PUNTA CANA · SAMANA WHALE WATCHING TOURS
Humpbacks are in Samana Bay from mid-January to late March and nowhere near it the rest of the year. These 15 are long days with a four-hour drive each way, so they are compared on what else is packed in and how early the pickup is.
Leave Punta Cana early for Samaná Bay, ride horseback through tropical forest to 40-meter El Limón Waterfall, then swim and relax on Cayo Levantado. Breakfast, lunch, drinks, transport, and a motorboat ride are included. Expect a packed 11.5-hour day with several changes of vehicle.
“a lot of travelling and a long day but we'll worth it really good experience”
Travel from Punta Cana to Samaná for seasonal humpback whale watching, Limón Waterfall, a Dominican lunch, and 90 minutes at Cayo Levantado. The day includes boat and safari truck rides, with walking or horseback access to the falls. Guides speak English and Spanish.
“Rapporto qualità-prezzo ottimo, posto paradisiaco e personale cordiale e preparato. Ci ritornerei volentieri.”
Travel from Punta Cana to Samaná Bay for a catamaran whale watch, then ride a horse for 30 minutes through tropical plants, coffee, and cocoa to 165-foot El Limón Waterfall. Expect about 13 hours total, including roughly 10 hours of transport, lunch, and a moderate physical effort.
“Watching the whales was worth the trip. It was amazing to watch them so close! If I had to do this again, I would choose one excursion without the Lemon Cascade. The Lemon Cascade is beautiful too, but you have to walk up and down 280 steps each way, and for me it would have been better to stop in a beach instead.”
Travel from Punta Cana, Bávaro, or Uvero Alto to Samaná for whale watching in a UNESCO-protected sanctuary. The day also includes Cayo Levantado, a Dominican buffet, and a horseback ride to El Limón Waterfall. Expect an early start, long transfers, wet boat rides, and several guided stops.
“All the staff and guides was extremely friendly and helpful… I would have liked to have spent more time whale watching Maybe do a tour just whale watching even if cost extra if would be worth every penny ….”
Leave Punta Cana early for Samaná Province, where you’ll tour Santa Bárbara de Samaná, visit El Limón Waterfall by foot or horseback, enjoy breakfast and a Dominican buffet, then sail by catamaran to Cayo Levantado. Guides may speak English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, or Italian.
“Nagyon szuper volt a szervezés. A bálnales nem volt a leírásban, így nagyon meglepődtünk, hogy ennek is részesei lehettük. Az idegenvezetőnk Thomas profi volt és kedves. Szívből ajánlom másnak is ezt a programot.”
From Punta Cana, you travel to Samaná for a horse ride through jungle to Limón Waterfall, a Dominican lunch, and a catamaran trip to Cayo Levantado. Whale watching is included in the description, but the guide has advised that it runs from January through March.
“El anuncio dice que veras ballenas, pero el guia nos indico que solo es de Enero a Marzo. Aún asi, la excursión es increible, mismo si fuimos con publicidad engañosa. La recomiendo en cualquier epoca del año, mejor que punta cana o isla Saona. Verdaderamente increible!!”
Travel from Bávaro to Samaná Bay, visit Cayo Levantado, and watch for humpback whales from January to March. You can add a horse ride to El Limón Waterfall, swim in its lagoon, and enjoy Dominican lunch. English and Spanish guides are available, but expect a long day with substantial transport time.
“nabitý výlet ,kdo jede do dominikány pouze na týden doporučuju! skvělá organizace”
Travel from Punta Cana to Samaná by coach, boat, safari truck, and horseback. Visit El Limón waterfall, eat a Dominican lunch, look for whales when in season, and relax at Bacardi Island. Guides such as Pedro and Luis have been praised, but expect a long, crowded day with basic transport.
“Bootsfahrt nach Samana und Safari Tour waren okay, nur das mit den Pferden zum Wasserfall reiten ist pure Tierquälerei, die Pferde werden geschlagen und durch den Matsch über Steine getrieben. Das kostet danach sogar noch extra Geld. Tut weh da zuzuschauen, wir sind dann einfach zu Fuß mitgelaufen. Der El Limon Wasserfall ist total von Touristen überlaufen. Hätte mir vom Reiseleiter nur Paar mehr Infos zwischendurch erhofft, nur leider konnte der kein richtiges Deutsch obwohl ich das vorher sogar auswählen konnte welche Sprache ich wünsche.”
Set out from Punta Cana for a full day of humpback whale watching in Samaná Bay, followed by a bumpy safari-truck ride up Montaña Redonda. You get breakfast, a Dominican lunch, mountain swings, hotel transport, and guides in English, French, or Spanish.
“It was a really good day, the guide was knowledgeable, the crew on the boat were amazing. They helped point out the whales To me and one took my phone and took photos and videos of the whales and of me which were a nice touch”
Travel from Punta Cana to Samaná by bus and boat, then ride a safari truck and horse to El Limón Waterfall. Enjoy breakfast, a buffet lunch, drinks, and about two hours at Cayo Levantado, also called Bacardi Island. Guide Luis is among the named local hosts.
“I gave this 3 stars for two reasons. The trip is 2 hours to where we catch the boat to Samana. We were the first ones on the bus so it was really 3 hours. By the time we went 3 hours - we asked the guy to stop to go to the bathroom. He refusRead more”
Leave Punta Cana early for Samaná Bay and about 2.5 hours of humpback whale watching, then eat lunch and swim at Cayo Levantado, known as Bacardi Island. Finish with horseback riding to Salto El Limón or a safari truck ride to Playa Rincón. Multilingual guides lead the day.
“The guide Christelle was very professional! I have never seen someone be able to navigate through languages so seamlessly! She knew her information very well and was great at handling things and keeping us all in check and order. She explained things correctly and multiple times to ensure all participants understood. Very impressed by her. The pick up from the hotel was done very well and punctual as well. The boat however was very rocky (the weather conditions weren’t ideal) and so be warned and prepared before going on! It gets wet too so plan accordingly. We were able to see a couple of whales and it was wonderful. The…”
Travel from Punta Cana to Samaná for a full day of beach time, a boat ride to Cayo Levantado, horseback riding to El Limón waterfall, local food, and a safari truck tour of Santa Bárbara de Samaná. Pickup is included, but the day may run much longer than nine hours.
“A very long day, started at 7.10am back at 8.20pm, much longer than noted. The guide on the coach gave little information on the day ahead until we reached the boat stop. Samana Island was beautiful, but we only ended up being Read more”
Leave Punta Cana early for a full day in Samaná Bay. Watch humpback whales, visit Cayo Levantado, eat a Dominican buffet lunch, then ride horseback for about 30 minutes to 45-meter El Limón Waterfall. Pickup is offered, but the day can stretch to 14 hours.
“Grat time! Lots of attractions in one day!!! Fun trip, fro the whole family! Get to see real local life!”
From Punta Cana, you travel by bus, boat, safari truck, and horse to reach El Limón Waterfall. You will also visit Casa Campesina, eat a typical Dominican lunch, and spend about 90 minutes at Cayo Levantado. The tour is Spanish-speaking and includes hotel pickup.
“They didn't pick us up at the hotel. They didn't contact us until they had left. They could have called us on WhatsApp or in the rooms and nothing. We have claimed the money (a lot of money by the way).”
Start at 9:00 a.m. with pickup from Punta Cana, then travel to Las Cañitas for a boat ride across Samaná Bay. Watch humpback whales for about 45 minutes before lunch, swimming, and free time on Cayo Levantado. Whale watching ends after March 30.
“The thrill of seeing whales in their natural environment is indescribable. Thank you to Bacardi for making this wonderful experience possible.Auto-translated”
Pick a beach, a boat, a track or a bar.
