In February we spent a week in the beautiful Dominican Republic, a Caribbean country that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, occupying the larger eastern portion. While most visitors frequent the lively all-inclusive resorts of Punta Cana, we opted for the more tranquil, secluded Samana Peninsula in the north, about a 2 hour drive from the capital Santo Domingo. There’s a well paved highway to make the drive more convenient and some fine scenery along the way. There is wonderful wilderness to explore, including the Caribbean’s highest mountain, Pico Duarte, and Los Haitises National Park, teeming with native bird species, but with only a week we decided to limit our pursuits.
Most of our holidays, even short ones, generally involve a lot of activity. Even our beach/sea vacations would normally include scuba diving at minimum. This time we just wanted to swim in the ocean and catch up on reading, though we didn’t skip daily power walks on Coson beach which extends for miles. We stayed at Peninsula House, an intimate family-owned boutique hotel with only 6 rooms. It’s situated on a hill with sweeping views of the lush forested landscape and the Atlantic Ocean, and decorated with an eclectic and fabulous mix of art and antiques from around the world. Our room was airy, elegant and exceedingly comfortable with a wraparound balcony affording spectacular views and amazing birdwatching opportunities. There was a mating pair of American Kestrels (an adorable falcon species) perching in the towering palms outside our room and we got to witness a variety of interesting behavior. They were expert hunters, preying on lizards and small birds, sometimes sharing their catch, and we know they were a mating pair since we caught them doing that a couple of times as well. We suspect that they had a nest in one of the palms since we saw them bring food there, however it was well hidden and we never spotted the chick. We observed lots of other interesting birds as well including the DR national bird, the Palmchat, handsome black and yellow Hispaniolan Orioles, brilliant Hispaniolan Emerald Hummingbirds, red-capped Hispaniolan Woodpeckers, Grey Kingbirds and Northern Mockingbirds. Our favorite was a gorgeous endemic species called the Broad-billed Tody, a tiny bright green bird with a white breast, pink on its flanks and a ruby-red throat, who liked to hang out in the bushes at the front of the house, and especially to perch on the side-view mirrors and antennae of the cars parked there. We also discovered some interesting insects and very cute lizards. A large Hispaniolan Green Anole climbing a palm trunk very near our balcony puffed out his patterned throat sac to attract a female, which was clearly successful since we watched him mate with one shortly afterwards. Love was definitely in the air at Peninsula House, an adult haven given its policy to only allow children 16 years or older. Breakfast and dinner were delicious at our property, and it was such a serene, romantic setting, that we didn't venture out for dinner even though I’d come prepared with a list of restaurants to try in nearby Las Terrenas. In the morning, Nicole the manager, or the chef, Carey, would tell us what was on the evening 3 course menu so we could decide whether to dine in or out. Every day we were seated at different tables outdoors on the terrace to enjoy new perspectives, and were treated to the most creative and gorgeous table settings with crisp white linens, candles, fine china, silverware, napkin holders, flowers and other embellishments. We looked forward to seeing how our table would be dressed at each meal, never the same. Service was personalized, delightful and very helpful. The team really couldn’t do enough for us, and we were surprised and pleased to find wastebaskets emptied, our ice bucket filled and fresh water bottles delivered whenever we returned to our room. The premises were spotless. The weather was perfect during our stay, not too hot or humid, breezy and mostly sunny with a couple of very brief showers.
Each day but one after a leisurely breakfast and some birdwatching on the property, Nicole, would drop us off at Coson Beach, about a 10 minute drive. Coson Beach is idyllic with a long sandy coastline fringed by palm trees for shade. There were only a few small hotels and residences. We never had more than 2 or 3 people near us on the beach and for a couple of days we were the only ones in the vicinity all day. After building up a healthy sweat during our morning beach walk, we’d grab chairs and towels then jump in the ocean to cool off. The water temperature was perfect, cool enough to be refreshing but warm enough to be comfortable in it for long stretches. The water was crystal clear with a soft sandy bottom that’s easy on your feet. The waves were big enough to have fun playing with, but not intimidating knock-you-down, drag-you-around types, and the water remained shallow beyond the break. Thomas, son of the Peninsula House owner, told us that during the summer months the sea is smooth as glass. After swimming we’d read and gaze at the sea until lunch time. Peninsula House operates a beach club and lunch only restaurant that supplies lounge chairs and beach towels (free for hotel guests) and serves delectable food on a patio with a view of the sea. Although there was another restaurant nearby, we had lunch there every day, except for our day in the town of Samana, and got to try most of the menu selections, savoring them all, especially the fresh fish and langoustines. They also make potent cocktails and have a decent choice of wine and beer. It’s clearly popular with locals as well as visitors, and as guests of the hotel, we always had the best table reserved for us without even booking. If you’re not staying at Peninsula House you have to book a table. The generous serving of complimentary toasted coconut chips that they offered before the meal were practically addictive. On the Saturday that we arrived there was a cheerful 3 man band entertaining the restaurant patrons with local songs. The manager, Luca, and his serving team, Mariali and Yejaira were delightful. Service was leisurely since the food is freshly prepared, but what’s better than a long, languid lunch at the beach in fine weather? After lunch we’d take a long walk on the beach, then swim, read and lounge until it was time to call for pickup to return to Peninsula House.
We did venture out one day to go whale watching from the town of Samana, about an hour’s drive from Las Terrenas. Humpback whales come to the protected Samana Bay during the winter months to breed and we saw lots of humpbacks, some breaching, as well as a female with a calf and a male escort. We spent about 4 hours on the boat and the naturalists running the operation supplied a lot of useful information about the whales. Although we’ve seen humpbacks several times, we learned new things about them. The tour was fully booked, mainly with European travelers, and the boat was crowded, the only downside, though we found good seats on the upper deck. Around midway the crew handed out free crackers and bottled water, and there was also a kiosk where you could buy soft drinks and snacks. Samana town is well-kept and appealing with a row of brightly colored houses along the Malecon, the seaside esplanade, and small boats in the harbor transporting people and produce. We were hungry when we got back to land and chose a small restaurant on the waterfront with indoor and outdoor seating called Royal Snack Bar. We had toasted chicken sandwiches that were tasty and satisfying. It was an ideal relaxing escape from a frigid winter!
PENINSULA HOUSE Las Terrenas 32000, 809-962-7447 https://thepeninsulahouse.com/wp/
WHALE SAMANA www.whalesamana.com Main Town Dock in Samana; ROYAL SNACK BAR - Avenida La Marina 3 Samana