Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Playita
Better than the beach in town, Playita (Little Beach) is easy to get to on foot or by
moto-
concho
. It's a stretch of tannish sand, with mellow surf, backed by tall, dramatically lean-
ing palm trees. On the main road just south of Las Galeras, look for signs for Hotel La
Playita pointing down a dirt road headed west. Beach chairs rent for RD$100 for the day.
BEACH
LANDMARK
Boca del Diablo
'Mouth of the Devil' is an impressive vent or blowhole, where waves rush up a natural
channel and blast out of a hole in the rocks. Car or motorcycle is the best way to get here
- look for an unmarked dirt road 7km south of town and about 100m beyond the turnoff to
Playa Rincón. Follow the road eastward for about 8km, then walk the last 100m or so.
ROBBERIES
Tourists visiting Boca del Diablo and Playas Madama and Frontón on their own have frequently been
targets of robberies, especially in high season. Leave your valuables at your hotel or go with a local
guide.
Activities
Water Sports
For experienced divers,
Cabo Cabrón
(Bastard Point)
is one of the North Coast's best dive
sites. After an easy boat ride from Las Galeras, you're dropped into a churning channel
with a giant coral formation that you can swim around; you may see dolphins here. Other
popular sites include
Piedra Bonita
, a 50m stone tower good for spotting jacks, barracudas
and sea turtles;
Cathedral
, an enormous underwater cave opening to sunlight; and a sunken
55m container ship haunted by big morays. Several large, shallow coral patches, including
Los Carriles
, a series of underwater hills, are good for beginner divers.
Scubalibre Diving Center
( 809-958-9119;
www.divingscubalibre.com
;
Grand Paradise Samaná resort; 8:30am-5pm)
Scubal-
ibre Diving Center is located at the far end of Grand Paradise Samaná's beach. In addition
to diving, it also offers snorkeling trips (RD$1200) and windsurfer and catamaran rental
and instruction (RD$1000 per hour), all available to guests and nonguests alike. It's easy
DIVING
