsula, is 83 square miles (215 square kilometers)in size. 100 species of birds, over 90 plant species, and a wide variety of mammals and cave call Los Haitises Home. Make sure to see the magnificent series of limestone caves, bearing pre-Columbian Taino art and boat excursions through the exotic vegetation.

Salto El Limón

Considered one of the most spectacular and breathtaking waterfalls in the country, Salto El Limón cascades 170 feet (52 meters) into a large swimming hole that can be a perfect spot to wash off the sweat and mud from the trip there. While the waterfall is accessible by foot, the best way to get there is by donkey or horseback ride.

Taíno Park

This unique park tells the story of a lost civilization. The Taíno Indians, the indigenous people of this island, were the inhabitants here some 1,500 years ago  until Christopher Columbus discovered it. The exhibits are comprised of 25 animated scenes complete with life-size figures depicting the life of the Taínos and their conflict with the Spanish conquistadors.

Dominican Evangelical Church

The historic Dominican Evangelical Church is the oldest original building left in Samana. The structure actually came across the ocean from England in 1881 in a hundred pieces and was reassembled here, serving the spiritual needs of the African-American freedman. In 1946 a city-wide fire wiped out most of Samana’s wooden buildings and Victorian architecture; this church was miraculously saved.