At one end of the Malecon sits an impressive humpback whale statue as a tribute to the creatures that migrate to Samaná Bay in the winter.

Samaná can refer to the peninsula, the province, the bay, or the town.

Look for shops along the Malecon that sell Dominican amber. The island is known for producing some of the clearest and oldest amber in the world that’s derived from the resin of the extinct tree Hymenaea protera.