beach..but not too many tourists

Do you have a preference for hotel types ie all inclusive etc

For how long will you be in the Dominican Republic? Whale season is actually over around March 15th. Sosua & Cabarette are nice places with nice beaches, but both are a distance from Samana Bay where the whales migrate. You may consider spending some time in Samana or nearby Las Galeras where there are a number of nice hotels which can serve as homebase for your whale watching excursion. Whale watching is a really memorable experience and Samana Peninsula has some of the best beaches in the Dominican Republic.

I think I would suggest Las Galeras or Samana City proper. There are places along the bay that afford good views of the whales.

There are very organized trips out to the bay to see the whales up close. Get in touch with Kim Bedall, she is the expert...she can also recommend a place to say.

HB

I am not really a beach person but I would like to be as close to the beach as possible, with a decent hotel and near a good merengue club too? Maybe even a nice view.
Biggs

Little doubt the whales will be there by January 15th. 2-3 weeks will provide plenty of time for you to visit both Sosoua/Cabarette and the Samana Peninsula, and give you an opportunity to go whale watching and perhaps hike to the waterfalls nearby at Limon and even enjoy the beaches at Las Galeras/Playa Rincon or Las Terranas/Playa Bonita. From Sosoua to Samana you would be traveling a distance across the north coast of the country and will either need to hire a taxi/driver, rent a car, or travel on a local bus. The taxi would be expensive, and if you rent a car you need to be careful and drive only during the day as the roads can be tricky and darting montoconchos without lights can be a problem. There are several posts on the forum which you can access using the advance search option with information about that trip. Take HB's advice and check out Kim's website. She's definitely the expert. You're going to really enjoy your trip!

I agree with the suggestions of the others, Las Galeras / Las Terrenas, Las Galeras is really laid back, and if you want to feel like you have a beach all to your self, get over to playa Rincon, ( no hotels. but decent restaurante mariscos ).

Las Terrenas is a bit more touristy, but if you head over to Punta Bonita, or Playa Rincon, you will find some "virgin" beaches.

Other things to do in the area, there are boat tours to "los Haitises", and if you want to stay at a resort, Bahia Principe has one on Cayo Levantado, an Island in the bay, with very white sandy beaches.

If you don't want an all inclusive and do want people, than Las Terrenas might be your best bet. There are lots of small hotels starting at about $35 a night and some that are apartments... I think that there is a website called samana.net... Las Galeras is more remote and you will need a car to get out of town and see anywhere... but if you just want solitude and small town life, that would be for you. There is no beach in Samana.

If you are going to watch the whales why are you staying in sousa....why not les terreanis or samana