Condition of Samana-Comments?

eastcoastmike

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Jul 18, 2004
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On a recent trip out to Samana I was sadly surprised by the infrastructure of just about everything from the El Catey Airport all the way to Las Galeras.Moments after leaving the airport one finds an hour long ride to Samana/Galeras on a pot hole filled road with mudslides.I know,it was raining a lot but Im talking about how a tourist sees this.What kind of resort area doesnt have/maintain basic infrastructure?The old Cayacoa hotel looks beautiful yet it looks like they opened for business well before anything is ready.The marina is not close to being finished.Neither is the small shopping village under construction in town.
Further up the road tourists are greeting a mile or so from the new Gran Bahia Hotel to a garbage dump along the side of the road that stretches about a mile!!What in the world are they dumping there?What are these hotels/tourist agencies booking anyone in Samana for?Samana will grow into a tourist area.It has great potential.But for now this place is a dirty mess.Big mistake pushing tourism before things are up and running.
 

Andy B

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Jan 1, 2002
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www.elmarinique.com
Your point about basic infrastructure is one that not only affects Samana but the rest of the country as well. If you would travel around the DR you would realize this. Even the large cities have barely enough infrastructure to keep them operating much less a remote peninsula such as ours. And if you would know the politics of the past 20 years you would understand why Samana was being kept from development.

The Cayacoa was rushed into reopening as were the other Pinero hotels on the peninsula. The garbage dump along the side of the road is not garbage but construction debris, fill, etc. from the Pinero Group hotel construction. It is being placed there to be used to raise and fill the area along the bay in Carenero where the Pinero Group is going to build a marina.

The main highway that passes along the north coast from Puerto Plata and passes the el Catey airport and ends in Las Galeras is in a lot worse shape between Puerto Plata and Rio San Juan. The section between Samana and the new stretch that ends just outside Las Galeras is scheduled for repaving soon. The big busses that mostly service the Casa Marina Bay resort are responsible for the deterioration of the road. It was not built for such heavy traffic.

In Samana itself, the shopping village is more than half completed with most shops now having roofs and interior finishing work is now being done. The marina construction came to a halt when the former PRD administration ran out of money. There is also an issue with further dredging as the harbor bottom contains a lot of contaminents that must be dealt with first. There are other improvements for the city of Samana on the horizon but I am not at liberty to discuss them. We do have a new aquaduct that is just starting construction to bring potable water to the northeast end of the peninsula, Las Galeras included.

As Jasper pointed out, your points are valid and are quite well known by those who live and work here, especially those of us who's livlihoods depend on tourism. I should also add that despite these temporary blights upon parts of our landscape, Samana is far prettier than much of the rest of the DR and holds far more promise.
 

eastcoastmike

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Jul 18, 2004
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Thanks for pointing out the landfill as I mistakenly called it a garbage dump.But at least we are in agreement ,it seems ,that Samana has great potential but those in charge of tourism seem to be rushing the arrival of guests .My advice to potential tourists,wait 3 years.I think youll find paradise!!!
 

Andy B

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Jan 1, 2002
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www.elmarinique.com
If you wait 3 years to experience Samana you may be too late. And if you are the kind of guest that wants to sit around the pool sipping Yellowbirds and not want to leave the resort to experience the REAL beauty of the peninsula (it's people and it's environs) then you may want to just vacation in Miami Beach; it will cost you a lot less and you'll experience about the same amount of the real DR.

Most of the guests I've dealt with in the last 10 years are those that are more adventurous, more worldly and are considerably more widely travelled. Accordingly, they find Samana a true paradise, warts and all.