Discover the Hidden Treasures of the Samaná Peninsula

On the Samaná Peninsula, innovative eco-lodges are highlighting the region’s untamed natural bounty. Here’s how to explore one of the country’s less-traveled corners.

“It’s surprising that in a country so commercialized, you can still find places like this,” Noemi Araujo remarked as we passed a For Sale sign on a fenced, wooded lot. The owner of Clave Verde Ecolodge, where my partner, Luis, and I were staying, was also our guide for the two-hour hike down the uneven road leading to the stunning shoreline at Playa Morón. As cicadas buzzed in the thick tropical forest around us, the humid afternoon air was filled with their sounds. Seconds later, she encouraged us to look up: speckled brown palmchats, the national bird of the Dominican Republic, were flying in and out of their three-story nest atop a royal palm.

We encountered more goats than people until we reached a roadside stall, where a couple was selling fresh coco bread outside their home. We bought two warm bundles for $1.25 each. Soon, a shortcut through the forest led us to the secluded golden beach we’d been seeking. A handful of teenagers were swimming in the turquoise water. At the end of the sandy stretch, a steep, forested trail led to another beach, Playa Limón—miles of virgin sand lined with coconut trees. A fisherman dragged his net out of the water as his canoe approached the shore. Next to a solitary shack, a woman tended to her fogón, the outdoor hearth where she would soon prepare the fresh catch for lunch. The three of us waded into the cool, shallow waters where the Limón River meets the sea.

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Over the past 15 years, I’ve explored more than 20 islands in the Caribbean, but no place captures my heart quite like the tropical splendor of the Samaná Peninsula. Scenic coves, craggy cliffs, and seemingly endless coconut groves are just 100 miles from my home in Santo Domingo, where I’ve lived since 2016. Every January, humpback whales visit Samaná to mate and calve. The area’s beachside resort towns—Las Terrenas and Las Galeras—are popular escapes from the capital for locals like Luis and me, as well as for travelers seeking a quieter alternative to Punta Cana.

However, the hills and valleys of the peninsula’s interior were harder to explore until now. Dominican-owned eco-lodges are emerging in these rural communities, embracing sustainable tourism with their use of locally sourced materials, guided excursions into the biodiverse forest, and meals sourced from their permaculture gardens. In a time when many seek refuge from crowds, this part of Samaná provides a welcome break.

One of the pioneers is Clave Verde, where Luis and I enjoyed a weekend getaway this fall. Araujo and her husband, Jonathan, founded the solar-powered property after relocating from Santo Domingo to the mountain village of La Barbacoa. The lodge is surrounded by forest trails and groves of native trees like almond, cherry, and acacia, and is just a 15-minute drive from Las Terrenas, where Araujo recommended lunch after our beach hike.

We walked past the fish market to a row of new open-air restaurants facing the beach. Locals enjoyed freshly caught seafood and Presidente beer while a couple danced barefoot to bachata music. Scanning the chalkboard menus, we settled at Candelita, where we ordered a typical Dominican seaside meal: fried capitán (hogfish) with a side of tostones and avocado. After two hours, we appreciated Clave Verde’s tranquil location in the hills, far from the cacophonous beach traffic.

The following day, we awoke to the sound of cows mooing over the bluffs, as if announcing the sun’s rise over the village. Stepping onto our balcony, I gazed at the forest canopy while the fresh morning air filtered into our suite. Breakfast of fried eggs and mashed green bananas prepared us for the drive to Las Galeras, a small fishing town known for its beaches. The vibrant nightlife once attracted tourists; however, community members and officials now aim to create ecotourism experiences that highlight the area’s natural beauty, such as the new Seven Hidden Beaches trail, which winds past sea caves along the serene coastline.

We arrived at the end of Samaná’s sole highway, losing sight of the ocean before turning off at the sign for the village of La Guázuma. Walking into the seven-key Casa El Paraíso, we found ourselves in a miniature nature reserve, surrounded by fruit trees, palms, and purple Mexican petunias framing a narrow stone path. Butterflies danced around my legs, and cicadas echoed off the timber walls. We reached an open-air lounge adorned with sculptures and Balinese-style wooden furniture, offering a panoramic view of Samaná Bay.

José Raúl Nova, a respected veterinarian who cared for the late Oscar de la Renta’s pets, originally built the property as a vacation home. He and his wife, Nora Mejía, recently transformed it into an eco-hotel. The high-ceilinged thatched bungalows are inspired by their travels: the nautical Marina; Casita Dominicana with repurposed wood furniture; and Marruecos, their newest addition full of custom-made Moroccan textiles. All are open on one side, with vast views of the bay providing an impressive backdrop. “There are no room keys,” Nova explained. “Nature herself makes you feel protected here.”

We ordered dinner by the sandy poolside lounge, where chef Mirko Casagrande presented a lionfish tartare. “We want to showcase the DR’s different side,” he remarked. Originally from Milan, Casagrande settled in Las Galeras twenty years ago. His love for the country reflects in his dishes: grilled lobster with farro, avocado, and mango; octopus with honey and ginger; and grilled vegetables from the garden, where free-range chickens roam among pumpkins, plantains, and cassava. “My kitchen is one hundred percent sustainable,” he shared, as he opted to serve the invasive lionfish after the lobster season ended. “For me, serving lionfish is an honor, because I’m helping the environment.”

After morning thunderstorms canceled our plans to hike the seven-beach trail, Luis and I decided on a drive to Aventura Rincón Ecolodge, winding past overgrown fields dotted with palm trees and pastel-colored shacks. This innovative solar-powered property and organic farm resembles a sprawling garden, featuring five cabins inspired by Dominican campo life.

“We promote going back to your roots,” stated Orquídea Susana, overseeing the property’s permaculture initiatives, which emphasize heirloom seeds, organic methods, and seasonal cooking. Among the tall shoots of cranberry hibiscus, she showcased vanilla, turmeric, cacao, taro, and papaya. “We offer local fruit varieties, like piña pan de azúcar,” Susana noted. “It tastes like sugar.” Just as we were tempted to linger, thunder urged us to hasten our pace.

Our colorful lunch spread featured snapdragon tea and a salad of fresh-picked mizuna, avocado, and hibiscus, garnished with edible flowers. For dessert, we enjoyed slices of local sweet pineapple and jalao, a baked coconut candy. Walking off our meal at nearby Playa Colorada, we relished the tranquillity of absence, not seeing a soul.

This story first appeared in the December 2020 issue of iBestTravel under the headline “On the Wild Side.”