Experience the best of Las Terrenas

The town stretches along a bay of pale sand on the north shore of the Samaná Peninsula, with coconut palms, fishing boats and a seafront of cafés and bakeries. French and Italian settlers have shaped its restaurants, so croissants and thin-crust pizza sit beside Dominican fish and rice.

Playa Bonita, Playa Cosón and Playa Las Ballenas run in long, palm-backed stretches either side of the centre, and the Cascada El Limón, a waterfall of about fifty metres reached by a walk or ride through the forest, falls into a pool inland. Samaná Bay, on the south side of the peninsula, is where humpback whales gather between January and March, and Los Haitises National Park, with limestone islets and mangroves, lies across the bay.

Fish in coconut sauce, a speciality of Samaná, is the dish to try, alongside fried plantain, rice and beans, and fresh fruit juices. The north coast is lush and green, and the drier months from December to April are the most settled.