Los Haitises National Park is located on Samaná Bay, in the northwest of the Dominican Republic. Visitors can take a boat trip through mangrove forests; swim in natural pools; join a guided bird-watching trip to spot brown pelicans, magnificent frigatebirds, and Stygian owls; or head to the park’s extensive cave network, where you can see petroglyphs thought to be at least 500 years old.
Remember to bring plenty of sunscreen as well as a hat and bottled water; there are few amenities in the park.
Some tours to the park have wheelchair-accessible options.
In January, the park is one of the best places on the island of Hispaniola to spot migrating humpback whales.
Los Haitises National Park is fairly remote. There are two main ways to access the park: From the town of Samaná, you can reach the park via a 9-mile (15-kilometer) boat ride. From the fishing village of Sabana de la Mar, you can drive 5.5 miles (9 kilometers) to the park entrance. Some tours include round-trip transportation from hotels in major resort centers like Punta Cana.
High season in the Dominican Republic is from November to March, and tours run more frequently during this season. The best month for whale watching is January. June to late November is hurricane season in the Caribbean, and high winds and rainstorms are likely.
For a completely different kind of tourist attraction, head to Altos de Chavón, a painstakingly recreated 16th-century Mediterranean village, complete with a 5,000-seat amphitheater (where Frank Sinatra once performed). In the village you’ll also find the Altos de Chavón Archaeological Museum which has a great collection of artifacts from the indigenous people who once lived on the island of Hispaniola.