The peninsula of Samaná, which joined with the mainland over the course of hundreds of years, is one of the most beautiful regions in the Dominican Republic with its its picture-postcard palm-lined beaches and the finest sand. Rustling forests of coconut trees, crooked hills, lonely coves with glowing white sand, secluded waterfalls, tiny villages and the peaceful capital of Santa Barbara de Samaná are what makes the peninsula so enchanting. Small islands, the Cayos, seem to simply float in the blue waters before the coast. The most famous of these is Cayo Levantado, with the idyllic sandy beach on which the "Bacardi" ad was filmed. Another attraction are the hump-backed whales, which come to the bay of Samaná every winter to breed and raise their young.
