Back in 1824, a sailing vessel called the Turtle Dove, carrying several hundred escaped American slaves, was blown ashore in Samaná. The survivors settled and prospered, and today their descendants number several thousand. The churches here are Protestant; the worshippers live in villages called Bethesda, Northeast, and Philadelphia; and the language spoken is an odd 19th-century form of English mixed with Spanish.

Sportfishing at Samaná is considered to be among the best in the world. In addition, about 3,000 humpback whales winter off the coast of Samaná from December to March. Major whale-watching expeditions are being organized and should boost the region's economy without scaring away the world's largest mammals. Postcard-perfect Playa Las Terrenas is a remote stretch of gorgeous, pristine Atlantic beaches on the north coast, attracting surfers and windsurfers, the young and offbeat. There's a strong French influence here, with modest seafood restaurants, a dusty but burgeoning main street in the town, a small airfield, a couple of all-inclusive resorts, and several congenial smaller hotels right on the beach. If you're happy just hanging out, drinking rum, and soaking up the sun, this is the place. A highway connecting Samaná to Santo Domingo should be finished by press time; the new El Catay International Airport, 45 minutes away, will bring in large jetliners. Things they are a changing.