The Donkey Farm Concept In 2007 we came up with the idea of creating a donkey farm near the village of Samana, where we would provide shelter and veterinary care for the Dominican Donkey, which was on the verge of becoming an endangered species.  The second part of the idea was to create an exclusive and out of the ordinary excursion product, a way to bring our project into the public eye and make it available for adventurous tourists to enjoy. This enabled us to give our clients the chance to see the donkeys in their own environment & to combine a meeting with real Dominican countryside, original hospitality, extreme xperience, fun, adventure, good food and unexpected entertainment.

The whole ambience is exceptional; you can’t really understand it, until you experience if
yourself!  It’s a unique day out for all ages, from children to grandparents. Our numerous
questionnaires as well as the guest book at the Donkey Farm provide some interesting
statistics: 100% customer satisfaction; 50% would like to come back again; and 10% ask if
they can spend the night at the Farm. Our aim is focused not only on the satisfaction we give
to our guests, but also on the healthy breeding program we have instituted for the benefit of
the 40 donkeys we shelter. A couple of important points: Each donkey bears a sub-skin
microchip and we have a strong program of preventive medical treatment for all the animals. 

Argotaino Donkey Farm location
The farm is located in 18 hectares of land approximately 50 km West of Samana in the
Atlantic ocean, one of the most untouched and tranquil parts of the island. This part of the
island is called Los Haitises and is protected from the government as a shelter for the
migratory birds. The beautiful landscape, the variety of plants and wild life and the authentic
sounds of Nature in this area, makes it the perfect setting for nature lovers. Our facilities
attempt to blend in with the natural environment. Stone & wood are the main materials and
we can accommodate up to 100 people for lunch or dinner during winter months, and 200
people or more in the summer. 

Los Haitises
Is part of a special environmentalist tourism project, dealing with concepts known as
“sustainable” and/or agro-tourism. The main aim is to help local village economies participate
in tourism without changing their traditional lifestyles. The village lies on the western slope of
the Samana bays. In Samana, there are more than 240 thousand inhabitants.
The island was discovered from Christofer Columbus. The monument commemorates
Columbus' landind just a few miles east of the city on January 13, 1493. There Columbus
encountered the peninsula's Ciguayos Indians on a small beach now called Las Flechas, or
“The Arrows,” and that pretty much describes his reception. It's considered by some
historians to be the first true clash between Americans and Europeans. A short time will be
given to wander around the National Park in Los Haitises and enjoy the typical Dominican
culture and atmosphere, found only in such remote areas of Samana.

The Village Bus
The village bus also supplies the village with the necessary supplies and brings in the daily
post. Today, Argotaino has drafted this bus to transfer all the adventurous Donkey Riders to
the Farm, a 20-minute journey through picturesque landscape dotted with mangroves and
guava trees.

Local delicacies
On arrival at the Donkey farm guests will sample many of local delicacies such as tropical
fruits, vegetables and home made specialities, all of them produced and made in the village,
as well as local wine, the famous local distilled “Rum”.

Donkey Riding
All visitors will have a chance to meet and pet the friendly baby donkeys before a
demonstration and a safety briefing will take place about how to ride & control the Dominican
Donkey. Each rider will be assessed according to his/her weight & will be given the
appropriate donkey. Then we will start our ride that will take us for about 25 minutes through
the green path. At the far end of the area nestled in the hills we will find the Pirate caves.
Once at the caves, we will have a small break for guiding, and free time to wonder around on
your own. The return Donkey Ride lasts about 25 minutes. Once you say goodbye to the
donkeys, it’s Party Time! Relax and enjoy a great lunch or dinner. (Note: The entire Donkey
Ride is conducted under the watchful supervision of our professional staff to ensure safety
and comfort for all.)

Lunch or Dinner
The meal is a mix of typical Dominican homemade dishes, such as afelia (pork with wine and
coriander), pourgouri (cracked Bulgar wheat) tzatziki (yogurt dip), mixed vegetables, asado
(BBQ pork with oregano & CHICKEN), potatoes in the oven, village bread, salad and lemon.
Village wine and rum will be served through the meal with tropical juice-according to the
season fruits- for the children.
Soft drinks, beers or other important alcoholic drinks can be bought at reasonable prices at
the farm.

The “Party”
After the meal we will entertain you with Traditional Latin music & dancing, including the
famous Merenque and Bachata , which will tempt you to join in. Our Argotaino Donkey Farm
team will be there to entertain you and to make sure that all your questions and requests will
be fulfilled. We go on with some English and Greek music before turning back to some slow
and romantic music where you can dance the night away under the stars. A final sirtaki will
signal an end to the festivities.

Certificate
A diploma will be handed out to every participant who completed all the ‘tests’: rum drinking,
merenque dancing, and donkey riding.  Take it home as a souvenir and as proof that you
were initiated into traditional Dominican village culture, and that you were able to capture the
original spirit of the island