The Samaná Peninsula might not look particularly large on a map, but once you start digging into everything there is to see and do here, you’ll quickly realize there’s enough to easily fill an entire week. Our own list grew so long that we had to start prioritizing ruthlessly. Near the top was the El Limón waterfall, tucked away in the peninsula’s lush interior not far from Las Terrenas.
The Day Trip We Chose
Shortly after arriving in town, it became clear that renting some kind of vehicle would make our lives much easier. ATVs seemed like the obvious choice – they were absolutely everywhere – even though I personally had always felt a bit uneasy about them. So when we spotted Nano Vega Tours in downtown Las Terrenas advertising a day trip that combined an ATV ride to El Limón with stops at two beaches, we knew we’d found our answer. We could see the waterfall and get some practice on an ATV in a somewhat controlled environment before committing to renting one ourselves.
The tour runs daily starting at 9 AM. We booked ours the afternoon before, paying in cash. The price was 5,800 DOP (~$90 USD) per person, which included one ATV for two people – so Andrea and I shared one vehicle. Interestingly enough, we couldn’t find this exact tour or anything similar on GetYourGuide, though there are plenty of other El Limón tours available if you’d rather skip the ATV portion. Here are a few options (note: not all of them offer pickup from Las Terrenas):
We showed up a few minutes before nine, and shortly after, our guide Joaquín arrived on his motorcycle. He gave us a roughly two-minute crash course on how the shiny red 500cc Suzuki ATV worked – reverse, forward, gas, brake – asked if we wanted helmets (we did), and off we went. Nobody even considered for a second that Andrea might be the one driving instead of me. Little did they know…
And here’s where I need to make a small detour, because even after considerable research, I still couldn’t figure out what exactly you need to ride an ATV in the Dominican Republic or Las Terrenas specifically. As it turned out, nobody ever asked for a driver’s license or any documentation whatsoever – which would have been a problem, since I didn’t have one. It only occurred to me later that driving on public roads for the first time in my life in a country with some of the statistically most dangerous roads in the world might not have been the wisest decision. But everything worked out fine in the end.
The Dominican Republic has a bit chaotic traffic. If you’re new to riding ATVs, consider booking a guided tour first to get comfortable before renting on your own.
Our first stop was at another tour office just a few blocks away, where supposedly another couple was going to join us. Joaquín waited about ten minutes, made some phone calls, then shrugged and said let’s go. Just like that, our group tour turned into a completely private experience – at least at the beginning.
I won’t lie – navigating through Las Terrenas traffic made me sweat a little. But since it’s a small town, we were out of there quickly. The main road was in excellent condition and traffic was light. The setup was simple: Joaquín led the way on his motorcycle, signaling at intersections and keeping a comfortable pace – we averaged maybe 50 km/h (31 mph), never exceeding 70 km/h (43 mph). We passed through the town of El Limón and reached our stop after about 40 minutes. Looking back at photos, I believe it was Parada la Manzana – this is where the hike to the waterfall began and where we’d have lunch later.
Horseback Ride to the Waterfall
Before I continue, a quick note on the horses. Most El Limón tours approach the falls on horseback. I have nothing against horses – in fact, I’ve been on a horse more times than on an ATV – but I’d read online that the animals are often treated poorly, and visitors who can manage the hike are encouraged to walk instead. So when we booked, we specifically asked if hiking was an option. Sure, no problem, they said.
Well, when we actually arrived at the stables, nobody seemed to remember that conversation, and we didn’t push too hard. So off we went into the jungle on two small, sweet, but admittedly not particularly well-cared-for mounts. This turned out to be a mixed blessing. On one hand, the terrain was quite challenging, and heavy rain the day before had transformed the entire trail into a massive mud pit – so riding definitely made things more comfortable. On the other hand, the two handlers really didn’t treat the animals well.
If you choose to hike to El Limón waterfall instead of riding, wear sturdy shoes. The trail can be extremely muddy, especially after rain.
Joaquín didn’t come with us on this part. Instead, we each got a handler who led and guided the horses. This is where we hit some serious language barriers, especially after we dismounted to walk the final few hundred meters. The guy accompanying me didn’t speak a word of English, and my Spanish – embarrassingly – still isn’t good enough to maintain a real conversation. This became particularly interesting when he mentioned we’d be expected to tip them separately when we got back (not a surprise – they’d told us about this at the office when we booked).
I tried to get some insight into how these things work behind the scenes, and while I could more or less understand what he was saying, I could only respond with the help of Google Translate. Here’s the catch though: Google Translate can only read text aloud with an internet connection (even if you’ve downloaded the language offline), and it turned out the guy – who had fled from Haiti – couldn’t read. So my solution was to roughly understand what he said (I’m not sure if it helped or hurt that Spanish wasn’t his native language either), then translate and read aloud what I wanted to say.
After a few minutes of walking, we reached the cascade. I have to confess I’m not exactly a waterfall enthusiast, and while El Limón is certainly beautiful, it didn’t hold my attention for very long. Worth noting: this is actually a system of multiple falls, and we were only taken to the largest one. The hiking tours typically visit the smaller falls too – though I think we could have walked over if we’d wanted to, since it’s only a few hundred meters away. At the waterfall, you’re free to take photos, admire the scenery, and even go for a swim. We skipped the swimming since the water – coming from a mountain stream – was pretty cold. But the retirees in our group weren’t as chicken as us and happily took a dip.
If you plan to swim at El Limón waterfall, bring water shoes or quick-dry sandals. The rocks can be slippery, and the water is surprisingly cold – it comes straight from the mountains.
Afterward, we rode the horses back to where we started. We ended up giving each handler 1,000 DOP (~$16 USD) as a tip – whether that was generous or stingy, I honestly couldn’t tell, because I never managed to get a straight answer out of the guides. Once we returned, it was time for lunch at a classic tourist eatery right where we’d parked the ATV. The food was traditional la bandera – beans, rice, and meat – along with fruit, vegetables, soft drinks, and coffee. Nothing fancy, but perfectly fine.
During lunch, we chatted a bit with Joaquín. His English was slightly better than my Spanish. He mentioned that one of his sons goes to school nearby and had just finished for the day, so he’d be joining us for the rest of the trip. We also learned he has three kids total – from three different mothers, in three different cities. I don’t know what kind of reputation preceded him, but he was a genuinely great guy and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide.
Stunning Beaches on the Way Back
With lunch wrapped up, it was time for the second half of the program: visiting two beaches. We hopped back on the ATV, Joaquín and his son got on the motorcycle, and we headed toward the town of El Limón. Somewhere along the way, we took a brief detour to drive the ATV through a shallow creek – which is apparently one of those things people find fun. I could have easily skipped it, but whatever. The Suzuki quad, by the way, was an absolute beast – it powered up steep inclines without breaking a sweat, and rocks and gravel were no match for it.
The first beach was Playa el Limón, accessed unsurprisingly through the town of El Limón. There’s a long, arrow-straight stretch of road running alongside a small river where Joaquín told us to floor it. He also suggested Andrea try driving and joked that I should buckle up – if only he’d known that between the two of us, I was the one without a license. Playa el Limón is a fairly large stretch of beautiful golden sand. Besides us, we could maybe spot one or two other people way off in the distance. Palm trees lined the shore, nice waves rolled in, but somehow we both sensed this wasn’t the spot for a proper swim.
Our instincts proved correct. The next stop was Playa el Anclón, specifically the western section – and this turned out to be our favorite shoreline near Las Terrenas. I’ve written about it in our Las Terrenas guide already, but the gist is that it’s a gorgeous expanse of white sand where much of the seafloor is covered in seaweed, but natural crystal-clear pools are scattered throughout. This was where the real beach time happened. Andrea and I splashed around in the water with Joaquín’s son while Joaquín worked his charm on some girl on the shore (project number four, perhaps?).
The Ride Home – Was This Tour Worth It?
After our beach session, it was time to head back. We rode straight to Las Terrenas, back to Nano Vega. At the end, Joaquín offered to drive us home on his motorcycle, even though that wasn’t part of the tour. We got back shortly after 3 PM – officially, the tour was supposed to run until 4 PM, which would have been realistic if we’d spent more time at the waterfall or gone swimming at the first beach.
Overall, we were thoroughly satisfied with the experience. We got to see everything we wanted, gained just enough ATV practice to feel confident renting one ourselves later (a much smaller, less powerful model), and the fact that it turned into a private tour for the same price was a real bonus – though purely a matter of luck. This way, we did precisely what we wanted for as long as we wanted, and we got to chat with our guide a bit more than you usually would on a group excursion.
How to Visit Salto El Limón from Las Terrenas Without an Organized Tour
Of course, a guided excursion isn’t for everyone. At first, visiting the falls independently seemed a bit complicated to us, but looking back, it’s actually pretty straightforward. You can get there with your own vehicle (car, motorcycle, or ATV), or take a guagua from the town center – these shared minibuses cost about 200 DOP (~$3 USD) and will drop you at Casa Negra, which is essentially where the hike begins. It’s worth starting early, by the way – both the guaguas and the waterfall itself can get crowded. If you bring your own vehicle, parking costs 300 DOP (~$5 USD), which is somewhat steep. According to other travelers’ reports, you might encounter local guides trying to convince you that you need their services to access the waterfall. That’s not true – you can hike on your own, so don’t let them pressure you.
Guaguas (shared minibuses) are the most affordable way to get around the Dominican Republic. They don’t always follow strict schedules – just wave one down from the roadside and tell the driver your destination.
From there, it’s a relatively easy trek to the falls, but if you encounter rain the day before like we did, be prepared for serious mud. There’s a trail on AllTrails that shows the route – it’s about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) one way, and you should budget 30 to 45 minutes for the walk:
If you visit independently, you’ll need to pay an entrance fee of 100 DOP (~$1.5 USD) per person at the falls. For the return trip, you’d take the same route – though I’d personally be a bit nervous about the guagua schedule, flagging one down, and whether there’d be seats available. If you’re up for a longer hike, AllTrails shows that you can continue north from the cascade all the way to the town of El Limón – that’s an additional 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) and about 1.5 hours. From there, you can catch another guagua back to Las Terrenas.
What to Pack for Your El Limón Visit
Since the hike isn’t particularly technical, and if you’re visiting on a day trip you won’t need to bring food, the packing list is pretty simple:
- Comfortable closed-toe shoes (even if you’re doing the ATV and horseback combo like we did, this is still the way to go)
- Water shoes (if you want to swim at the waterfall – or opt for shoes that work both in water and on dry land)
- Sunscreen
- Towel
- Swimsuit
- Half a day’s worth of water (though you won’t be in the middle of nowhere – you can stop to buy more, and lunch includes drinks)
- For the ATV portion: a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a neck gaiter can be very practical
