The transfer we operate: airport to the Samaná pier
Cayo Levantado Resort is on an island in Samaná Bay, and the last leg of the journey is by boat. Guests reach it on the resort's own boat service from the Samaná waterfront, so the part we operate is the land leg: a private transfer from your arrival airport to the pier in Samaná where the resort collects its guests.
We take your flight number at booking, monitor the flight, and your chauffeur meets you inside the arrivals hall with a welcome tablet showing your name. From there it is one direct drive to the pier, with your luggage handled at both ends. We do not operate the boat crossing, and we do not sell it — confirm your boat time directly with the resort so we can time the road leg to it.
Which airport, and where we pick you up
Three airports serve this journey, and the choice usually comes down to flight schedules:
- Samaná El Catey (AZS) — the closest airport to Samaná, with a limited and partly seasonal flight selection.
- Santo Domingo Las Américas (SDQ) — the main gateway for the Samaná peninsula, with far more international flights.
- Punta Cana International (PUJ) — the widest international flight availability in the country, and the longest of the three road legs.
Our guide to choosing an airport for Las Terrenas and Samaná sets out the trade-offs in full. Whichever you fly into, the transfer is a single private vehicle from the terminal to the Samaná pier.
Timing the road leg around the boat
Because the crossing is on the resort's schedule rather than ours, the road leg has to land you at the pier before your boat. Give us your boat time when you book and our dispatch works backwards from it; if your flight is delayed we move the pickup to the real arrival time and let you know what that means for the pier. You have two hours of free waiting time after landing, which covers a slow immigration hall or a late bag.
On the way home the same applies in reverse: tell us the boat that brings you back to the mainland and we schedule the pickup at the pier around it, then to your departure airport.
Which vehicle you need
Capacity comes straight from our booking system. The vehicle model is assigned by class, not by specific model.
- Small SUV (Volvo XC40) — up to 2 passengers and 2 suitcases. Couples travelling light.
- Minivan (Hyundai Staria) — up to 5 passengers and 5 suitcases. The usual choice for a family.
- Full-Size SUV (Ford Expedition Max) — up to 6 passengers and 6 suitcases, with the luggage room for golf clubs.
- Mercedes Sprinter — up to 16 passengers and 16 suitcases, for a wedding party or a multi-family group.
- Large Bus — up to 50 passengers, for a full group movement.
The whole range, with photography, is on the fleet page. If you would rather keep a car and chauffeur for the week instead of a one-way arrival, that is our private chauffeur service.
Add VIP Fast Track to the arrival
If you want to skip the immigration and customs queues, VIP Fast Track can be added to the same arrival and handed to your chauffeur at the private exit. It is worth it on the busy afternoon flight bank.
Rates
We do not publish rates in articles. Enter your flight and party size in the booking form and you will see a fixed, all-in quote for your vehicle before you pay anything.
Elsewhere on the peninsula
If your trip also includes Las Terrenas, our gateway-specific guides cover it from each airport: from Santo Domingo (SDQ), from Punta Cana (PUJ) and from Samaná El Catey (AZS).
Where the pier is
The Samaná waterfront sits on the south shore of the Samaná peninsula, facing the bay. The town's malecón and the boat piers along it are the public landmarks; the resort's own boat service departs from the bay, so the meeting point is confirmed by the resort in your reservation. We put that exact pier into the booking so your chauffeur takes you to the right one.
Leaving Cayo Levantado: your departure
Coming back, you cross to the mainland on the resort's boat and we meet you at the pier. Our dispatch schedules that pickup around the crossing and your departure flight, and keeps watching the flight for changes. Before the pickup we reconfirm passenger count, luggage and the meeting point, so the vehicle that arrives fits what you are travelling home with.
