Погода: Санто-Доминго, март

For once the month and the animal agree. Humpbacks come into Samana Bay to court and calve from January to March, and the season is fixed to the day: the 15th of January to the 31st of March, in what is a designated marine mammal sanctuary. Regulars add that later is better if you want to see mothers with their young, which makes March the pick of the three rather than the last resort - and that a trip in April misses it entirely. Excursions all leave from the port in Samana town. Our row is undemanding around it: 27.3C over 22.9C reading as 30C, 60.7mm across 12.7 precipitation days at under five millimetres each, and a 26.5C sea. The record: humidity 76 percent, 11 hours of sun, a 16.2 kph wind and AQI 39.

Forum posters describe July across the Dominican Republic as very hot, sunny and humid, with warm evenings and occasional showers rather than full days of rain - posters compare typical rain here to Cuba's pattern, heavy but brief, often just 10-30 minutes. Posters are direct that rainy days are relatively rare this time of year, with some describing weeks going by without any rain at all. Posters flag hurricane season as technically running May through November, but consistently note most storms actually cluster around September, making July comparatively low-risk - posters recommending the north coast specifically as a fairly hurricane-resistant option for anyone especially cautious. Posters generally rate July as hot and humid but still a good, deal-friendly time to visit Santo Domingo.

Forum posters describe January in Santo Domingo as a mix of rain and grey skies alongside plenty of blue-sky days - it sits right at the edge of the wetter season, with the broader Dominican dry season (December-April) bringing lower humidity overall. Regulars note that with shifting weather patterns the exact split of sun-to-rain days has gotten harder to predict year to year, though January and February are usually counted among the driest months. Beyond the weather, the Colonial Zone - a UNESCO World Heritage site and the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas - is repeatedly named the best base, with plenty of boutique hotel options right in the old streets.