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 in Santo Domingo. The exact point and time come with your booking confirmation. From the airport it is 25 to 35 minutes by Uber or taxi. The trip is about 140 km, which we estimate at around 150 minutes. Asotrapusa does not publish a timetable, so we confirm the departure that fits your flight when you book.

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

For Samana town the coach is Caribe Tours, leaving from its Santo Domingo terminal, 10 to 15 minutes from the Colonial Zone and about 30 from the airport. It is about 130 km, and according to the timetable Caribe Tours publishes, checked on 3 October 2026, there are 8 departures a day, from 07:00 to 16:30, with trips of between 2 hours 45 minutes and 5 and a half hours depending on the departure. It has a ticket counter at the terminal and bookings on its website. We also handle this route with assisted booking, from 25 USD per person.

Buffer, cash and what to ask when you board

Between immigration, bags 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 some pesos at the airport for the Uber and the day's small costs. When you board, ask the driver whether the guagua goes straight to Las Terrenas or stops in Sanchez, and where it drops you, which in Las Terrenas is the town centre, a few minutes by motoconcho from the beaches. Our assisted booking for the Las Terrenas route starts at 25 USD per person, with secure payment when you book and a full refund if we cannot get your ticket, and we reply by WhatsApp or email. We are independent intermediaries, the ticket is the operator's.