Las Terrenas began as a fishing village on the north coast of the Samaná peninsula and changed from the 1980s onward, when French and Italian residents started arriving. The result is an unusual mix: colmados and motoconchos alongside French bakeries and trattorias, with higher prices than elsewhere in the country and a considerably more relaxed atmosphere than Punta Cana.
The beaches
Playa Las Ballenas and Playa Bonita are a step from town, with palms leaning over the sand and reef close in. Playa Cosón, further west, is long, wide and nearly empty, with a few fish restaurants at sand level.
The road crossing the mountain from Sánchez offers one of the best viewpoints in the country over Samaná Bay.
Salto El Limón
Salto El Limón, some fifty metres high, falls into a green pool you can swim in. It is the peninsula's classic excursion.
You start from El Limón village or from one of several paradas — departure points with horses and guides — along the road. The trip takes about forty minutes on horseback or on foot along a trail that is almost always muddy, with steep sections. Wear footwear you can soak and not light-coloured clothing.
One note: the horses and guides belong to local families and the parada system is organised by the community. If you prefer to walk that is perfectly possible, and a guide is still worth having for the mud and the junctions.
Las Galeras and Playa Rincón
At the eastern tip of the peninsula, Las Galeras is a small village surrounded by hard-to-reach beaches, which is exactly what preserves them. Playa Rincón, reached by boat or dirt track, ranks among the Caribbean's best: three kilometres of sand between cliffs, with a freshwater river at one end.
Playa Frontón and Playa Madama are reachable only by boat or a long hour's walk; the first has excellent snorkelling reef.
Practical
Las Terrenas is a little over two hours from Santo Domingo on the north-eastern motorway, and has a small airport at El Catey with some international flights. Local transport means motoconchos — motorbike taxis — which will take you anywhere in town for very little.
When to come
The peninsula is greener and rainier than the east coast, which is precisely what keeps it lush. December to April is driest; whale season in the bay runs January to March and fills the town. September and October are the quietest months and also the wettest.