Las Terrenas/Las Galeras

mainer

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Mar 22, 2002
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We just spent the weekend up in the Samana peninsula. It was one of the prettiest places that I have ever been.

The trip didn't start out well. We had rented a jeep for the weekend which was supposed to pick us up at 9 am on Friday. The driver didn't show up, so we had to call. Then, when we finally got to Cabarete to pick up the jeep, we were offered a small sedan. This was after the owner insisted that we need a jeep to get to Las Terrenas. Mr. Mainer argued his point and asked to see the owner who was "in the States". He was told to take it or leave it. Oh well, it was their car!

We stopped for lunch at a Dominican restaurant between Playa Grande and Nagua. The sign said Pizzaria, but they don't serve pizza. The food was quite good and lunch was 220 pesos for four people.

We drove to Sanchez, and we missed the sign to Las Terrenas. The sign is small and on the right side of the road, easily blocked by cars. However, we soon figured it out. Now we were on the road to Las Terrenas. We had been told that the road was "a little bit rough". In reality, the road is very rough and winding, with traffic coming at you in the middle of the road around every corner. In some places there were short cement poles on the side of the road. Just tall enough to give your car a good flip before cascading you down into the ravine. In other places there were very thin poles held together with barbed wire. What held these poles in is beyond me. There was the road surface, this tiny "fence" and then nothing.....for a long, long ways down.

Mr. Mainer kept exclaiming, look at the view, wow, look at that, man this is beautiful. I, on the other hand, kept my eyes on the road, watching for huge potholes, oncoming traffic, motorcycles, pigs, and very nervous about the nothingness on the side of the road. Only problem with this is that Mr. Mainer was the one driving. Getting a little uptight as I age, I guess.

Playa Colibri is a beautiful spot. 40 something apartments with a huge pool. The apartments are very well maintained and so are the grounds. The hotel is "directly on the beach" not counting the small dirt road between the hotel and the beach. Tons of motorcycles and ATVs running up and down this little road. The "restaurant" at the hotel only had two kinds of sandwiches and one salad out of all the things on the menu. They were very poorly stocked, which is a shame when you plan to eat there and everything that you order "We no have".

Edited to add: Las Terrenas has pretty much on road that ends at the beach. To the left is the dirt road, to the right the nicely paved road heading to El Limon. Hotels lined the beach on both of these roads. I saw more motorcycles on the road in Las Terrenas than in anywhere else I have been so far in the DR. A very, very busy main street. Most of the tourists we met were from France, and there is even a French school in town.

We need to get gas in the car before we left Las Terrenas. Mr. Mainer handed the guy 240 pesos and asked for that much in gas. I told him that other posters had said to be sure that the pump is started at zero. We both looked at the pump and saw that it was set 100 pesos already. I'll be darned if that guy didn't stop at 240 pesos. My husband just shook his finger out the window, and the guy restarted and filled it to 340. So, thanks to whoever posted that warning. There was a guy with a motorcycle trying to get Mr. Mainer to give him 30 pesos for his motorcycle. No Comprende works really well!

We spent two nights here, and then headed to Las Galeras.
 
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mainer

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Mar 22, 2002
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The road from Las Terrenas to Samana is pretty new and in excellent repair. No huge speedbumps like in Las Terrenas (We told them that we needed that jeep). We did not stop at the waterfalls, but we drove right by the trail to them. The trip to Samana was pretty quick and then up to Las Galeras. It seemed like a really long ride, but it was only about 1 and 1/2 hours. Maybe it was the two kids "are we there yet?" in the back seat. We easily found El Marinique and paid a surprise visit to Andy B. We checked out his great new duplex and got a tour of the property. He pretty much knows everything that is going on in the area.

We had lunch at Nicole's which was absolutely fantastic. She makes her own sauces, so be sure to order your chicken or whatever with sauce. We visited for several hours as his place is right on the beach with a gorgeous view and a great breeze.

Las Galeras was well worth the trip; I just wish we could have stayed overnight. We were meeting some people today and had no way to contact them to change the appointment.
 

Samana1

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Jan 4, 2002
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www.samana-peninsula.com
Samana Peninsula

Bad ways:

Sanchez (Parada a Las Terrenas) to Las Terrenas
Las Terrenas - El Limon (still not completed)


Average/Good ways:

Sanchez - Saman?
Saman? - El Limon (new)

the way from Las Terrenas to El Limon is under construction.

samanamapnew.GIF


BahiaSamanaOverview.jpg
 

mainer

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Mar 22, 2002
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Samana1,
The road from Las Terrenas to El Limon is in excellent condition. It is completed and tarred the entire way. A very pleasant drive.
Mainer
 

Samana1

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Jan 4, 2002
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www.samana-peninsula.com
mainer

That can be my last visit was in July/August 2002

I self born in Sanchez, Saman? and i have family in Los Naranjitos, Las Terrenas, Sanchez and Saman? so i stay every time in Los Naranjitos when i'm going to the Dominican Republic.

Nice to hear thats is completed

What i knows was that the way from El Limon to Saman? City was completed 3 years ago.

But was only not completed the way from Las Terrenas to El Limon (via El Portillo Airport)

if you see in [samana-peninsula.com] in the photo gallery you see how it was
 
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ArJay

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Jan 1, 2002
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sanchez to Las Terrenas

That's a nice picture of the Bay of Samana. I've got a few on film that I havn't transfered yet, and the digital is not nearly as good, so I won't post it.

FYI: The ride is always easier for the driver rather than the faint of heart, because, ...well just because.... The Sanchez pass is certainly fine. The other roads mentioned are indeed nice and new .

editted to add: sorry, I should have said that "it's fine if you have experience in driving over mountain passes. The few potholes just make a driver go a little slower is all."

Thanks!
 
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mainer

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Mar 22, 2002
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Arjay is right. The road is perfectly fine for driving. I am okay driving over roads like that, but I don't make a very good passenger. It is really a beautiful drive, and I would recommend it to anyone.