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Place in Samaná, Dominican Republic
Photo: Anton Bielousov, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Santa Bárbara De Samaná is a cute harbor town on the Samaná Peninsula, and capital of the Samaná province of Dominican Republic. It doesn't have the same hustle and bustle as nearby Las Terrenas, but then it doesn't have any beautiful golden-sand beaches right in town either. What it does have is whale-watching, access to island resorts, and a pretty harborfront opposite a cool-looking bridge to some small islands. Note that the town name is more often shortened to Samaná than to Santa Bárbara.
Three rooms with doors right out onto the sidewalk, local home style. Comfortable enough for a night or two. Ceiling fan, no AC. In a cute residential neighborhood of the old part of town, a short walk from the waterfront.
Another local guesthouse a few doors down and across the street from Don Alfredo.
Nice hotel on an offshore island (private ferry from town)
By bus
You can get to Samana directly by bus from Santo Domingo. The buses leave from the same station as the ones for Las Terrenas (see that article for details).
By car
Though it once took six hours to drive here along a small road from Santo Domingo, it's now a 2-3 hour drive along well-paved toll highway.
Rental car, Taxi, Bus, four wheelers and motorbikes. The town itself is walkable, but to get to beaches you might need other transportation.
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Samana · Regional · AZS
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