Samana, DR Cruise Ship Destination Port

Cruise Ship Port of Call information like Port News, Weather, Transportation Options, Things to Do and See, Area Events, Medical Care, Crime and Safety Review

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Samana Weather

Good to know

Visitors to the Dominican Republic, including to local resort areas, should carefully assess the potential risk of recreational activities.   

Some of the swimming areas at popular beaches around the Dominican Republic are subject to dangerous undertows. 

Many beaches lack life guards and/or warnings of unsafe conditions. Resort managers usually offer current information on local swimming & surf conditions.  

Visitors are cautioned not to swim alone, particularly at isolated beaches.  

Medical Services

Medical care is limited, especially outside Santo Domingo, and the quality of care varies widely among facilities. 

Outside the capital, emergency services range from extremely limited to nonexistent.  Blood supplies at both public and private hospitals are often limited, and not all facilities have blood on hand even for emergencies. 

Many medical facilities throughout the country do not have staff members who speak or understand English.

Tap water is unsafe to drink and should be avoided.  Bottled water and beverages are safe.

Getting around  

Visitors to the Dominican Republic might want to consider hiring a professional driver during their stay in lieu of driving themselves.  Licensed drivers who are familiar with local roads can be hired through local car rental agencies.  In case of accidents, only the driver will be taken into custody. 

Pedestrians tend to step out into traffic without regard to corners, crosswalks, or traffic signals.  Many pedestrians die every year crossing the street (including major, multi-lane highways) at seemingly random locations.  Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way, and walking along or crossing busy streets – even at intersections with traffic lights or traffic police present – can be very dangerous.

ports > destinations > Samana, DR
 

Samana, DR

Samana City claims an unusual history and, as a result, an unusual character. It was settled by two shiploads of freed American slaves around 1824 and, to this day, many residents speak English as a first language. The US cultural influence is also apparent in many of the last names of the settlers of this area. Urban renewal is improving the overall look of Samana city.

domincan republic map

Need to Know

The city of Samaná is located in a small plain close to the coast but, now, most of the city is in the hills that enclose the plain. It is the largest municipality of the province. The climate is tropical with little seasonal variation and terrain features rugged highlands and mountains.

Port of Entry

Cayo Levantado - a small island in the Bay of Samana

dominican republic photo by wiki user spacej

Time Zone

AST - Dominican Republic does not recognize Daylight Savings Time

Map Coordinates

19.12 N, 69.19 W

Average Temperatures

Water: 83°- Summer; 77°- Winter

Air: 85°- Summer; 78°- Winter

Things to do and see

Whale-Watching

January through March. One of the major reasons the town of Samaná is on the tourism map is because it is one of the best places in the world to observe dozens of humpback whales in their natural environment. This awe-inspiring activity will take you near Cayo Levantado amidst turquoise waters of the Bahía de Samaná, where the giant, white-finned humpbacks practice their mating rituals. Every year, thousands of these huge mammals come from the faraway waters of Greenland and Iceland to the Bahía de Samaná.Whale-Watching Excursion Provider - www.whalesamana.com

La Boca del Diablo

A dramatic blow-hole. If you're there in whale season it's a vantage point for dry land-based whale-watching too.

Limon Waterfall

Located at the town of El Limon. The waterfall is about 300 meters above sea level and has a 40 meter drop that ends in a very deep pool of crystal clear waters.

Las Terrenas

Lots of shops feature all sort of beach wear and gear. Great supermarket in town, restaurants, delicious pate and pastry shops, reflecting the European influence.

Cayo Levantado

An small island made of a protruding coral reef which protect Samana Bay from the Atlantic waves. Due to the island's protected positioning in the bay, the water are calm, shallow and have a plush sandy bottom.

Playa Bonita

Area in front of Bahia las Ballenas hotel

Bacardi Island

Used in the famous 1970's Bacardi rum commercials.

Historic Shipwrecks Museum

A museum exhibiting artifacts recovered from shipwrecks opened during the summer of 2010  in Samana city.  The exhibition includes artifacts from Le Scipion, a French warship that fought in the American War of Independence, as well as several other major historical wrecks. See www.alldeepblue.com for more info.