Samana
Samana is a province of the Dominican Republic. Its capital is Santa Barbara de Samana, also known as Samana City.
Samana is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the northeastern part of the Dominican Republic. It is known for its mountains of which it is almost entirely formed. Samana has numerous beaches, and with the 6 November 2006 opening of the new Samana El Catey International Airport, it is bound to become one of major tourist destinations in the Dominican Republic.
It was discovered on January 12, 1493 by Christopher Columbus who was greeted with a barrage of spears and arrows from native Taíno warriors. It is said that this was the first instance of violent opposition to the Spanish conquistadors in the Americas.
Samana is considered one of the most beautiful areas of the Dominican Republic, yet remains one of the least known by Dominican natives in general and foreign visitors in particular. Its tourist industry has not yet exploited the full potential of its location: the tropical forests, coconut groves, hundreds of cozy alcove beaches with turquoise crystal clear waters, waterfalls, protected national parks, a protected bay, a peninsula.
Samana is a destination for nature lovers and adventurers. Green, green mountains, long beaches, solitude, lively little towns in between, turquoise waters. Samana is also a romantic destination, and several of its small hotels are perfect for honeymooners. Samana is also a good choice for experienced scuba divers. Samana is the place to sit on a porch or in the shade of a palm tree, sipping something cool and discover the rare feeling of being happy just being alive.
Samana is one of the breeding places of the humpback whale. Thousands of humpback whales come to the coast off Samana from January to March.
The exuberance of the area, the variety of natural attractions make it the preferred choice of those seeking an active vacation. Oh, there is action if you want it. Horseback riding, swimming, snorkeling, diving, sailing — all the activities that come with beautiful nature.
A highway connecting the Samana peninsula to Santo Domingo has been finally completed and opened which cuts the driving time from 4 hours to 1.5 hours as it is a straight 120km, connecting from just east of Santo Domingo (near the SDQ airport) to just west of Sanchez. There is significant tourist development evident throughout the Samana peninsula, particularly that of large all-inclusive resorts, in anticipation of the increased tourism that will follow now that the connecting road has been completed.
Those traveling to the province of Samana should plan on spending their entire vacation in Samana. This is because Samana is a multi-area tourism destination in itself. The hotels are primarily located in Samana City, Las Galeras (25 kms. from Samana City), Las Terrenas, El Portillo, Cozon and Playa Bonita areas. It takes about half an hour to cross the peninsula north to south and about an hour to go from West to East or vice versa. There is a small airport in El Portillo with commuter flights to Santo Domingo. There is an international airport in El Catey, about half an hour from the Sanchez crossing to Las Terrenas.