The Samaná Peninsula stretches out into the ocean, a nature haven that is coveted by people of all ages. It has been a popular destination for centuries, and it remains so today. Samaná was a place of hidden forests, isolated beaches, and hidden caves, where pirates and European and Haitian troops competed for control of its deep water bay.

Today, Samaná is well connected by land and air, but it still retains its secluded, paradisiacal escape, with beautiful white sand beaches stretching hundreds of kilometers all around its rocky coastline. It seems as if the approximately 2,500 humpback whales that visit Samaná Bay each year appreciate the natural beauty of this area as much as visitors do.

These enormous mammals return every year to this special corner of the Dominican Republic to mate, give birth, and soak up the warm, tropical atmosphere. Aside from seasonal whale-watching boat trips in scenic Samaná Bay, other ecotourism adventures are just a stone’s throw away: bodyboarding and kitesurfing in Las Terrenas; trekking, bird watching and caving in Los Haitises National Park;canyoning or horseback riding to reach the El Limón waterfall;and boat hopping to gorgeous white sand beaches at the foot of 90 meter (300 foot) cliffs or to the offshore island of Cayo Levantado.