All of the trips below can be organized by Bahia Excursions in town. They can be reached at (809) 240 6088.

El Limon Waterfall

A beautiful waterfall with a 130ft drop. The town of El Limon is around 20 min from Las Terrenas on the road to Samana. Around 3 km after you have left the village you will see various “paradas” on your left. Surdido, and Rancho Español are closest to the falls. It is around 45 min walk on a path that leads through forest and meadows.  Alternatively you can go by horse. Beware that the paths there are very muddy. You can swim in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall.

Los Haitises

Parque Nacional Los Haïtises is a humid tropical forest of 1,200 sq km which offers jungle-covered islands, thick mangrove forests, strange rock formations (“mogotes”) emerging from the sea and bird-filled caves, some with rock paintings.

 

You can get to Los Haitises by boat from Samana or Sanchez. In Samana, Gregory can arrange the trip for around $45 per person ☎ (829) 917 2380. In Samana you can combine this with a whale watching trip.

Whale watching

The Bahía de Samaná, part of a marine mammal sanctuary that encompasses the northern and eastern coasts of the Dominican Republic, is one of the best places in the world to go whale-watching. Each winter, from around mid-January to the end of March, some 3,000 to 5,000 humpbacks migrate from the North Atlantic Ocean south to the waters surrounding the DR to mate and give birth.

 

This is the perfect time to observe the whales at their most active, because breeding season is when the males are the most animated, aggressive, and playful. Opportunities abound to watch them spout, slap their fins, breach (leap out of the water), and lobtail (beat the surface of the water with their flukes, or tail lobes), as the male whales seek to establish their territory next to the females and ward off potential competitors.

 

Victoria Marine/Whale Samaná  ☎ 809-538-2494, run by Kim Beddall, a marine biologist from Canada. Half-day trips cast off twice daily from mid-January to late March (9:30 am and 1:30 pm from Samaná aboard 50-foot motor vessels equipped with bathrooms and snack bars. Adults pay US $50.

Alternatively, you can simply venture down to the dock in Samaná and make your own arrangements with one of the independent boat captains who run small excursion boats. While these trips may be cheaper, you probably won’t find the same level of scientific expertise as you would from Victoria Marine.

Playa Jackson

A short boat ride (around 30 min) gets you to a great snorkeling reef and deserted beach. This can be organized through Las Terrenas Divers or Bahia Tours.