Samana in 5 hours

For us, the cruise ship was more of a means to an end and the real highlights were the island stays. The first place we drove to was Santa Barbara de Samana in the northeast of the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, the weather in the morning was very cloudy, which is clearly visible in almost all photos. The special thing about this first stop was that it is not a typical cruise ship port and only a few ships stop here. Thus, all passengers had to be driven ashore with the tender boats, as there is no deep-sea port.

Humpback whales can be spotted in the bay off Samana from December to March. Despite the season (February) we didn’t have much luck and only saw whale silhouettes twice in the distance on the way there. Also well-known is the small island of Cayo Levantado, whose nickname “Bacardi Island” is (apparently) due to the filming of a famous commercial. Unfortunately, a visit to the island was not possible, as it was chartered by a private person on the corresponding day (yes, you should be enough…).

Since we were a bit lazy that day, we had not planned a big trip but wanted to explore the village and the surrounding area on foot. First of all, there is not really much to see. Along the harbour area, a colonial-style house front was built especially for the tourists. We took a look inside, but it didn’t convince us. Afterwards we walked along the harbour to the Hotel Cayacoa and met a funny horse-bird group on the way (that was my highlight of the day, so to speak).

At the hotel there is a nice little beach and from there a long bridge leads over two small offshore islands. The trail is quite adventurous, but you will be rewarded with a great view of the bay and the surrounding area.

For those who are not as lazy as we are, I recommend taking a taxi (individually) or an organized tour, for example to visit the waterfalls at El Limon, the National Park Los Haitises or the beaches at the seaside resort of Las Terrenas. Above all, the national park is said to be particularly beautiful.