Sabana de la Mar gateway

Sabana de la Mar is a small port town on the southern shore of Samana Bay, in the Hato Mayor province of the Dominican Republic. It is the western gateway to Los Haitises National Park and the closest mainland point to Samana peninsula by sea. From Miches it is a 40 to 50 minute drive west.

For travelers staying in Miches or coming as a day trip from Punta Cana, Sabana de la Mar is the natural next stop after Round Mountain. This page explains what Sabana de la Mar is, what to do and how it links to the rest of the Esmeralda Coast.

Where is Sabana de la Mar

Sabana de la Mar sits at the western tip of the Esmeralda Coast region, where the bay narrows toward the Samana peninsula on the opposite shore. From Miches town it is 50 kilometers west by road, about 50 minutes. From Punta Cana it is 2 hours 15 minutes via the Coastal Boulevard. The town has 30,000 residents and a working fishing port.

Los Haitises National Park access

Sabana de la Mar is the main mainland entry point for Los Haitises National Park, the famous mangrove and karst island wetland declared a national park in 1976. Boat tours leave from the Sabana de la Mar pier and cover mangrove channels, taino caves with pre-columbian petroglyphs and the iconic Cayo de los Pajaros bird island. Tour duration is 3 to 4 hours, cost 35 to 60 USD.

Ferry to Samana

A small ferry connects Sabana de la Mar with Samana town on the opposite shore of the bay, about 45 minutes by boat. Schedule is variable, locals use it to commute. Tourists usually combine the ferry with a Samana whale watching tour in winter (January to March).

Combine with Round Mountain

Round Mountain and Sabana de la Mar are 1 hour 30 minutes apart. A full-day private tour from Punta Cana can do Round Mountain in the morning, Sabana de la Mar lunch and a Los Haitises afternoon boat. Most standard group tours stick to either Round Mountain or Los Haitises alone, since combining them needs 10 to 12 hours total.

What the town is like

Sabana de la Mar is a working town, not a tourist resort. It has small guesthouses, fish restaurants on the pier, a market and basic services. Cano Hondo eco lodge is the main upscale stay option, hidden in the rainforest 15 minutes west, with its own freshwater pools and Haitises tour pier.