Noontime:  Picnic on the beach.  Cooler with rum and cokes or beers.

OPTION #2:

EXCURSION TO HAITISES NATIONAL PARK - Year-Round Excursions - Eliseo Dishmey:

Excursions to Haitises National Park include a trip to Barcardi Island afterwards for swimming and a buffet luncheon.   
Leave early morning; return late afternoon.

About Los Haitises National Park: 

Los Haitises National Park, located southeast of the Great Bay of the Peninsula of Samana, is 208 square kilometers of hillocks, divided by narrow gullies, which create the impression of numerous tiny islands or keys forming a landscape  full of bays & marshy country with mangroves, hills & islands on the border between land and sea

 

Haitises' Fauna:

The richness of the National Park Los Haitises’ fauna is reflected among the mammals including the manatee (Trichechus manatus) found in the large areas of  mangrove swamps.  These mangroves are populated by protected native species of flora and fauna, such as Hutias (giant rats), turtles, wild pigs.  Bats, tortoises, and the shy Manatee reside in the caves and mangrove systems

The park is also home to the solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus) a small insectivore mammal (above) endemic from the island in the forest.  Due to its remoteness, rugged topography and seasonally heavy rainfall the park is accessible only by boat

Los Haitises park provides a home refuge and nesting sites for 112 species of birds including  Brown Pelican, Magnificent Frigate Bird, Roseate Tern, Ridgeway's Hawk (this is one of the last known nesting places in the world of this species), Narrow-billed Tody, Least Grebe, Night Heron, , Great White Egret, parrots & turtledoves.

Many unusal and colourful small reptiles & amphibians make their home in Los Haitisis as well.

Los Haitises; Flora: 

Los Haitises is also a virtual botanical garden. Its varied flora and fauna in its forests & mangrove swamps, includes more than 760 identified species of plants, 17 species of which are endemic to this one small area. The Haitises’ vegetation includes a latifolias humid tropical forest transforming into a semideciduous tropical forest in the keys and mogotes by the coast.

       
 

Haitises' Caves & Caverns:

The Dominican Republic has the most extensive cave system in the Caribbean many of which contain over 1000 year old artwork. Los Haitises' extensive cave-system with pictographs and petroglyphs is said to have been created by the indigenous people of the island--the Tainos. The Taino Indians dwelt in these limestone caves and left many cave drawings and carvings  on the walls, which can be easily seen when touring Los Haitises. 

          

Fossils & pre-Columbian remains have also been found in the caverns there.  Inside these caverns are magnificient formations of stalactite and stalamites of stunning colours along with prehistoric art made from carvings & drawings.  Underground streams that run throughout the caverns can also be seen.

5:30 pm - Return to accommodations.

Dinner - Los Chinos