Islands · Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

Beyond the resort beaches lie the oldest colonial city in the Americas, the humpback nursery of Samaná Bay and the mangrove karst of Los Haitises — a country far deeper than its postcards.

Travel by Ildy tip

Hidden places

From Samaná, take a boat into Los Haitises National Park: karst islets, mangrove channels and caves whose walls still carry Taíno pictographs and petroglyphs.

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Best time to visit

Best time to travel

December to April is the drier high season; humpbacks gather in Samaná Bay from mid-January to late March. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November.

Travel tips

Travel by Ildy tips

To cross the country cheaply, use the air-conditioned coaches of Caribe Tours or Metro Servicios Turísticos from Santo Domingo to Santiago, Puerto Plata and the Samaná peninsula. Arrive at the terminal about an hour before departure to secure a seat.
Order mangú con los tres golpes for breakfast: mashed green plantain under vinegary red onions, with fried Dominican salami, queso de freír and eggs.
Plan Samaná between mid-January and late March, when humpbacks come to court and calve; February is often the strongest month, and the Punta Balandra lookout offers a land-based view on calm days.
In Santo Domingo's Zona Colonial you walk past the Western Hemisphere's first cathedral, hospital and university; the city's grid plan became the model for town planning across the New World.

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Follow the rhythm of the place first, then shape the journey around the experiences that feel most like your own.

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