Cabarete
The kitesurfing capital of the north coast of the Dominican Republic. Steady trade winds make the kite beach a reliable spot, next to the surf break at Encuentro. Nearby are the El Choco caves and the snorkeling bay of Sosúa.
Cabarete lies on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, in the municipality of Sosúa in Puerto Plata Province. It is about 20 km west of Puerto Plata Airport. It is one of the Caribbean's best-known kitesurfing and windsurfing destinations. From June to August, the trade winds are strongest, making it the peak kitesurfing season. From December to March, the north coast has big swells and dry weather, good for surfing. August to October is hurricane season. The town is very small, with its main street running parallel to the beach. The seafront is lined with bars, restaurants and kitesurfing schools, and nightlife is lively.
The main areas are as follows. In town, Cabarete Beach and the kite beach at its western end are where you can learn kitesurfing. South of town, El Choco National Park has caves you can swim in. To the west, Encuentro Beach is known for surfing, and 12 km farther west is Sosúa Bay, good for snorkeling, along with the Jewish Museum of Sosúa. In the hills, you can ride the zip line through the Monkey Jungle and visit the Military Pool. For a day trip east, visit the Gri-Gri Lagoon, Playa Grande and the Laguna Dudu in Cabrera.
Getting around is mainly by taxi, motoconcho motorcycle taxi and guagua minibus. Plan to stay 3 to 7 days. Learning kitesurfing takes at least three days of lessons. Vendors on the beach can be persistent, and avoid isolated streets at night.
Top sights
- Cabarete Beach & Kite Beach – A world-famous kitesurfing destination, with colourful kites filling the bay and a lively beach nightlife.
- Sosúa Beach – A calm beach in a horseshoe-shaped bay, with clear water and small waves. It is the base for snorkelling and diving along the Amber Coast.
- Cabarete Caves (El Choco National Park) – A karst forest park behind Cabarete where you can descend into an underground cave and swim in its cool groundwater pool.
- Playa Encuentro – A surf beach at the end of a forest trail west of Cabarete, with reliable reef breaks and many surf schools, ideal for learning to surf.
- Laguna Dudú – A natural blue freshwater pool in the forest near Cabrera, where you can jump or zip-line into deep water to swim; a popular day trip on th…
- Laguna Gri-Gri – A mangrove lagoon beside the town of Río San Juan, where small boats glide through mangrove tunnels to sea caves and small beaches.
- Playa Grande (Río San Juan) – One of the most beautiful long beaches on the North Coast, with golden sand, turquoise waves and palm-fringed cliffs; the adjoining Playa P…
- Monkey Jungle – A squirrel monkey sanctuary and jungle zip-line park in the hills between Cabarete and Sosúa, where you can feed monkeys and ride zip lines…
- Sosúa Jewish Museum – A small museum recounting how Jewish refugees settled in Sosúa in 1940, next to a small synagogue that is still in use.
- Charcos de los Militares – A chain of natural pools and small waterfalls in a river valley in the southwestern hills of Cabarete, good for swimming and jumping, with…
Where to eat
- La Casita de Papi – A long-running seafood spot on Cabarete beach, famous for a big pan of garlic-cream prawns and crayfish in the “Papi st…
- Cabarete Coffee Company – Tripadvisor's top brunch café in Cabarete, serving locally grown organic coffee. Proceeds support girls' education in t…
Itineraries
- Amber Coast: Puerto Plata & Cabarete – Based in Cabarete, explore the north coast's waterfalls, historic old town, sandbar snorkeling, and lagoons
- Capital, Central Highlands & North Coast – Traverse the island by bus, from the colonial old town through mountain villages to north coast surf beaches