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Voykit pocket guide · Dominican Republic
Cabarete
Stay 3–4 nights if you kite or surf; 2 nights if you don't. Wind is best Dec–Apr and Jun–Aug; the town itself is 800 m of one road.
Cabarete is the north coast's wind and wave town: about 300 windy days a year in the bay, and about 300 wave days a year 6 km east at Playa Encuentro. The centre is one 800 m main road with the beach on one side and bars, schools and guesthouses on the other. Come for the water sports, not for sightseeing — there is almost nothing to see on land.
- Country
- Dominican Republic
- Best months
- Dec–Apr (wind), Jun–Aug (wind); surf works year-round
- Avoid
- Sep–Oct (peak hurricane season, wettest)
- Stay
- 3–4 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- DOP
- Money
- Currency is the Dominican peso (DOP); resorts and tour operators often quote in US dollars.
- Daily spend
- Budget RD$2,500–4,500 excl. bed · Mid RD$4,500–9,000 excl. bed · High RD$9,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Claro and Altice sell prepaid SIMs and eSIMs at the airports and malls; bring your passport.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US; power cuts happen outside resorts.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10% service already added; 5–10% extra for good service.; Resorts: US$1–2 for bars, US$2–5 a day housekeeping.; Guides and drivers: 10%.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; buy garrafones (big refillable jugs) or bottled.
- Toilets
- In restaurants and malls; carry tissue.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Local plate (pica pollo, guisado, la bandera) | RD$150–350 |
| Burrito or bowl at a Tex-Mex spot | RD$110–130 |
| Beachfront restaurant main course | RD$400–900 |
| Presidente beer | RD$100–200 |
| Brugal rum shot | RD$100–200 |
| Motoconcho ride in town | RD$50 day / RD$100 night |
| Gua gua ride | RD$25–50 |
| Kitesurf lesson, per hour | check |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- POP · Puerto Plata (Gregorio Luperón)
- Closest airport, about 20 min by taxi; small terminal, arrive 2 h before departure
- STI · Santiago (Cibao)
- About 1.5 h by road; usually cheaper fares than POP
- SDQ · Santo Domingo (Las Américas)
- About 3.5 h by road; only worth it if the fare saving is large
- PUJ · Punta Cana
- Skip: about 6 h by road from Cabarete
Typical fares
- POP airport → Cabarete, taxi
- about US$35 per trip, not per person, 20 min
- STI airport → Cabarete, taxi
- about US$100 per trip, 1.5 h
- Motoconcho in town
- RD$50 before sunset, RD$100 after
Get around
The centre is walkable day and night along the main road. Motoconcho (motorbike taxi) is the local default: about RD$50 before dark, RD$100 after. Guagua vans and carrito publicos run along the main road in daylight; taxis cost more but are fixed-price and comfortable. Agree every fare before you get in.
See and do
Known for
- Kitesurfing and windsurfing in Cabarete Bay, Bozo Beach and Kite Beach
- Surfing at Playa Encuentro
- Beach bars and nightlife on one main road
- Mamajuana and cheap Dominican plates
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sosúa | Gua gua or carrito along the main road, or motoconcho | 20–25 min |
| Puerto Plata | Gua gua or taxi west along the coast road | 30–45 min |
| Playa Encuentro | Motoconcho or taxi east | 10–15 min |
| Santiago de los Caballeros | Caribe Tours bus from Sosúa, or taxi | 2–2.5 h |
| Jarabacoa | Bus via Santiago, then local transport | 3.5–4 h |
Sleep
- Cabarete centre (main road)
- Walk to schools, bars and the beach; noisiest at night.
- Bozo Beach
- North-west half of the bay; kitesurf focus, wider water, 10–15 min walk to the centre.
- Kite Beach
- East end; flatter water but a smaller riding area, reef close to shore.
- Playa Encuentro
- 6 km east; surf breaks, quiet, needs a motoconcho or taxi for everything.3.7 mi east; surf breaks, quiet, needs a motoconcho or taxi for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto es?KWAN-toh es |
| Too expensive | Muy caromwee KAH-roh |
| To this address, please | A esta dirección, por favorah ES-tah dee-rek-SYON por fah-VOR |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Where is the beach? | ¿Dónde está la playa?DON-deh es-TAH lah PLAH-yah |
| Help | Ayudaah-YOO-dah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; kiss on the cheek among friends; avoid: Skipping hellos
- Dress: Long trousers in offices, churches, some clubs; avoid: Swimwear off the beach
- Time: Allow flexibility; avoid: Expecting punctual starts socially
- Dominoes: Watch and ask to join; avoid: Interrupting a game
Scams and watch-outs
- Motoconcho drivers sometimes drink and ride: look and smell before you get on.
- Carry small change — guagua and carrito drivers often claim to have none.
- Do not walk alone on dark side roads at night; stay on the lit main road.
- ATMs cap withdrawals (about RD$4,000 per day) and most charge a fee.
- Airport exchange rates are poor; change money in town or bring pesos.
- Hurricane season runs Jun–Nov, with Sep–Oct the riskiest.
Cabarete is a small beach town and the main road is fine day and night. The real risks are motoconcho drivers who have been drinking, unlit side roads after dark, and hurricane season Jun–Nov.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Cabarete yet. Suggested stay: 3–4 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Kitesurfing and windsurfing in Cabarete Bay, Bozo Beach and Kite Beach
- Surfing at Playa Encuentro
- Beach bars and nightlife on one main road
- Mamajuana and cheap Dominican plates
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism: www.godominicanrepublic.com/
- Puerto Plata airport (Aeropuerto Gregorio Luperón): www.aeropuertopuertoplata.com/
- Wikivoyage: Cabarete, revision 5241956 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241956
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Cabarete
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Cabarete; the US has a consular agency in Puerto Plata and most countries keep embassies in Santo Domingo.
Prices in pesos; US dollars are widely accepted but at a poor rate.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/cabarete). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.