Santa Bárbara de Samaná

Santa Bárbara de Samaná, usually just called Samaná, is the capital of the province and the peninsula's working town, set on the north shore of Samaná Bay. It is not a beach town in the way Las Terrenas is, but it is where most boats leave from, and from mid-January to the end of March it becomes the center of the country's humpback whale season.

The heart of town is the Malecón, the waterfront promenade lined with restaurants, bars, tour offices and the harbor. This is where whale-watching boats depart, along with trips across the bay to Los Haitises National Park and boats to Cayo Levantado. Look out across the water and you will see the pedestrian bridges that link small islets off the waterfront, a well-known local landmark.

Samaná has a history you will not find elsewhere in the DR. In the 1820s, formerly enslaved and free African Americans settled here during the period of Haitian rule, and their descendants kept English-language traditions and Protestant churches for generations. You can still hear some older residents speak Samaná English, and the town's old Protestant church, known locally as La Churcha, is a reminder of that story.

Where to stay: the town itself has mid-range hotels and guesthouses close to the Malecón, convenient if your trip is about whales or boat tours. East of town along the road toward Las Galeras are the adults-only Bahia Principe Escape Samana, overlooking the bay, and the island resort Cayo Levantado Resort. For beaches on the open coast, Playa El Valle is over the hills to the north, and Las Galeras and Playa Rincón are under an hour away.

Practical notes: Samaná has banks, ATMs, supermarkets, pharmacies and the provincial hospital, which makes it the place to run errands before heading out to Las Galeras. Guaguas (local minibuses) leave from town to Las Galeras, Las Terrenas and El Limón. Buses from Santo Domingo arrive here in roughly three hours.

Getting here: Samaná El Catey airport (AZS) is about 40 minutes away. Santo Domingo is about 2.5 to 3 hours by road.

Best for: whale watchers, travelers doing Los Haitises and Cayo Levantado, people who like a real Dominican town, and budget travelers. Not ideal for: those who want to walk out of their hotel onto a swimming beach; the town waterfront is a harbor, not a beach.