Has anyone ridden the FERRY Sabana de la Mar to Samana

Ashley McEachern

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Jun 19, 2016
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Hi all,
Looking for someone with recent experience riding the ferry from Sabana de la Mar to Samana. I have been hearing extremely mixed reviews ranging from the ferry doesnt exist to it's the best way to get to the peninsula from PC.
Is this a reliable form of transportation? I have heard that there are other boats that will take you, which I am fine with also.
Is is realistic to plan on doing this with carry on sized luggage?
I appreciate any tips thanks!
 

mofongoloco

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Feb 7, 2013
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[video=youtube;DxuupIGbNQw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxuupIGbNQw[/video]

I stumbled across this nine minute video which shows the whole crossing and gringos with suitcases. Same boat. Seemed like a rip tide because they anchored on the other side and off loaded people to a tender.

I would think twice before doing it.
 

ggparts

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Mar 20, 2003
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We did this trip in the late 90s. The "tender" was not powered but it was being pushed (person walking in the water)
The water was much shallower in fact the dock was like 6 feet above the water. we shared the tender with a motorcycle
that had been on the ferry and exited second to the moto that was lifter over our heads to get to the dock. we grabbed a pickup for the long and dusty
ride to Miches where we hooked up with a crew with a 60' catamaran and they treated us to a couple hours of sailing
out in the bay and eventually back to Samana (where we had left the rent a car anyway) Just another adventure in DR.
No more dangerous than riding the gua gua from San Pedro to Bayahibe (or any other gua gua ride)
 

kapitan75

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Jun 3, 2005
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If the town was more built up for tourist, this would work.
If I were backpacking this world work.
if they ferried a car, this would work.

But no way I would be lugging my maletas on wheels to get to the other side!

The way it is set up, means a long cab ride from punta cana to the ferry, cross over, and another cab to my final destination.Wouldnt this take 3 hours, door to door?
I know I can probably make this trip, Bavaro to samana in 5+ hours driving in a rental car, longer on bus.
But it is like the DR does not want tourist to have "direct " access between both regions! Build a damn road between the 2 regions already..
 

Ashley McEachern

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Jun 19, 2016
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[video=youtube;DxuupIGbNQw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxuupIGbNQw[/video]

I stumbled across this nine minute video which shows the whole crossing and gringos with suitcases. Same boat. Seemed like a rip tide because they anchored on the other side and off loaded people to a tender.

I would think twice before doing it.

Thank you for the video! Now I can make a decision based on what's actually there.. Guess I'm a glutton for punishment, doesn't look that bad to me. I mean people had a baby and stroller on there. Since I have a suitcase and will have to pay an additional taxi to LG, and probably want my own car on the peninsula anyway.. I guess renting a car is best bet. Thanks again!
 
Aug 6, 2006
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I don't know whether there is a large, impressive ferry in addition to this rather dinky boat. I could not find info about whether this "ferry" is still running.
If you want a car in LG, you probably should rent it in SD. Rental agencies are far less common than in the US.

Taking a guagua to Sabana la Mar and then taking the ferry and another guagua on the other side would surely be cheaper, as well as much slower.
 

ju10prd

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Nov 19, 2014
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I don't know whether there is a large, impressive ferry in addition to this rather dinky boat. I could not find info about whether this "ferry" is still running.
If you want a car in LG, you probably should rent it in SD. Rental agencies are far less common than in the US.

Taking a guagua to Sabana la Mar and then taking the ferry and another guagua on the other side would surely be cheaper, as well as much slower.

I am not sure why posters are hung up on the size of the ferry shown. Tourists go out in the Samana Bay to the point where it meets the ocean to watch whales in smaller craft and those trips take longer than the ferry crossing. Equally there are quite a number of boats carrying tourists of equal size crossing the bay from Samana and Sanchez to visit the Parque los Haitises, which is incidentally next to Sabana de la Mar and one of the best tourist attractions advertised and available from the Samana peninsula at a high cost.

Incidentally, I think the OP is doing the right thing travelling through this lovely part of DR, making use of the new highway recently opened on the way to Samana, rather than a rather dull road trip of some 5 hours including some sections of road with very high accident rates.

Confirming the ferry times is key. I posted the times of operation back last April in another thread having spoken to locals at the jetty in Sabana at that time. A stay at the Paraiso Cano Hondo which is a few miles outside the town on the edge of Parque los Haitises might be an option with a day morning trip to see the 'must see' park by private boat from the hotel. The reception there are very helpful and speak English and would arrange transfers by local taxi and more importantly confirm your ferry across the bay.

From my experience of travelling on the Samana Bay is that it is much calmer than a sea trip.