Cabarete – Dominican Republic Visitor Guide Series Part 4 of 5

Hi all, I am doing a little something different this month and doing a 5 part series on cities to visit in the Dominion Republic. This is part 4 of 5. Below are links to other cities in the country that we hope to visit.  I have been watching some of my favorite YouTube vloggers Delightful Travellers and they have been there for six months and are planning to be there for a few more months. They make it look so beautiful and inviting that we are seriously thinking about spending a week or so there over Christmas and New Years’ this year. We have never been out of the country over the New Year I don’t think, and have never been to the Dominion Republic so this will be an adventure! Not sure where we will end up if we do go to the DR, thus I wanted to do some research on many cities to decide where we would like to visit most. This post is about a beach city named Cabarete. In it, I am going to share some of the fun things I hope to do if we make it to Cabarete, as well as share a little history about the area.

This beautiful little city is in the Puerto Plata Province of the Dominican Republic and is known for its tourism and beaches. As I have stated in some of my other DR posts, the country is also known for a lot of kitesurfing. However, Cabarete Bay has been the site of professional kitesurfing competitions, which is an international elite sporting event, unique in the world, for understanding the four disciplines of surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, and paddleboarding. Every year the city is host to important events in these sports.

The climate in Cabarete is hot, oppressive, windy, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 69°F to 89°F and is rarely below 66°F or above 91°F. Based on the beach/pool score, the best time of year to visit Cabarete for hot-weather activities is from late November to late April. The windier part of the year lasts for 2.8 months, from June 3 to August 30, with average wind speeds of more than 9.2 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in is July, with an average hourly wind speed of 10.3 miles per hour. The calmer time of year lasts for 9.1 months, from August 30 to June 3. The calmest month of the year is October, with an average hourly wind speed of 8.1 miles per hour.  The clearer part of the year begins around November 16 and lasts for 5.6 months, ending around May 4. One more thing to note, Cabarete is also very cloudy at times with the clearest month of the year in January, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 82% of the time. The cloudier part of the year begins around May 4 and lasts for 6.4 months, ending around November 16.

Even though Cabarete is known for its beaches, it also offers much more than beaches. I think I will share a few local attractions before sharing some of the most well-known beaches. As before, these are in no particular order.

Las Cuevas de Cabarete

Want to check out a cave while in the DR? If so, make sure to check out Las Cuevas de Cabarete. Visitors will go down a series of steps to view this dark chamber with a freshwater pool, deep enough for certified cave divers to explore. If you are not comfortable going down into a cave, there are also other caves that are above ground.  You will take a steep stairway climb which leads to vast chambers and tunnels filled with stalactites and stalagmites, as well as rock art. Either way sounds amazing and I don’t think you could go wrong with whichever cave(s) you choose to explore.

Monkey Jungle Experience

If you are into adventure excursions, you have to check out Monkey Jungle Experience. You can go in for their zip-lining adventures, and play with friendly squirrel monkeys at the Monkey Jungle Experience. Here you can go in for their zip-lining adventures or play with their friendly squirrel monkeys. This one’s a fun experience for kids so remember to keep it on your list of things to do in Cabarete.

Choco National Park

While this park is about an hour and a half from Cabarete, it sounds like it is worth the trip. Once there you will find many places to go hiking, biking, swimming, boating, birdwatching, and much more at this natural reserve park. One note of information about this park is that they suggest exploring the area with a guide (who are bilingual) as the paths can get quite confusing for first-time visitors.

If you love to head to the beach, there is not a shortage of beaches and Cabarete boasts many seemingly endless tropical shores. With five main beaches all within 10 minutes of each other, explorers, relaxers, and watermen alike can get more than their fill here. Below I will share the top three that many locals and visitors mentioned that are must-visit beaches.

Kite Beach

This very popular beach sees constant afternoon winds and an offshore reef to protect it from the waves which makes it one of the top destinations in the world for kiteboarding. Besides the beach, there are many restaurants and hotels that buzz with kiters, surfers, windsurfers, backpackers, and curious tourists, and this makes a perfect destination for a kiting trip or to learn kiteboarding.

Playa Encuentro

Playa Encuentro is the most consistent stretch of coast in the Dominican Republic and is home to five consistent and world-class surf spots: Destroyer, The Left, The Right, Bobo’s Beach, and Coco Pipe. It is also home to various horse riding trails, a wave jumping spot for kitesurfers and windsurfers, a meeting place for kids and families on weekends, and also a great diving reef.

Playa Cabarete

This beach sounds amazing and is at the heart of the town that bears its same name. It is in an epic location for water sports such as Kite surfing, Wind Surfing, Laser sailing, and surfing. The beach has great vibes, attracting a varied crowd from locals to visitors from all over the world. This would most likely be on our list if we are able to visit the area one day.

I hope we can make it to the Dominican Republic sometime this year or the year after. I know there are a lot of things to do in Cabarete so it might be hard to select just a few, especially if you only have a short amount of time. Whenever we go, I know I plan on going to a beach either early in the morning or late afternoon and exploring other aspects of the area during the day. Have you been to Cabarete? If so, please share some of your highlights in the comments below and add anything I may have missed while doing research.

Here is a link to my other posts on this series:

Punta Cana
Santo Domingo
Las Terrenas
Puerto Plata