Whale-watching and deserted bea-ches A four-hour dri-ve separates San-to Domingo from Samaná, the nor-thern peninsu-la flanked by the ocean and the bay. Its Atlantic coast is renowned both for whale watching, and for the beauty of its deserted bea-ches - Playa Rin-cón is said to be one of the best in the world. A few kilo-metres away, Playa El Valle is the ideal place to venture by fishing boat to the neighbouring, pristine coves that are so diffi-cult to access by land, such as Playa Ermitaño or Playa Onda. The experience is sublime: the same families and neighbours who organise the boat trips are ready to prepare picnic baskets for tra-vellers and take them to one of these idyllic coves, nestled between walls of lush vegetation where, with a bit of luck, they won’t find anyone. It turns out that paradise doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Nearby Las Terrenas, a fishing village that has now become a charming tourist destination with a strong French influence, is the place which leads you into the mountains to the Salto El Ambiente relajado de las terrazas de la zona histórica. ENG // The relaxed atmosphere on the terraces in the historic quarter.