Protected
on its southern side by an elongated strip of land that breaks apart into
a series of small islands, SANTA BÁRBARA DE SAMANÁ
possesses a remarkably safe harbour, giving the city a tremendous strategic
potential that's never been fully realized. The town is now more of a
focus for travellers wishing to get away from the all-inclusives and the
main embarkation point for whale-watching and other boat trips.
Samaná
is undeniably charming, with pretty, spacious neighbourhoods, winding
streets that amble up the hills and a warm sense of community intact.
The centre of activity is the city's Malecón , a broad, concrete
boardwalk across the street from numerous outdoor cafés, storefront
shops and patches of park. At night the Malecón's restaurants and
bars buzz with activity and music, a fairly mixed scene of Dominicans,
expats and foreign visitors.
A
few blocks back from the waterfront, the old First African Wesleyan Methodist
Church of Samaná popularly known as La Churcha , Santa Bárbara
and Duarte (daily 9am-6pm), tangibly maintains what African-American culture
is left in Samaná. The prefabricated, tin-roofed structure was
originally shipped over by the English Methodist Church in 1823, in support
of a recently emigrated African-American community that still remains
here. These days it's known as the Dominican Evangelical Church and often
works harmoniously with the African Methodist Episcopalian Church, another
interesting building a few blocks further back.
Protected
on its southern side by an elongated strip of land that breaks apart into
a series of small islands, SANTA BÁRBARA DE SAMANÁ
possesses a remarkably safe harbour, giving the city a tremendous strategic
potential that's never been fully realized. The town is now more of a
focus for travellers wishing to get away from the all-inclusives and the
main embarkation point for whale-watching and other boat trips. 
Samaná
is undeniably charming, with pretty, spacious neighbourhoods, winding
streets that amble up the hills and a warm sense of community intact.
The centre of activity is the city's Malecón , a broad, concrete
boardwalk across the street from numerous outdoor cafés, storefront
shops and patches of park. At night the Malecón's restaurants and
bars buzz with activity and music, a fairly mixed scene of Dominicans,
expats and foreign visitors. 
A
few blocks back from the waterfront, the old First African Wesleyan Methodist
Church of Samaná popularly known as La Churcha , Santa Bárbara
and Duarte (daily 9am-6pm), tangibly maintains what African-American culture
is left in Samaná. The prefabricated, tin-roofed structure was
originally shipped over by the English Methodist Church in 1823, in support
of a recently emigrated African-American community that still remains
here. These days it's known as the Dominican Evangelical Church and often
works harmoniously with the African Methodist Episcopalian Church, another
interesting building a few blocks further back.