Saman peninsula compared to cabarete

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Joemama

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We are travelling to the dr for snorkeling, sunbathing and surfing. We have heard good things about cabarete for surf but are not sure if it's too touristed. We have read mixed reviews frompeople who have said they disliked cabarete and mentioned there were no nice, empty beaches nearby. Some others have said that las terrenas is about the same as cabarete. Does anyone know if that's the case? We were under the impression that las terrenas might be quieter and closer to las galeras and "miles of undeveloped white sand beaches."

any thoughts? Are las terrenas and cabarete about the same?
 
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SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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Joemama said:
We are travelling to the dr for snorkeling, sunbathing and surfing. We have heard good things about cabarete for surf but are not sure if it's too touristed. We have read mixed reviews frompeople who have said they disliked cabarete and mentioned there were no nice, empty beaches nearby. Some others have said that las terrenas is about the same as cabarete. Does anyone know if that's the case? We were under the impression that las terrenas might be quieter and closer to las galeras and "miles of undeveloped white sand beaches."

any thoughts? Are las terrenas and cabarete about the same?
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If you are looking for miles of secluded beach go to Las Galeras for sure. Playa Rincon is rated in the top ten beach's of the World.

And of course there are other beach's there.
 
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toursamanawithterry

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I much prefer Las Terrenas although it is mostly foreigners that live there. It's not a sleepy little Dominican town anymore but the beaches do go on forever and you can find one with no people on it in less than five minutes.

There are other beaches in the area that are out of this world and completely secluded. You will probably need help to find them though.

Las Galeras is also awesome and I would recommend staying there in a little bungalow in a heartbeat. This town has lots of foreigners also but it is a sleepy little town with unbelievable views! La Playita has great snorkeling and a very small dive shop that can show you some awesome stuff. Las Galeras is about an hour away from Las Terrenas (FYI) If you need more help feel free to PM me.

Cabarete is much closer to big airports. If you are coming from Canada you can fly into Samana airport and be less than an hour away from either LG or LT.
 
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CatherineD

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Las Galeras vs. Las Terrenas

I live in las Galeras so I am biased. Definitely las Terrenas has more of a nightlife and better french bakery, but I love the beaches and the laid-back atmopsphere in Las Galeras. In addition to the beaches Terry mentioned, there is Playa Fronton and Madama - great snorkeling beaches that can only be reached by boat - i.e. totally virgin and secluded.

We have a small bed and breakfast in Las Galeras (very close to La Playita) and we do snorkeling and fishing excursions: Casa Dorado :: Las Galeras

Enjoy your stay!

Catherine
 
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RonS

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I really love Las Terranas. However, it really does depend on the time of the year that you visit there. As has been said, it is no longer the sleepy fishing village it once was. Particularly during the cold months from Jan to Mar in the US, Canada, and Europe, it can be overwhelmed with tourists and condo-owners/time-sharers who come back to reclaim thier home-away-from-home. Many use LT as homebase and travel to Samana for whale season. Families vacation there who have kids on spring break. There are times of the year, however, when LT reverts back the very special, tranquil, and lovely place I first visited ten years ago.
 
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susan77

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I own a small rental house in Las Terrenas so, like Catherine, I am VERY biased! I love Las Terrenas because the beaches can't be beat. The oft-mentioned Playa Rincon (near Las Galeras) has beautiful blue water but is "littered" by too much wood, palms, etc and is VERY difficult to drive to!
You can walk 300 steps from our house to fabulous Playa Popy or motoconcho to Playa Bonita or Coson--both have amazing waves--
I also love just walking the Las Terrenas shopping "triangle" and talking with the super-friendly Dominican people- And the dance clubs and bars (like "Big Dan's!!) add to the fun-- Send me a PM if you'd like to check availability at our rental house-
Susan
 
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Joemama

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Las Galeras instead

So we decided to take a trip to Las Galeras instead. We are road tripping from Santo Domingo. Does anyone know if we will need to rent an SUV to get around? From what i've heard i just need a regular car, and we could always rent ATVs to get to the beaches in las galeras?

Thanks for everyone's feedback!
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

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Joemama said:
So we decided to take a trip to Las Galeras instead. We are road tripping from Santo Domingo. Does anyone know if we will need to rent an SUV to get around? From what i've heard i just need a regular car, and we could always rent ATVs to get to the beaches in las galeras?

Thanks for everyone's feedback!
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Regular car works in Samana unless you get off the main roads.

You ~could~ take a "regular car" to Playa Rincon...but you'll be beaten to death and your car may never be the same...;)
 
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caipiranha

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For Playa Rincon actually you need a 4WD. In December we found the "road" broken off because of the new water pipe, we were very happy to be on a quad. Don?t be disappointed by Playa Rincon - it was full lots of waste, but it?s a natural beach.

The main road between Samana and Las Galeras was worst thenever before - because of the waterpipe ,too. But if you are a good driver, a normal car will do.

I?ll never understand, why everyone?s sooo crazy with Playa Rincon. Around Las Terrenas beaches are sooo much better: Playa Bonita, the lonely miles of Playa Coson and Playa Limon, Playa Moron and La Cana. The beach around the village "El Portillo" is very nice, too.

Las Terrenas was a "boomtown" during the last years, but in Dezember it was so quiet again, many hotels around were closed, I really felt like being in a ghosttown.

For snorkelling near Las Galeras Playa Fronton and Playa Madame are the best places, perhaps the artificial aquarium at the GPS (you?ll have to pay entrance), too.

Sorry for my bad English.
Have a nice stay at Samana!!
 
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wimbleton

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Please be careful leaving stuff in your car at playa madame there have been occasional breakin to vehicles.travel light there.
 
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Joemama

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Thanks - it sounds like it may not be worth it to rent an SUV. If anything, just have a regular car, and to go to Playa Rincon, rent a Quad for the day?

Would be fun to have an excuse to rent a Quad.

Should I assume the other beaches will be reachable by a regular car or will they also require a quad?
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

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Joemama said:
Thanks - it sounds like it may not be worth it to rent an SUV. If anything, just have a regular car, and to go to Playa Rincon, rent a Quad for the day?

Would be fun to have an excuse to rent a Quad.

Should I assume the other beaches will be reachable by a regular car or will they also require a quad?
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There are no quad rentals on Playa Rincon. You find them in Las Galeras. Sometimes there are a bunch of quads that rude through PR as a group.
 
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toursamanawithterry

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Joemama said:
Thanks - it sounds like it may not be worth it to rent an SUV. If anything, just have a regular car, and to go to Playa Rincon, rent a Quad for the day?

Would be fun to have an excuse to rent a Quad.

Should I assume the other beaches will be reachable by a regular car or will they also require a quad?
Click to expand...

There is a river crossing involved when you go to Playa El Valle so I wouldn't recommend a car to get to that beach. I don't think you want to use a car to get to Playa Moron either. It can be very muddy and the roads are rutted at the end. You could park and walk the last 100 meters I guess.

I broke the stabilizer bar on my SUV going out to one of the beaches last week.
 
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London_Calling

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"I?ll never understand, why everyone?s sooo crazy with Playa Rincon. Around Las Terrenas beaches are sooo much better"

Disagree - Playa Rincon is special because it is more difficult to get there

"but is "littered" by too much wood, palms, etc and is VERY difficult to drive to!" - surely these are the good things about it - its USP

The easiest way to get to Rincon is by boat from Las Galeras.
 
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caipiranha

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London_Calling said:
Disagree - Playa Rincon is special because it is more difficult to get there.
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In April and Dezember I was at Rincon several times. It is a nice beach, I agree, but although it?s sooo difficult to reach, I found it very touristical and not special at all: jeep- and quadsafaris, horseback excursions, lots of people using the watertaxis... Perhaps it was so crowded because of the main season.

I spent several holidays in the Viva Samana at Bahia Cozon. Behind the Dos Rios the beach was mine, because most tourists didn?t cross the river. Now the Viva and the Bahia Estella are closed , in December we had that fantastic beach only for ourselves.

Saludos
 
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toursamanawithterry

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If Rincon were cleaned up and stayed that way I would go there more often but I prefer to be the only one on the beach so I have a few others that I go to instead. Not that I don't like people it's just that these beaches stay cleaner when your average person can't get to them.
 
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