Samana can be reached by road just simply heading further east along the coast from Playa Grande and then Cabrera, and so on (Please refer to The Real DR map).  One will find that the two main bus companies Metro and Caribe will drive into Samana from the north coastal town of Puerto Plata from the east coast and also Santo Domingo.  Over the very hilly southern side of the peninsular leading you first into the pretty town of Las Terrenas the road is relatively good and the views are spectacular as you travel down. You will also find gua guas travelling along this route too. Samana is the town within the Bay of Samana or Bahia de Samana and is really just a protected harbour situated along the north shore of Bahia de Samana. Geographically being the most prominent point of the Dominican Republic the peninsula offers both beautiful sandy beaches, coves and caves and  jungle forests with cool pine trees.

The town was founded circa 1750's when Spanish families were brought over from the Canary Islands to try and protect it from other rival colonialists however the proceeding hundred years saw many invasions from the French, British and Haitians. The Bay of Samana has seen it’s fair share of comings and going from Pirates and Buccaneers over a century before hand with many a vessel sunk and galleons pillaged by ruthless plunderers (see The Real DR Pirates of The Caribbean Special!).

These days the most famous sight to be seen in Samana are the amazing humpbacked whales which attract hundreds of tourists each year between mid January through to mid March. The humpbacks take their usual migratory path to mate and breed in the warm waters of the east coast as they have been doing for hundreds of years.

No where else in the world can one find such a massive population of humpbacks (usually around 10,000 of them). Spectacular to watch in the water the whales are most known for jumping out and breaching. (Click here to read more in The Real DR Humpback Whale section about these timeless creatures).

One can book boat trips to watch and observe the whales within relatively close quarters and for the super enthusiastic it is now possible to swim and snorkel near the whales in certain waters and only with highly trained marine biologists. Truly an awesome experience!

Samana itself does not have any huge all inclusive resort hotels as such, for many people a visit to Samana is a one day event to watch the whales and then return back to their hotels. However there are innumerable small bed and breakfast places with restaurants that are mainly European orientated.

If you are looking to stay in the immediate region then it is worth spending a few days in the beautiful coastal town of Las Terrenas