Samana Time
How to get Bahia Chiquita - Samana
By car
Starting off from Santo Domingo, you head East towards the Las Americas International Airport.
About ten kilometers after the point where the motorway runs exclusively by the shore, there will be a left-side exit ramp that will take you through an underpass and leave you at the start of the Autovía del Coral. In the link that I posted, this is the blue-colored road at the right side of the map that shoots straight up. Road signs are conveniently placed, so you shouldn't miss it.
Once on the Coral Motorway, there will be a toll booth within the first kilometer. The toll is about 700 Dominican pesos. The motorway is a straight shot to Samana.
Total traveling time is about 3 hours from the city, at a reasonable speed: approximately 15 minutes from the time you leave the city (cross the bridge) and about two-and-a-half hours from the time you get on the motorway.
The roads are new and in good shape. Speed limits are rarely (if ever) enforced. Average speeds vary around 120 km/h, but most people drive at whatever speed they are most comfortable. The Coral Motorway is a pleasant drive, except for when it gets mountainous somewhere towards the end of it: I urge you caution in those stretches.
Once you reach the end of the motorway, it turns into a regular highway. There will be road signs there to point you in the right direction. At Sanchez follow the signs for Samana. Leave to your right the airport Arrojo Baril. After 4 kilometers you will see Bahia Chiquita.
Enjoy the scenery and have a safe drive!
Find here an interactive road map you can work with:
By bus
You must take a taxi for around $30 to the bus terminal. About 30 min. Then you have to take the 8am bus or the 4 pm bus to Samana. Those buses use the new highway and get here in 2.5 hours. All other buses go the old route and take about 4-5 hours. Be careful!! You will pay about $8 per ticket on Caribe Tours (El Caribe).
By plane
Flights run $100 each and you must transfer, in almost all cases, to the other regional airport on the other side of SD which also would require a taxi with more or less the same details as above.
The airport here in Samana is outside of town so you would need another taxi to get to town. Probably $40-$70 depending on which airport you land at here.
Getting around
Those traveling to the province of Samana should plan on spending their entire vacation in Samana.
This is because Samana is a multi-area tourism destination in itself: Samana City, Las Galeras (25 kms. from Samana City), Las Terrenas, El Portillo, Cozon and Playa Bonita areas. It takes about half an hour to cross the peninsula north to south and about an hour to go from West to East or vice versa.
You can get around on foot, by moto-concho (motorcycle taxi) or taxi, but the best way to see Samana Peninsula is to rent a small 4x4 jeep. Whether traveling on the undulated sand roads along Las Terrenas beach on the northwest side of the peninsula, or at Playa Rincon on the northeast side, the jeep will come in extra handy.
For more information, please contact us.
Bahia Chiquita
Weather
Bahia Chiquita
Money
Cash advances on credit cards are available in banks (be sure to ask about surcharges for the transaction). ATMs are located throughout the country, but many are often out of order. U.S. dollars are widely accepted for most transactions outside all-inclusive resorts. Credit cards are readily accepted throughout the country, although some establishments may levy hefty surcharges if you use a card—ask in advance.
Don't change more money than you plan to spend. Only 30% of Dominican currency exchanged by visitors can be re-exchanged into other currency upon departure (save currency-exchange receipts). Avoid changing money on the black market—the risks are too great. (The black marketers are the people shaking wads of cash in various currencies in your face and shouting, "Cambio!") Try to exchange money at a casa de cambio, as they offer fair rates.
The values given on this site are gathered from the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the International Monetary Fund, according to their availability. Values and dates are believed to be reliable but this site makes no warranties regarding these values, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy or availability.
Dominican Peso Exchange Rate
Republica Dominicana, general information:
Population: 9,226,157
Languages: Spanish, English
Predominant Religions: Christian (Roman Catholic), Evangelical
Time Zone: 4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-4 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is not observed
Voltage Requirements: 110 volts
Telephone Codes: 809, country code
Internet Access: The country is well-served by the Internet, with Internet centers in every town and even in many rural communities
