Author: Igor

Covering a sprawling 1,600 km², Los Haitises National Park is a crown jewel of the Dominican Republic’s national parks. “Los Haitises” translates to “hilly land” in the Taino language, and this stunning park truly lives up to its name. Visitors flock here by boat to marvel at the impressive 30-meter (98-foot) high rock formations that rise dramatically from the water.

But that’s just the beginning! The park boasts extensive mangroves lining its bay, dotted with cayes home to bustling bird colonies. Adventure seekers can also explore a series of caves adorned with an impressive collection of petroglyphs and pictographs—the highest concentration in the country. Bird watchers, get your binoculars ready! You’ll easily spot the endangered Ridgway’s Hawk, the Hispaniolan Piculet, the Hispaniolan Woodpecker, and the Hispaniolan Emerald, along with pelicans, frigate birds, herons, and many more majestic birds soaring across the park’s vast landscape.

As if that weren’t enough, Los Haitises also nurtures one of the DR’s few remaining rainforests, a lush paradise that was once a filming location for the iconic movie Jurassic Park. This park is a living, breathing postcard of natural wonders, offering a breathtaking escape into the heart of the Dominican Republic’s wild beauty.
We can’t miss the opportunity to visit it!

Our hiking trip to the Dominican Republic’s most stunning waterfall, El Limon, towering at 53 meters high, was nothing short of an adventure. The lush wilderness surrounding the falls boasts a rich variety of native flora, from majestic royal palm trees to bountiful banana, avocado, cocoa, and coffee plants. The trail stretched approximately 3 kilometers, but the muddy and humid conditions made every step feel like a Herculean feat. Yet, despite the challenges, reaching our ultimate destination was an awe-inspiring moment—the breathtaking sight of the magnificent waterfall awaited us, making the journey well worth the effort.

Samaná (Santa Barbara de Samana) is a town on the Samana Peninsula. It’s not just any old town—this place overlooks Samaná Bay, the hotspot for thousands of humpback whales during winter’s mating season. Imagine being in a town where the whales are the talk of the season! And guess what? They’ve even got a Whale Museum with a show-stopping feature—a colossal whale skeleton that puts all other museum exhibits to shame.

Our journey here was a long overnight ride, quite literally. Picture sailing 90 miles along the challenging northern coast of the Dominican Republic, called The Thorny Path, plus we managed to do 3 CTD casts down to more than 100m. But fear not, for our perseverance paid off as we entered in the early morning Bahia de Samana, a tranquil haven shielded from the relentless easterly trade winds. After dropping anchor in the morning in Samana Bay, we received permission to dock at the nearby Puerto Bahia Marina, nestled within a high-level resort. Ah, the perks of yacht life! Sometimes, amidst all the nautical chaos, you just need to kick back, relax, and indulge in a couple of days at a resort. After all, even sailors deserve a taste of the high life, right?