Driving to Samana

[argflores]

Hello,
I will be driving to Samana from Santo Domingo Airport. Any advise on the best and safest route?

[Hillbilly]

If you have driven here before, you should not have a problem.
If you haven't, then I suggest you take public transportation to the peninsula and then think about a rental.
Taxi from airport to Caribe Tours or Metro.

However this is dependent upon your time of arrival as the last bus to Samana leave fairly early.

If you must drive-not recommended-here is a set of directions that will help

Out of the airport, follow signs to Santo Domingo. Stay in the middle or left lane until you cross the bridge (about 1/2 hour or 45 minutes depending on traffic.
Take the "ELEVADO".
When you come down off the elevated roadway, stay in the left lane, or middle lane for one light. At the next light (Tiradentes) turn right. Go to the next major intersection ( J.F. Kennedy (an overpass)) go under the overpass and go left.
Stay in the left lane and go over the next overpass and go to the center lane. DO NOT TAKE THE NEXT OVERPASS. You are now pointed North towards Santiago and Samana.
Have RD$30 pesos in coins ready for the toll booth.

After you pass Bonao, you will come to the intersection that leads to San Francisco de Macoris. Go right, just past the TEXACO station.
In SFM watch for signs saying NAGUA. Follow them.
In Nagua, go right to Sanchez.
In Sanchez, go left to Samana.

Easy huh?

HB

[WebDev]

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

In Sanchez, go left to Samana.

Sorry HB, but according to this Samana map, in Sanchez you keep on going...straight to Samana, turning left will end up going to Las Terrenas, or a list to frogy's nest.

WebDev

[mountainfrog]

Originally Posted by argflores

Hello,
I will be driving to Samana from Santo Domingo Airport. Any advise on the best and safest route?

I hear that a lot of people (including guaguas and taxis) are now using the new road.
I have, however, not driven on it myself.

And:
What's your final destination?
Samaná, the peninsula?
Santa Barbara de Samaná (the town, often also just called Samaná)?

mountainfrog

[Hillbilly]

Last time I was there the highway came up a small hill andyou had to go right into Sanchez or left along the road to Samana, THEN you came to the intersection that leads to las Terrenas.

Oh well, things change.

I had the same thoughts Froggie...where is the guy going??

HB

[mountainfrog]

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

... the highway came up a small hill andyou had to go right into Sanchez or left along the road to Samana, THEN you came to the intersection that leads to las Terrenas.

You are correct and referring to the Y-intersection of the main road where it passes by Sanchez centre in the north.
There you follow the main road in a left turn and after about a mile - just after the Texaco petrol station - you decide to turn left (following the scenic mountain road to Las Terrenas) or continue straight ahead (along the Bahia coast) to end up in Santa Barbara or finally in Las Galeras.

You can also go to Santa Barbara de Samaná via LT along the Atlantic side, a very scenic drive on a good tarmac road.

m'frog

[Juniper]

I do not recommend you drive to Samana. This is not like the US where
everything is marked properly (for the most part) and there are signs
everywhere. The roads are bad and there is no AAA to rescue you on the
road.

I ran into a family recentely who had rented a car and driven to Samana. In addition to driving in a third world country, they did not speak Spanish. They said they had the vacation from hell. They encountered all sorts of
problems on the way, including two flat tires.

They said they will never come back.

[mountainfrog]

Originally Posted by Juniper

I do not recommend you drive to Samana. (...)They said they had the vacation from hell. They encountered all sorts of
problems on the way, including two flat tires.
They said they will never come back.

With all the advice given, the journey should not be a 'hell tour'.
(Less so, as this country is often referred to as 'paradise. )

A taxi or a chauffeur driven rented car might be a wise alternative, though.

IMHO, sometimes people just expect too much from a Third-World-Country and ought to holiday where they can cope.


m'frog

[jalencastro]

i hope to head to Samana this year but I am going the LONG way first to visit Puerto Plata, Sosua, Cabarete and then off east! LOL

[cherie36]

DO NOT take the NEW road. It is long from being completed. I did it in December on a 4WD truck. It took as long and it was much more treacherous than the main road.

The trip from Santo Domingo to Samana is 5 1/2 hrs. My best advise is to fly. A friend flies regularly to Las Terrenas from La Isabela airport. The cost is around $50. I am looking for the airline information myself.