Getting to Samana and Las Terrenas from the Airport

First decide: Las Terrenas and Samana are not the same place

The Samana peninsula has two destinations that travelers mix up. Las Terrenas is the beach town with small hotels and restaurants on the north coast. Santa Barbara de Samana, the town, sits on the southern bay and is where the whale watching and Los Haitises boats leave from. They are about 45 minutes apart by mountain road. Each has its own bus from Santo Domingo, with a different operator and a different stop, so know which one you are headed to before you request the Uber at the airport. If your hotel is in Las Galeras, your bus destination is Samana town.

From El Catey (AZS): taxi or transfer, not the bus

El Catey airport receives seasonal flights from North America and Europe and sits about 40 minutes from Las Terrenas along the Boulevard Turistico del Atlantico. There is no intercity bus calling at the airport that we can rely on, so the practical way out is an official taxi at the door or a transfer arranged with your hotel. Ask the price before getting in and agree whether it is per vehicle or per person. If you land at night, a pre-arranged transfer saves you from negotiating while tired. To Samana town the ride from the airport is somewhat longer, allow around an hour.

From Las Americas (SDQ) to Las Terrenas with Asotrapusa

The Asotrapusa guagua leaves from a street stop at Calle Barahona 129, behind Plaza Lama, in Santo Domingo. It is a stop, not a terminal, and the reference any taxi driver understands is behind Plaza Lama. From the airport it is 25 to 35 minutes by Uber or taxi. The trip is about 140 km in around 150 minutes, paid in cash, with no online sales. The operator asks you to arrive 30 minutes before departure. The timetable we hold has not been confirmed by phone, so check the day's schedule at the stop or ask us before you fly. We confirm the fare with you before booking, once the seat has been checked with the carrier.

From Las Americas (SDQ) to Samana town with Caribe Tours

For Samana town the coach is Caribe Tours, leaving from its terminal at Avenida 27 de Febrero and Leopoldo Navarro, 10 to 15 minutes from the Colonial Zone and about 30 from the airport. It is about 130 km in around 150 minutes. Caribe Tours is the largest coach network in the country and has a ticket counter at the terminal, but do not count on paying by card, bring pesos. Its online sales are limited and its web timetables are not always current. Plan to be there 45 minutes before departure. On this route we currently work with a waiting list, meaning we guide you but do not yet handle the booking.

Buffer, cash and what to ask when you board

Between immigration, baggage and the Uber downtown, leave at least 3 hours between landing and the departure you want, and never count on the last one of the day. Withdraw pesos at the airport: Asotrapusa takes cash only. When boarding, ask the driver whether the guagua runs direct to Las Terrenas or stops in Sanchez, and where it drops you, which in Las Terrenas is the town center, a few minutes by motoconcho from the beaches. Our assisted booking for the Las Terrenas route starts at 24.95 USD per person, is requested 3 or more days ahead, nothing is paid when you request it, and we reply by WhatsApp or email. We are independent intermediaries, the ticket belongs to the operator.