Eco-Adventure in Los Haitises National Park and Cayo Levantado from Samaná
Samaná, Dominican Republic
Rating: 
Trip Type: Day Trips
Duration: 8 hours
Discover the wild, untouched and lush beauty of Los Haitises National Park, a protected forest sanctuary along the coast that includes dozens of tiny islands on San Lorenzo Bay. Meander by boat through mangroves and swamps teeming with crustaceans and reptiles, and ponder over petroglyphs in prehistoric caves where pirates once hid their bounty. Observe large numbers of brown pelicans, frigate birds and royal terns at Cayo de los Pájaros, and relax on a hammock on Cayo Levantado. Lunch and hotel transport from Samaná are included.
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Discover the wild, untouched and lush beauty of Los Haitises National Park, a protected forest sanctuary along the coast that includes dozens of tiny islands on San Lorenzo Bay. Meander by boat through mangroves and swamps teeming with crustaceans and reptiles, and ponder over petroglyphs in prehistoric caves where pirates once hid their bounty. Observe large numbers of brown pelicans, frigate birds and royal terns at Cayo de los Pájaros, and relax on a hammock on Cayo Levantado. Lunch and hotel transport from Samaná are included.After hotel pickup in Samaná, travel with your local guide to the city’s port, where you’ll board a boat and ride south to Los Haitises National Park. Located on San Lorenzo Bay, this subtropical forest and protected sanctuary is home to various species of crustaceans, reptiles and birds found on mogotes, or rocky island hills.
Upon arrival at the park, climb aboard a speedboat and weave in and out of red and white mangrove forests, navigating through dozens of canals created by the more than 100 rivers crossing one another in the park. The resulting mixture of fresh and salty waters provides an ideal habitat for the great array of creatures you’ll see along the way, including carp, crab, oysters and manatees. Listen as your expert guide points out the shortleaf fig or wild banyan tree, the almond tree, orchids and other flora.
Wind through swamps, and emerge from the dense cover of the mangrove-tree canopy out onto the open turquoise waters of San Lorenzo Bay; then admire the backdrop of the Samaná mountains, and pass by the small islands of Boca del Tiburon and Cayo de los Pájaros (Bird Island). True to its name, the island boasts flocks of easy-to-spot brown pelicans, royal terns and frigate birds perched on the horizontal branches of cupey trees, the dominant tree species found here.
Your eco-adventure continues with exploring caverns marked with petroglyphs made by either the area’s first inhabitants or the Tainos. Learn about this fascinating pictorial record of how the indigenous people in the region once lived, and listen to your guide's explanation of how pirates stashed their treasures in these caves and the rest of the park, which in fact was a filming location for Pirates of the Caribbean.
Head to Cayo Levantado, or Bacardi Island where you will enjoy a typical traditional Dominican buffet lunch. Then, swim in the clear blue water, or find the perfect hammock strung between coconut trees and relax for the rest of the day before being taken back to your Samaná hotel.
Upon arrival at the park, climb aboard a speedboat and weave in and out of red and white mangrove forests, navigating through dozens of canals created by the more than 100 rivers crossing one another in the park. The resulting mixture of fresh and salty waters provides an ideal habitat for the great array of creatures you’ll see along the way, including carp, crab, oysters and manatees. Listen as your expert guide points out the shortleaf fig or wild banyan tree, the almond tree, orchids and other flora.
Wind through swamps, and emerge from the dense cover of the mangrove-tree canopy out onto the open turquoise waters of San Lorenzo Bay; then admire the backdrop of the Samaná mountains, and pass by the small islands of Boca del Tiburon and Cayo de los Pájaros (Bird Island). True to its name, the island boasts flocks of easy-to-spot brown pelicans, royal terns and frigate birds perched on the horizontal branches of cupey trees, the dominant tree species found here.
Your eco-adventure continues with exploring caverns marked with petroglyphs made by either the area’s first inhabitants or the Tainos. Learn about this fascinating pictorial record of how the indigenous people in the region once lived, and listen to your guide's explanation of how pirates stashed their treasures in these caves and the rest of the park, which in fact was a filming location for Pirates of the Caribbean.
Head to Cayo Levantado, or Bacardi Island where you will enjoy a typical traditional Dominican buffet lunch. Then, swim in the clear blue water, or find the perfect hammock strung between coconut trees and relax for the rest of the day before being taken back to your Samaná hotel.
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