whales

We will be traveling to Sousa in late January. We will be bringing our children ages 11 & 8. We are very interested in the Humpback whales that we have heard about in the Samana Bay area during that time. Is it possible to see any whale action in the Sousa area. Also any ideas for kid friendly activities or day trips. We will be staying at the Casa Marina Beach.

Visit the Columbus Water Park, the Brugal Rum Factory and the Amber Museum in Puerto Plata. Rent a car and drive west to visit La Isabela, the first European settlement in the New World. Go swimming that afternoon at Luperon beach. Another day drive east to Cabarete for a morning of windsurf instruction.

You have to take a day trip to Samana to see the whales. You can either rent a car (the road is well paved all the way) or sign on for a whale tour with your hotel.

Unlike the others who have suggested you rent a car. I would advise you to not. Or at least wait til you get down there, and see how they drive. It is much safer, and less stressful, to take a cab or a tour instead. Don't forget Fort. St. Felipe in Puerto Plata. it is the fort Christopher Columbous had built. It is well worth the trip to Puerto Plata, and the Amber Museum is good too. (But don't buy your amber from them, way too expensive.)Have fun

RICHARD

Your hotel should offer a whale watching excursion, but in my opinion, you are too far away. It is a four hour drive to Samana and four hour drive back. If you go, I would overnight in Samana, if not, don't recommend it. Leave it for another year when you can plan to stay in Samana. Note the Casa Marina chain has a hotel in Samana. Maybe they can have some kind of arrangement so you can spend the night there. Or, better still book half of your vacation in Sosua and half in Samana. The problem with Samana is that there is no flight out, so you will have to come back to Puerto Plata or travel to Santo Domingo (another four hour drive) to take the flight out, unless to catch the Air Santo Domingo flight.

Just for the record, Fort San Felipe was built in the sixteenth century, but not by Columbus -- it was after his time. The ruins at La Isabela are the only things left that were actually built under Columbus. They're in a town called El Castillo, near Luperon, which is one of the prettiest, quietest little beach towns in the Caribbean -- a real find! But that's also a serious trip away from Sosua, and could take as much as four hours to get there, perhaps an hour less.

El Castillo is about a two hour drive from Sosua. Given its historic importance, and the fact that there is a museum and organized park area and one can stop at Luperon beach on the way back, I think it's worth the adventure.

I drove from Sosua to Samana this past August. It was a beautiful trip and a great opportunity to see more of the North shore. Being from New York City, I wasn't intimidated by the risky driving I witnessed (although the horses and cattle through me for a loop). If you're not a confident driver, take a bus, and plan on staying over in Samana. Otherwise, you'll find plenty to do in the Sosua/PP area.