El Limón Waterfall

El Limón drops around fifty metres off a rock lip in the hills behind the Samaná peninsula into a deep green pool that is cold, swimmable and usually crowded with people doing exactly that. The walk in takes forty minutes or so through farmland, river crossings and forest, muddy for much of the year, and the traditional way to do it is on horseback with a local guide leading, which supports a network of small operations in the villages around. Several different trailheads serve the same fall, each with its own paradas and guides. The peninsula around it is the country's prettiest coastline, with Las Galeras and Playa Rincón nearby, and from January to March humpback whales fill Samaná Bay to breed.

What you actually see

• The waterfall and pool - the fifty-metre drop into a cold green plunge pool.
• The horseback ride in - the traditional approach through farmland and forest.
• Samaná Bay whales - humpbacks breeding offshore from January to March.
• Playa Rincón - one of the country's finest beaches, nearby.

When to go

December to April is drier and the trail less muddy; the fall runs strongest after rain but the path is worse then. January to March adds the humpback whales in Samaná Bay, which is the peninsula's other great draw and worth combining.

Honest expectations

The trail is genuinely muddy and slippery for much of the year, and the horses are working animals whose condition varies, so look before you choose an operation. Pricing is negotiated at the trailhead and there is pressure to take a horse and a guide even if you would rather walk. The pool gets busy in the middle of the day.

Nearby

Las Terrenas and Playa Rincón are on the same peninsula; Samaná town runs the whale trips.