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Courtesy of Laurel Eastman |
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Cabarete is like the magical Land of Oz for kiteboarders, sometimes we really think there is a little magician man behind a curtain who turns on the wind. It's like clockwork in summertime, 11am till sunset, and we are talking serious wind. The beach-lined coast is a playground with endless breaks, bays, and even a glassy river mouth to play in.
But hey, there are awesome conditions all over the world, so what makes Cabarete so special? Two things: the price and the people. For what you will spend in one month on Maui, you can live off for six months here in the Dominican Republic.
The icing on the cake is the people here. The Dominicans are friendly, really, truly friendly and happy to have us here. Wind seeking party animals from all over the world congregate in this little village, and there is plenty of room for everyone, on the water and off...you have to see it to believe it!
Entry Requirements
New Zealanders need visas for the Dominican Republic, not too big of a deal, just pick one up at your local consulate. If you are traveling on another passport (Aussie, US, UK, etc.), you don't need a visa, just to buy a 10 USD tourist card upon landing at the airport. Why they pick on the Kiwi's we can not figure out!!??
Getting Here
Cabarete is one of my favorite places in the world to fly into...almost like Maui, where you land at the airport, and within no time at all you are on the beach putting your board together as fast as you can to catch an afternoon session.
From Puerto Plata airport, its only 20 minutes to Cabarete, try to fly into here, the other airports are more of a mission. The next closest is Santiago (just make sure you don't end up in Chile!) then Santo Domingo, and finally Punta Cana which is a nine hour cross island adventure...
From the States, American Airlines is your best bet. There are great charter flights available from the UK, Europe, and Canada. For the best deals in and around the Caribbean, check out www.ozonetravel.com.
Getting Around
Renting a car is not necessary, between the taxis, motoconchos (motorcycle taxis) and the guagua (public yet totally unorganized transport) you will be able to get everywhere you need to go. Depending on where you stay and eat you can arrange your entire holiday to never once leave the beach!
Where to Sleep
There are dozens of hotels in Cabarete, starting as low as $20 US including breakfast and dinner. Something for every budget, from mid range Hotel Caracol www.hotelcaracol.com to four star Concorde Resorts, and even some all-inclusive resorts thrown in there. Long-term visitors can find rooms for crazy cheap rates. One guy I know pays $80 a MONTH! For accommodation options, search around on the web, try www.cabaretekiteboarding.com for some good leads.
Good Cheap Eats
Food is good, and cheap. In the local Dominican village you can eat chicken, rice, beans and salad until you burst, for anywhere from $2 (depending on the daily exchange rate). Breakfast is the best. For $2 you can get the best fresh baked German bread, fruit, yogurt, muesli, and a piping hot latte...we are spoiled...we know...
Specialties here in Cabarete are seafood including lobster, fish, prawns and lots of it! There is an abundance of good pizza and pasta. Just try to pay attention to your vege intake, it can be easily forgotten in the Cabarete diet and will help to keep your immune system strong while you are going hard.
Rum is the national drink, try a Santo Libre (rum and 7-up) instead of the traditional Cuba Libre (rum and coke). And there is nothing like a Pina Colada under the palm trees! Rum is cheap, thanks to the Brugal factory in Puerto Plata, and if it were any more fun it would be illegal!
The Dominican Peso is as unpredictable as the weather! It fluctuates from 32-55 to the dollar. So depending on when you change your money, you are either stoked or bummed. The best bet is to bring US Travelers Checks, and either pay with them, or exchange them slowly. ATMs are abundant here in Cabarete, and offer the best exchange rate, but only give Pesos, not Dollars.
Summer time is like kite heaven here in Cabarete. It's like clockwork, 11am, 18 knots til sunset. For all the coolest info on wind and weather here, log onto www.windsofcabarete.com for web cams and wind graphs. It's hot and humid, and wonderful.
There are many spots depending on what you like and your level. The reef has nice waves, although winter is wave time, summer still delivers some fun sets. The river mouth, La Boca, is just 8km upwind, flat water, but be careful; it's a bit narrow! Kite Bay, home to the PKRA World Cup Competition, is a huge bay, choppy in the middle, with nice wide reef and waves outside.
