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the other hand, conditions are favorable
for a large-scale fishing industry.
The soil of the area belongs to the
cretaceous period and most of the
peninsula is layered with white, pink,
green and gray marble, quarried to
supply the industries that process it in
Santo Domingo. In addition, coconut, fish
and shellfish abound.
During the pre-Hispanic period, the
territory belonged to the chieftainship of
Maguá under the domain of the Ciguayo,
Guarionex. From excavations carried
out, interesting archeological pieces have
been preserved as pointers to the history
of that period.
Christopher Columbus arrived in Samana
on January 12, 1493. The following day
the first battle in the New World took
place between the Taínos of Ciguayo and
the Spaniards. According to a journal
entry in the admiral’s own handwriting,
“[he had] never seen so many arrows fly
over a ship.” Before leaving for Castilla
on January 16th of the same year, he
dubbed the bay the Golfo de las flechas
(Gulf of arrows).
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Santa Bárbara de Samaná was founded
in 1756 by the Spanish brigadier and
the governor of the island, Francisco
Rubio Peñaranda.
Samaná celebrates its patronal feast
on December 4th. For more than half a
century Doña Vetilia Peña has initiated
the festivities in her home, with the
bambulá, a ritualdance that can only
be seen and danced in the Samaná
peninsula during its patronal festivities
and on October 24th, the feast day of
San Rafael.
The Chivo Florete, a dance of suggestive,
erotic movements that are considered
inappropriate by some, is a dance
typical of Samaná, as well as the olíolí,
it forms a part of the carnival’s
comparsas (costumed groups dressed
alike at carnival time) in which only men
participate.
In the city you will find different business
centers and hotels designed for tourists
which offer comfortable accomodation.
See Hotel Directory, page 70.
For those hungry for an exotic treat,
Samaná is famous for its fabulous typical