PUNTA CANA · WHALE WATCHING
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 whale watching trips worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
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 ….”
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 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”
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…”
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!”
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”
Travel from Punta Cana to Samaná by bus, safari truck, and boat for a packed day of whale-watching, horseback riding to El Limón Waterfall, lunch, and beach time on Cayo Levantado. Guides speak Spanish, English, and French, though language quality can vary.
“Not recommended. It supposed to be in English, but the guide did not speak good English, most of the time spoke Spanish. We did not look for wales, but instead the crew were interested in drinking alcohol with 5 fat girls on board. We paid for the trip and we gave $5 for each horse lady, but they argued why we paid so low - this is ridiculous! Baracardi island was boring and we have been left alone with no informations or any guides. Totally not worth the money we have paid.”
Travel from Punta Cana to Samaná Bay by bus and boat for a long, full-day outing with breakfast, lunch, drinks, horseback riding, El Limón waterfall, Cayo Levantado, and possible whale watching from mid-January to mid-March. Guides speak English, Spanish, and French.
“Overall, the tour covers a lot but most of the day is spent traveling with no commentary to distract from the long journey. Beware after the horse ride there are A LOT steps to get to the falls please wear rubber boots. Pros: • Timely service • Clean buses • Efficient response to the safari van breakdown with a quick replacement • Yisa Tomas Núñez praised as a great tour guide at El Falls • Effective cleaning center Cons: • Lack of a microphone on the bus affected the ability to hear the tour guide • Tour guide’s negativity towards Haitians • Dissatisfactory breakfast with a half sandwich and watermelon…”
You’ll travel from Bavaro to Samaná Bay for an 8-hour whale-watching cruise, guided in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Russian. Look for breaching humpbacks, listen for whale song, then stop at Cayo Levantado for lunch. Some departures may also include El Limón waterfall.
“Avons vue quelque baleines, c'est très furtif, temps libre à la plage de Cayo Levanto 1h00, puis on nous en emmené à la cascade del limon alors que ce n'était pas prévu dans ma réservation ( avons fait l'excursion à dos de mulet bref pas rassurant, c'était boueux et sa monte et sa descend bien, on nous le dit pas et 250 marches à descendre pour arrivé au pied de la cascade, journée longue départ 7h00 retour 20h00.”
Leave Punta Cana at 7:00 a.m. for Samaná Bay, a catamaran ride, possible whale sightings, a horseback trip to El Limón Waterfall, Dominican buffet lunch, and swim time at Cayo Levantado. Expect a long, active day with transport, water, sun, and a group of up to 45 people.
“Really great tour, superbly organised, wonderful places to see - highly recommend! Easy transfer to Samana peninsula, with snacks on the way. Horse rise to the waterfall is just amazing, El Limon has the cleanest water, very beautiful. The island at the very end is a good place to chill. This is a day well spent and totally worth it!”
Travel from Punta Cana to Samaná for Limón Waterfall, a Dominican buffet, Cayo Levantado, and seasonal humpback whale watching. You will ride a boat, safari truck, and horse, then return by road and boat. Allow for a long day and confirm your pickup time the night before.
“gros problème en amont. le jour j, ils ne sont pas venus nous chercher, après maintes contacts ils ont proposé l excursion le lendemain. assurez vous bien que vous avez un mail de confirmation d heure la veille surtout. Sinon l excursion était bien”
From Punta Cana, spend about eight hours in Samaná Bay watching humpback whales, relaxing on Cayo Levantado, eating a Dominican lunch, and riding to El Limón Waterfall. Pickup is offered, the tour starts at 7:00 a.m., and groups can reach 50 people.
“No whales. Taken to a dump to eat lunch. 8 people got sick on the boat ride, including myself. Island was pretty but you got 1 drink ticket and it would only get you a come, beer or rum and coke. Tour guides cut whale part down to 20 minutes. Overheard them saying they just wanted to get to the island to get drunk.”
Pick a beach, a boat, a track or a bar.
