The Samaná Peninsula

The Dominican Republic is reach in a diversity of natural landscapes that would please anyone who enjoys being in contact with nature. One of those areas is the Northeastern coast, a tourist destination that includes the Samaná Peninsula.

Samaná is characterized for the beauty of its beaches that are a threshold of bright colorful coral reefs, for its water cascades that fall from the mountains running through pristine woods, as well as for the spectacular show offered by the hunchback whales that come to the bay every year.

A Bit of History

Although Christopher Columbus had been in Samaná during his trips to the New World, for nearly two centuries the Peninsula remained uninhabited. Thus, it became an ideal hideout for pirates and corsairs. It wasn’t until 1756 that groups of migrants from the Canary Islands settled there. Later on it was owned by Napoleon for a short while. And finally, freed slaves from the United States established in the area.

All these cultures made Samaná into the habitat of the most striking mixture of races in the Dominican Republic: African-descent Americans mixed with Europeans from France, Spain, and Italy.

The Town

The town of Samaná is located in the southern coast of the Peninsula, bordering the Samaná Bay. This is a very popular location among tourists who enjoy watching the hunchback whales or visiting Cayo Levantado, a beautiful little key just a few miles off the coast.

This small city, whose gastronomy and dialect preserve very distinctive features of its cultural roots, hosts a series of annual events such as La Cosecha, a tradition from the times of the West-African Boniato and Rice. These events take place every Friday from August until the end of October, in the churches of Samaná, locally known as “chorchas.”

Its malecón is the center of most activities, where one can visit the cafes and little open-air shops.