Travel to Samana

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Samana, Dominican Republic

Located in the north-east, within an hour's drive from the new international airport of El Catey, lies the beautiful Samana peninsula, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places on the island. This is for two main reasons. Firstly, Samana has been relatively well preserved from the conquest of property developers: hotels remain generally reasonable in terms of size and contact with inhabitants remains authentic. Secondly, its more humid climate than in the rest of the country (avoid the rainy season between September and November), gives rise to dense vegetation and lush greenery. The beaches spread their fine sand for miles, a long white band that separates the blue sea and the greenery of the coconut groves; it is a real paradise.
Breathing authenticity, Santa Barbara de Samana, the regional capital, was founded in the late 20th century by freed American slaves. As for excursions, you can take on hiking or horseback riding to admire the beautiful cascade of El Limon, located 8 and a half miles away from Las Terrenas and admire the beautiful views from the peaks. The journey follows some small trails through the rain forest. Upon return, dine with a member of a development association governed by the criteria of sustainable development and fair tourism. You can also take on a hike for one or several days in the Los Haitises Park (80 sq mi), or visit the small towns of Las Galeras or Las Terrenas bordered by beautiful beaches. One thing you must do here remains observing the whales that come in flocks to the Bay of Samana between the months of January and April.

The beaches
Contact with the local people
The landscape

cons

A lot of humidity in the rainy season (between September and November)

Weather Samana - choosing the best time to go

Dominican Republic - Samana

All overall indicators 57/100 Average
Temperature indicators 72/100 Good
Bad weather indicators 14/100 Very bad
Sunbathing indicators 38/100 Bad
Swimming indicators 88/100 Excellent
Wind indicators 76/100 Good
Temperature indicatorsVery hot :
The maximum temperature is <24°, temperature felt between 33°C and 36°C.
Bad weather indicatorsHeavy rain :
Heavy rain - averaging over 4.5mm per day.
Sunbathing indicatorsCloudy :
Overcast 60% to 80% cloud cover.
Swimming indicatorsVery pleasant / Optimal :
High air temperature (>24°C), high sea temperature (>24°C), light to moderate winds (between 7 mph and 12 mph).
Wind indicatorsLight warm breeze :
Near optimal comfort: moderate to light winds (between 6 mph and 7 mph) in a warm enviromnment (>24°C).

Weather finder : Samana / May Annual weather finder : Samana

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Visit Samana

To see

The most beautiful excursion to take is certainly the observation of the humpback whales. In fact, between January and April, around a thousand of them benefit from the warm waters of the Bay of Samana, to come to give birth to their offspring before going back again to the waters, rich in fish, of New England and Greenland via Newfoundland.

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To do

The Los Haïtise National Park, a kind of Dominican Halong Bay, has strange formations of limestone that arise from the sea. Here you can find an abundance of 700 vascular plants in the humid subtropical forest, and patches of vegetation sheltering caves decorated with pre-Columbian relics of the Taïnos Indians. It can be visited by boat.

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To think about

A suitcase for the summer: light clothing cotton, open shoes, shorts, shirts, T-shirts, without forgetting the bathing suit, as well as warm clothes and walking shoes for getaways in the mountains. A lightweight raincoat is useful during the rainy season (from May to July).

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To avoid

Inherited from Benin, voodoo is still practiced today. The tradition is rich in fables, that it is sometimes better to avoid!

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To try

Rich and spicy, Dominican cuisine is the result of Creole, European and African influences. Starch foods (rice, sweet potatoes and plantain), fish and shell fish as well as tropical fruits are the key foods. The stews (mondogo, sancocho) are common, with goat meat or fish cooked in coconut milk being prime examples.

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To bring back

Jewellery made from amber (brown solidified resin), larimar (blue stone), leather items, baskets, naive paintings, a legacy of Indian Taïnos, CDs of merengue and bachata, cigars, liquid vanilla, jam, rum and coffee are the main souvenirs that you can bring home. They can be found everywhere on beaches and especially in local markets.

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Country guide

Dominican Republic, All you need to know!

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