Review: 2025 Los Haitises & Bacardi Island Samana Tour

So, you’re standing on the deck of your cruise ship, and really, the view of Samana Bay is something else. You’ve got this one perfect day here, right? Naturally, the big question on your mind is what to do with that time. A tour that often comes up is the Los Haitises National Park trip, which is usually bundled with a stop at the famous Bacardi Island. You’ve probably seen the pictures and, frankly, are wondering if it lives up to the hype. Well, as a matter of fact, we went and checked it out for ourselves to give you a real, honest look. To be honest, it is an excursion of two very different parts, a little bit of ancient mystery and a little bit of pure beach bliss. That is just something you should probably know before you book anything.

Your Day Starts Right from the Samana Pier

Basically, getting started on this adventure is fairly simple and stress-free, you know? After you get off your ship’s tender boat, you just walk a little way along the malecon, which is the waterfront walkway. Tour guides are usually there waiting, holding signs, so they are pretty easy to find. You sort of get checked in and then grouped with your fellow adventurers for the day, which in a way is a nice chance to chat with people from your ship. Then, it’s just a short walk over to a smaller speedboat, and honestly, this is where the real fun starts. Frankly, there’s a certain kind of excitement as the boat’s engine fires up. The boat captain then skillfully steers away from the busy pier and out into the open waters of the immense Samana Bay. The feeling of the warm breeze and the salty spray is absolutely fantastic as you leave the big cruise ship behind and head for a completely different kind of scene.

First Stop: The Amazing Views of Los Haitises Park

Alright, so after skimming across the bay for a bit, the landscape starts to change pretty dramatically. You’ll start to see these very large, green rock formations that seem to just pop up straight from the turquoise water. As a matter of fact, your guide will tell you they’re called ‘mogotes,’ and they are quite a thing to see, completely covered in thick, green vegetation. Your boat, you know, sort of slows down and glides between these giant green islands. You just get this feeling of being really small, in a very cool way, with birds like pelicans and frigatebirds flying all around you. You are more or less entering a different world. The boat often slips into calm mangrove forests, where the water is still and the roots of the trees create this wild, tangled web along the banks. It’s a really quiet and, in some respects, a very peaceful part of the excursion. Seriously, the whole area feels incredibly remote, almost like you’ve traveled back to a prehistoric time. The air is thick with the smell of salt and damp earth, you know?

Stepping Back in Time Inside the Taino Caves

So, the next part of your Los Haitises exploration is arguably the most fascinating bit. The boat pulls up to the edge of the island, and you step off onto a wooden walkway that leads into these dark, cool caves hidden in the coastline. Obviously, the change in temperature is the first thing you feel, a welcome break from the Caribbean sun. Inside, the air is still and your voice kind of echoes. Your guide will probably use a flashlight to point out markings on the cave walls, and that’s when you actually see them. I mean, we are talking about petroglyphs—drawings and carvings made by the native Taino people hundreds and hundreds of years ago. You can clearly make out simple faces, animals, and other strange symbols, and honestly, it’s quite incredible to think they have survived there for so long. It’s a bit of a history lesson, of course, but it feels much more like stumbling upon a sacred, secret place. To be honest, seeing that ancient art firsthand makes you feel a real connection to the island’s original inhabitants. This part of the day was really very special and quite different from a standard beach tour.

Next Up: Relaxing on Cayo Levantado (Bacardi Island)

Okay, after the quiet and ancient feel of the park and its caves, the tour takes a completely different turn, almost like flipping a switch. You get back in the boat and then zip across the water to Cayo Levantado, which pretty much everyone calls Bacardi Island. You will understand why it is so popular the moment you lay eyes on it; the public beach is literally like a picture you’d see on a travel poster. The water is just this almost unbelievably clear turquoise color and the sand is incredibly white and powdery, you know? It’s pretty perfect. By the way, the island supposedly got its nickname because a famous Bacardi rum commercial was filmed here a long time ago, and the name just sort of stuck. Here, you basically get a good amount of free time to do whatever you want. You can go for a swim in the calm, warm water, find a lounge chair and just soak up the sun, or, frankly, walk over to one of the lively beach bars for a freshly made piña colada. The vibe is totally relaxed and tropical, often with some light music playing in the background. It is pretty much the ideal place to just unwind and chill out after the morning’s adventure.

So, Is This Samana Tour a Good Fit For You?

At the end of the day, picking this shore excursion really comes down to what you are hoping to get out of your day in Samana. If you, for example, are someone who loves variety and wants a day that packs in stunning nature, a little dose of interesting history, and some classic Caribbean beach time, then absolutely, this tour is a great choice. You sort of get two very different experiences in one package, which is really valuable when you only have a limited amount of time on a cruise port day. On the other hand, if your only goal is to find the nearest beach and not move all day, you might find the morning portion in Los Haitises a bit too structured. You should also consider the physical aspect of the tour. For instance, anyone with serious mobility concerns might find it a bit tough.

Frankly, you should be ready for some walking on uneven ground in the caves and for stepping in and out of a speedboat, which can sometimes be a little unsteady.

It’s not extremely strenuous, of course, but it’s just a little bit of physical movement that’s good to be aware of beforehand, right? It just ensures you know exactly what to expect and can have the best possible time.

Read our full review: [Los Haitises & Bacardi Island Tour 2025 Full Review and Details]

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