Various Samana, Dominican Republic all inclusive resorts offer gift shops and smaller boutiques. Local vendors can be found near the beaches selling handmade jewelry, amber artifacts, and other souvenirs typical of the Dominican Republic.

Smaller towns within the peninsula also offer a variety of vendors who depend on the influx of tourists into the area. For instance, Las Terrenas has a population of almost 11,000 (according to the 2012 census) and is approximately 44 square miles. It has grown up from a fishing village into a popular, modern town with gourmet restaurants, beach bars, craft and gift shops, sports facilities, and excursions can be found. Vacationers wishing to explore beyond their hotel find Las Terrenas to be a charming and vibrant town.

Despite its small size, the city of Samana offers a wide range of shopping options. Whether you forgot to pack something, you want to purchase gifts for family and friends, you want to purchase food or additional alcohol (beyond what your all inclusive resort offers), or you want to shop for clothes or jewelry, Samana can accommodate your shopping needs.

Note: Not all establishments accept credit cards. ATM debit machines are available in town.

With all of the meals included at Samana’s all inclusive resorts, you may not want to venture beyond the resort for food. After all, the price of your food and drinks has already been included in your all inclusive package price. And the culinary staff at each resort spends a lot of time ensuring their meals will satisfy all guests. However, if you do want to explore some of the local hot spots, then feel free. In the seaside city of Samana, there is a wide variety of cuisines available. You can try fresh seafood, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, and American cuisine, along with the best in local dishes.

The Chinese restaurant, Chino, has been a favorite of locals for decades, and with over 200 options on the menu, anyone can find something they like. Near the Malecon, there is a fabulous place that offers Spanish tapas, Spanish décor, and a large selection of wine. Just look for Taberna Mediterannea and you have found it. Le Royal delights guests with breakfast, espresso and cappuccino, sandwiches and burgers, French baguettes, roast chicken, crepes, kebabs, croque, and much more. For those looking for another beach to visit beyond their resort, Playa Anadel is home to Cayenas del Mar, an exclusive beach club that provides a private dock, changing rooms and showers, and a restaurant with a Caribbean buffet and a beach bar inside and out. For dining right on the cliffs with the best views of the setting sun, check out El Cabito and enjoy Dominican food, European food, Belgian beers and other libations, vegetarian dishes, seafood, fish, grilled meat, and more.

Las Terrenas also offers a wide range of options—from seafood, to Italian, American, pizzarias, to tapas bars, and more. With over 50 restaurants in Las Terrenas, it is impossible to not get a good meal. This is just a small selection of restaurants mentioned here. It would take a small book to mention them all.

In addition to stopping in at a restaurant off property, those who decide to go on excursions booked through the hotel may also find that the tour operator also offers a meal with the excursion. Check with your hotel on what is included when booking any excursions.

Whether you decide to dine only at the resort or off property, you may want to check out some of the local dishes, such as carpaccios, ceviches, fish filets in coconut sauce, lobster, fresh seafood, empanadas, mangu, tostones, la bandera, sanchocho, etc.

Nightlife for visitors to Samana begins at your all inclusive resort where the entertainment staff has arranged for nightly entertainment and themed shows. In addition, many offer night clubs and bars that keep guests entertained well into the evening. Each resort is unique and different to what it might have for nightlife.

Off property, the city of Samana is dotted with street-side cafes, small bars, night clubs and discos, and outdoor terraces where visitors can chat and laugh with locals. Cielito Disco Dance Club plays bachata, meringue, salsa, and international music. Tsunami Pub and Disco is new to the Plaza Pueblo Principe. Café del Mar at the marina of Puerto Bahia Resort is the world famous bar from Ibiza, Spain. Colego Beach Bar welcomes cruise ship passengers with fresh piña coladas and coco loco drinks. And Café de Paris serves up international cocktails, national drinks, and bar food on a large terrace where you can enjoy sunsets, watching people walking on the Malecon, and listening to music from a dj or local band.

Samana all inclusive vacations are perfect opportunities to learn about the town and marvel at its natural beauty. Excursions can always be booked through your chosen hotel. We recommend this option over using other companies not verified and approved by the resort.

A visit to Los Haitises National Park is a must. This 530 square mile park consists of a subtropical humid forest where over 100 species of birds greet visitors. Visitors coming into the park by boat may first arrive in San Lorenzo Bay. Kayaking into the park is another favorite way to get there. Entry by road access is limited. Various caves, such as La Arena Cave and La Línea Cave are favorite areas to explore. Several of the park’s caverns have pictographs and petroglyphs from the area’s Native Americans of the past. Mangrove swamps, small islets, lush knolls that rise up from the sea up to 165 feet high, an underground river, and Cayo Los Pájaros (Bird Key) await new explorers.

From January to March, the Humpback whale migration means that tourists can view a truly spectacular site through whale watching tours. It is considered one of the top things to do in the area. Up to 5,000 humpback whales can be seen surfacing above the water and playfully leaping out of the sea (known as breaching) as they end their migration from places as far away north as Maine and Newfoundland, Canada. Eighty miles off the coast of the Dominican Republic is a place known as The Silver Bank, which is part of the Sanctuary for the Marine Mammals of the Dominican Republic. This peaceful area is where Humpback Whales come for mating and the birth of their calves. The Sanctuary includes the calving and breeding grounds of The Silver Bank, Navidad Bank, Samana Bay, and the deeper ocean waters between. More adventurous tourists even opt to swim with the whales, which is called a soft-in-water encounter, since the group usually just snorkels in a group near the whales and hopes that one will approach. Tourists who wish to get a glimse of whales from land rather than by sea can visit the Land Whale Observatory at Punta Balandra on the peninsula’s southeastern coast.

In addition, some guests wish to explore other beaches, such as Rincon Beach, La Playita, Playa Bonita, Playa Las Galeras, and also the island of Cayo Levantado, which also houses one resort, Luxury Bahia Principe Cayo Levantado. The beaches on the island are simply gorgeous. Playa Rincon, outside of Las Galeras, is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the Dominican Republic, and the world. But don’t take our word for it. You will want to go see for yourself. Playa Cosón sometimes has strong winds that make it great for kite flying and surfing. Near Las Terrenas is Portillo Beach, with its golden sand, and Las Ballenas, with its white powder sand. A little further east is El Limón Beach, a three-mile stretch of golden sand with views of Cayo el Limón. Las Galeras Beach on the northeastern-most point of the peninsula has a recreational diving aquarium. Several whale watching tours depart from here, as well.

Visitors also enjoy exploring the beauty of El Limon Waterfall. Set up in the mountains at an altitude of 2,100 feet. This waterfall is around 130 feet tall and has swimmable waters at its base. It is considered by some to be the most amazing waterfalls in the Dominican Republic, and it is one of the most popular adventure tours in Samana. To reach the waterfall, you must either hike to the top or horseback ride most of the way and then hike the remainder. However, while the purpose of your journey is to reach the waterfall, don’t forget to enjoy the beautiful streams and the tropical jungle along the way.

With plenty of natural beauty found in the area—from mountains, to waterfalls, to secluded beaches—just exploring the local area can cause any tourist to be awestruck at Mother Nature. However, fans of city life or quant towns can check out the Dominican’s capital city of Santo Domingo and also the nearby cities and towns of Samana, Las Terrenas, and Las Galeras, through an excursion from their all inclusive resort.

Las Galeras, which is set along the northeastern part of the peninsula, is a tranquil fishing village that offers adventures within nature, such as snorkeling, scuba diving, windsurfing, sailing, rock climbing, and hiking nature trails. A few of Las Terrenas’ activities include kiteboarding, paintball, surfing, sailing, shopping, and eating.

Land sports and water activities are popular at the Samana all inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic, and most are provided as part of the package. However, some resorts also offer lessons, such as windsurfing lessons or tennis lessons, however there may be a charge. Popular sports include basketball, soccer, pool and beach volleyball, aerobics, water aerobics, golfing, deep sea fishing, bocce ball, table tennis, billiards, and much more.

Some of the area resorts provide excursions for horseback riding, four-wheeling, sailing, fishing, biking, hiking, ziplining, scuba diving, and snorkeling. Golfers will not find a golf course on the Samana Peninsula, but there is one about an hour and a half from the city of Samana at Playa Grande Golf Course. Scuba divers will enjoy reefs with undercuts, large underwater caves, tunnels, and swim-throughs.