Península de Samaná, República Dominicana - SANCHEZsanchez, samana peninsula, samana, las terrenas, las galeras, santa barbara de samana, port, economic development, victorian style-houses, precious facades, wood architecture, parque de los haitises, fish, church.

Sánchez

This is the front door to the touristy Samaná Peninsula, the visitors, the ones heading to Las Terrenas, located in the north, and the ones heading to Santa Bárbara de Samaná or Las Galeras, tend to forget this town that looks neglected and melancholic.

mapa sanchez But, it wasn’t always like that. Sánchez, was originally called Las Cañitas, started to develop in 1884 with the installation of a marine port and a train station, thus economically connecting to the central region of Cibao and its prosperous cities of La Vega and San Francisco de Macoris. This caused, at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, a great economic, political, and social development since all the merchandise had to go through the port of this city.

In 1906 the first branch of the Royal Bank of Canada was established in this city, followed by the Banco Nacional de Santo Domingo and the International Banking Corporation.
The only remnants of that splendor are numerous Victorian-style houses, with precious wood facades that, during the first years of establishment of this city, constituted a great tourist attraction. Today, they’re simply ruins; some have collapsed, before the indifference of the authorities and due to lack of maintenance by those who inhabit them, most of whom are people with limited economic resources. The Victorian style of the homes is characterized by its architecture made completely in wood, its originality, elegance, and adaptation to the subtropical climate of the country.

Sánchez is one of the departure points for excursions to the Parque de los Haitises, to the tropical rivers of Barracote and Yuna. On the other hand, this city is famous for its seafood, specially the shrimp, fishing being the most important activity of the area. The water of the area is very rich in fish thanks to the deposits brought by the Yuna River and the vast vegetation.

Currently, Sánchez is not a tourist destination; we recommend visiting even if it is only for its architecture, without forgetting its church, very particular due to its shape and colors.

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