The Dominican Republic's Last Frontier
The Samaná Peninsula is the kind of place where you get your drinks from a thatched hut and your fish from the guy who caught it. It's one of the last undeveloped swaths of beach in the Dominican Republic—but that's about to change.
We parked the quads, stripped down to bathing suits, and dove into the flat, blue water. I felt refreshed.
When to Go
High season on the Samaná Peninsula is mid-January to mid-March, when humpback whales gather in the bay and the average high hovers around 85 degrees.
Getting There
Roads in the Dominican Republic are often not well marked, so DR-8, the new highway from Santo Domingo to the Samaná Peninsula, can be tricky to find. Add to that the fact that the road doesn't yet appear on most maps—and that it has four different names—and you're on the way to getting lost.
LODGING
Villas Eva Luna
4 Calle Marico, 809/978-5611, villa-evaluna.com, from $100, including breakfast
FOOD
Luis
Playa Cosón, grilled shrimp $9
Sucré Salé
Plaza Taina, coffee 50¢
La Terrasse
Pueblo de los Pescadores, 809/240-6730, dorado entrée $11.25
ACTIVITIES
Flora Tours
235 Calle Principal Duarte, 809/360-2793, flora-tours.net, full-day quad tour for two $120
NIGHTLIFE
El Mosquito Art Bar
Pueblo de los Pescadores, 809/877-8374
Budget Travel Real Deals
- From $1,249
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