Eden on the Palm of the Hand

«What a beauty! Sometimes I honestly think God rested here after He created the Earth and the Universe, and after a good long rest he whipped this island of dreams into shape.»

That was the comment made on the Internet by a tourist as she aired the experience of her stay in Cayo Levantado, a lovely piece of paradise that stands out along the Dominican Republic’s northern coastline, in the famous Samana bay. It’s nearly impossible to imagine that just a single square kilometer of land can harbor such a place so perfect. The secret is revealed below: First, Mother Nature built breathtaking scenery by blending tropical forests teeming with birds, parrots, jutias, and beaches of white powder-thin sand with unkempt palm trees and turquoise waters; And then came man’s ingenuity to turn that place into a genuine tourist Eden that paints the picture of a location that has what it takes to hold all the happiness of the world on the palm of the hand. Small, intimate villas built to stay aloof from the world, coupled with all the comfort and luxury money can buy are offered at the exclusive five-star Grand Bahia Principe, a resort where time seems to stand still. Get yourself carried away with the profound quietness of the seashore, traipse into the forest or dance your bones out to the beat of a bachata or a merengue. A wonderful climate is just another element in this earthly paradise. Weather conditions here guarantee summer-style sunshine nearly all year round. However, tour operators include an additional allure between the months of January and April. During that time of the year, Samana Bay and Cayo Levantado provide one of the most unique sightings on the face of the earth: the mating season of the humongous humpbacked whales, a stunning show worth capturing with a camera or a camcorder; otherwise, no one will ever believe you that you’ve just come back from paradise.