THINGS TO DO IN CABARETE
Kite House is right at Kite Beach, with Cabarete, Playa Encuentro and plenty of restaurants, cafés and activities just a few minutes away. Here are some of our favorite places and things to do around Cabarete.
BEACHES & WATERSPORTS
One of the best things about Cabarete is how different the beaches are, even though they’re only a few minutes apart. Kite Beach is all about wind and watersports, Playa Encuentro comes alive early in the morning with surfers and beach cafés, while Cabarete Beach is more developed, with restaurants, bars and plenty of activity.
KITE BEACH
50 steps from Kite House
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THE BEACH
Kite Beach can feel completely different depending on the time of day and time of year. Mornings are generally quiet, while windy afternoons bring kitesurfers, wing foilers, schools and plenty of people hanging out along the beach.
The beach itself also changes with the seasons as currents move the sand around. Winter usually brings a much wider beach, while in summer the beach can become considerably narrower.
On a busy windy day it can look a little chaotic — but that’s part of the fun. Kite Beach has a very social, international watersports community and is an easy place to meet fellow travelers. Plenty of people originally came here for the wind and ended up making Cabarete home.
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KITESURFING
The strongest and most reliable kitesurfing conditions are generally during the summer months, roughly April through September, when there can be wind throughout the day. Winter still brings windy days, but conditions tend to be lighter and the wind is more likely to pick up in the afternoon.
Kite Beach works for all levels, from beginners taking their first lessons to experienced riders enjoying the reef and waves farther out.
For lessons and rentals, we recommend the Watersports Center directly across from Kite House, or Tracey and Jose Luis at Kite Point Cabarete.
WING FOILING
Kite Beach is also excellent for wing foiling, particularly once you already have the basics.
For a complete beginner, it isn’t necessarily the easiest place to learn. The reef on the upwind part of Kite Beach becomes too shallow for a foil in places, so being able to stay upwind and ideally gybe makes the spot much easier to enjoy.
If you’re just starting and want flatter water, Vela in Cabarete Bay is a better option.
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SWIMMING & HANGING OUT
Kite Beach is lovely for swimming in the morning or whenever there isn’t much wind. Once the wind is up and the water is full of kiters, it’s not where we’d choose to go for a relaxed swim.
You absolutely don’t have to be a kiter to enjoy the beach, though. Grab a beer or fresh coconut, find somewhere to sit and watch the action.
Our favorite beach restaurant is Cocotazo, where Kite Point Cabarete is located.
PLAYA ENCUENTRO
About 5 minutes from Kite House by car or moto
THE BEACH
Playa Encuentro feels noticeably more raw and undeveloped than Kite Beach or Cabarete Beach. It’s a beautiful stretch of coast with several different surf breaks and conditions for everyone from complete beginners to experienced surfers.
Go in the morning. That’s generally when the surf is best, but it’s also when Encuentro has its best atmosphere.
The beach fills with surfers, families and people having breakfast; the surf schools are open and the food stalls are busy. Even if you have absolutely no intention of surfing, it’s worth going down for breakfast, coffee and a look around.
SURFING
There are multiple breaks for different levels and plenty of schools offering lessons and board rentals directly on the beach.
You generally don’t need to organize this days in advance. Show up in the morning — most places start opening around 7 — walk around, say hi and find a school you like.
If you’d rather have a specific recommendation, we like Cabarete Surf Company.
On windy days, regular surfing is mostly a morning activity. Once the wind comes up, the conditions become much less suitable for regular surfing.
BREAKFAST & LUNCH
Don’t rush away after surfing. The beach stalls are a major part of Encuentro’s morning atmosphere and serve breakfast, lunch, coffee, smoothies and juices. Buena Onda is one of our favorites, particularly for its breakfast bowl.
WAVE KITING & WINGING
On the right windy day, Encuentro can be amazing for wave kiting and wave winging. This is advanced-rider territory, though. It isn’t an alternative place to take your first kite lesson. If you already know what you’re doing and enjoy riding waves, that’s a different story.
CABARETE BEACH & BAY
About 5 minutes from Kite House by car or moto
THE BEACH
Cabarete Beach is the most developed and tourist-oriented of the three. The center of town runs along the beach, so there are plenty of restaurants and bars within walking distance of each other.
There are also more tourists, more beach vendors and a lot more choice of restaurants — of varying quality.
If you want the raw morning surf atmosphere of Encuentro or the watersports community of Kite Beach, we’d choose one of those. If you want to have lunch on the beach, walk around town, shop, have drinks or choose from lots of restaurants, Cabarete Beach makes more sense.
Like Kite Beach, the amount of sand changes considerably as currents move it around throughout the year.
KITESURFING
Cabarete Bay also has excellent kitesurfing and some nice waves out on the reef, but there’s an important detail if you’re bringing your own gear:
You can’t launch a kite from everywhere along the beach.
The eastern part of the bay sits in a wind shadow. Roughly around Villa Taina is where you can start launching as you move west, with more kite activity toward the western part of the bay.
WING FOILING & WINDSURFING
Wing foiling gives you more options in the eastern part of the bay because launching a wing doesn’t have the same constraints as launching a kite.
For newer wing foilers who would prefer flatter water, we recommend Vela. It’s also the place we recommend for windsurfing and equipment rental.
More experienced riders can head farther out toward the reef, where the waves make the bay much more interesting.
WHERE SHOULD I GO?
LEARNING TO KITE
Kite Beach
LEARNING TO SURF
Playa Encuentro
LEARNING TO WING
Cabarete Bay / Vela
WAVE KITING OR WINGING
Playa Encuentro — advanced riders
QUIET SWIM
Kite Beach in the morning or on low-wind days
BREAKFAST + BEACH VIBE
Playa Encuentro in the morning
RESTAURANTS + DRINKS
Cabarete Beach
EAT & DRINK
Cabarete has everything from simple Dominican beach food to coffee shops and some genuinely excellent restaurants. These are the places we actually recommend.
BREAKFAST & COFFEE
CASUAL LUNCH
DINNER & DRINKS
VAGAMUNDO
OUR FAVORITE
Great coffee, waffles, mangú and smoothie bowls. One of our favorite breakfast spots in Cabarete.
COCOTAZO
Right on Kite Beach. Simple Dominican breakfast, fresh juices and coffee in a relaxed beachfront setting.
GYPSY BOWLS
Healthy breakfast option with smoothie bowls and plenty of vegetarian and vegan choices.
THE HONEY COMPANY
Worth the trip for their Greek yogurt bowls with fruit and local honey. Good coffee too.
BELGIAN BAKERY
A Cabarete classic for fresh bread, pastries and a simple breakfast or coffee.
ENCUENTRO BEACH STALLS
Go early and have breakfast right by the surf. Several small stalls serve fruit bowls, breakfast, coffee, smoothies and fresh juices. Buena Onda is one of our favorites for its breakfast bowl.
COCOTAZO
One of our go-to places for an easy beachfront lunch. Dominican food, cold drinks and a great spot to watch Kite Beach.
GYPSY BOWLS
Bowls and lighter, healthy food with good vegetarian and vegan options.
GORDITOS FRESH MEX
OUR FAVORITE
Simple, quick and consistently good Mexican food. Great when you just want an easy lunch.
MOJITOS
Right on Cabarete Beach with a large menu and daily specials. Easy option for lunch in town.
COCONUTS
Beautiful beachfront location at Encuentro. Great for a long lunch after surfing or when you want somewhere a little more special.
FRESH FRESH CAFÉ
A casual Cabarete favorite for salads, bowls and smoothies. Good when you want something fresh and light.
MESA TAINA
One of our picks for a nicer dinner in Cabarete.
CABARETE BEACH RESTAURANTS
For an easy evening, head to Cabarete Beach and choose one of the restaurants directly on the sand. It’s particularly nice around sunset. Casita de Papi is one of the classic options.
LAX / OJOS
Good choice for groups or when dinner might turn into a night out. Ojos is especially fun when there’s an event or Latin Night.
THE BEACH CLUB
A more upscale option in the Sosúa area for a special dinner by the ocean.
SWAI
A good choice when you want something different from the usual Cabarete beach restaurants.
CEIBA
OUR FAVORITE
Our favorite pizza in Cabarete. They also have a great carpaccio.Â
THINGS TO DO
There’s plenty to do around Cabarete when you’re not on the water. From yoga and horseback riding to waterfalls and day trips, these are some of our favorite ways to spend a day.
YOGA
Cabarete has several good options for yoga, whether you want a morning class or something to do on a no-wind day.
Dharma Shala in Cabarete offers regular classes, while Natura Cabana is another beautiful option a little farther away.
WHERE TO GO
DHARMA SHALA →
NATURA CABANA →
TENNIS & PADEL
If you want to get a game in, there are good options nearby for both tennis and padel.
Sea Horse Ranch is our recommendation for tennis, while Point Racket Club & Academy is a good option for padel.
WHERE TO GO
SEA HORSE RANCH →
POINT RACKET CLUB & ACADEMY →
HORSEBACK RIDING
Horseback riding is a great way to explore the coastline and countryside around Cabarete.
For something casual, you’ll often see local guides walking their horses along the beach. Just talk to them directly if you’d like to arrange a ride.
For a more organized experience, we recommend the Sea Horse Ranch Equestrian Center.
WHERE TO GO
SEA HORSE RANCH EQUESTRIAN CENTER →
27 WATERFALLS OF DAMAJAGUA
A popular day trip from Cabarete where you hike, swim and make your way through a series of natural waterfalls and pools.
The experience depends on water levels, so it is particularly worth doing after there has been enough rain.
GOOD TO KNOW
This is an organized activity with guides and safety equipment. Check current conditions before making the trip.
LEARN MORE →
MONKEY JUNGLE & ZIPLINE
A fun half-day trip combining a monkey sanctuary with ziplining through the countryside.
It’s an easy excursion from Cabarete if you want to do something away from the beach.
WHERE TO GO
MONKEY JUNGLE →
SOSÚA BEACH & SNORKELING
Sosúa Beach is a good option when you want calmer water and a change from Cabarete. The protected bay is generally much less affected by the wind, making it a popular spot for swimming and snorkeling.
There are plenty of simple beachfront restaurants serving seafood and Dominican food, so it’s easy to spend a few hours here and have lunch by the water.
GOOD TO KNOW
We recommend going during the week — weekends can get very busy.
PRACTICAL INFO
GETTING AROUND
Motoconchos (motorcycle taxis) and guaguas (local minibuses) are the cheapest ways to get around Cabarete.
Motoconchos charge per person, usually starting around RD$100, with the price increasing depending on distance. Guaguas along the main road generally start around RD$50 per person.
Regular taxis are also readily available, while renting a scooter or car gives you more flexibility if you plan to explore the area. To rent a scooter, contact Henri at +1 (829) 337 5460.
GROCERIES & BASICS
JANET’S PLUS, across from Vagamundo, is the closest larger supermarket and has a good selection of groceries, household supplies and imported products.
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For an even larger grocery shop, head to Sosúa, where you’ll find SUPER POLA and PLAYERO, both with a wider selection of groceries and household items.
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For something quick, COLMADO SIMON is just to the left when you leave Kite House and has fruit, eggs, drinks and most everyday basics.
ATMS & CASH
DOMINICAN PESOS (DOP) are useful for motoconchos, guaguas, beach stalls and smaller local businesses. Cards are widely accepted at larger businesses and restaurants.
There are several ATMs in central Cabarete. The closest ATM to Kite House is at the entrance to Agualina/Cocotazo, about 100 METERS to the left when you leave Kite House.
For exchanging cash, WALLY EXCHANGE is a convenient option in Cabarete.
PHARMACIES
Pharmacies are easy to find along the main road in Cabarete and Sosúa. WECARE and GBC are two convenient options in the area.
Many common medications are available directly from pharmacies, but bring any prescription medication you specifically rely on.
WI-FI & LOCAL SIM CARDS
Kite House has HIGH-SPEED WI-FI throughout the property, including the rooftop. Backup power keeps the Wi-Fi running during power outages.
Local mobile data is inexpensive. Bring your PASSPORT to purchase a local SIM card at the Altice or Claro shops or inside larger supermarkets. Once you have one, you can recharge your data at the many small lottery shops around town — there is one right next to Colmado Simon.
DRINKING WATER
We recommend drinking bottled or filtered water rather than tap water.
The large refillable water bottles you’ll see everywhere are called BOTELLONES, and we provide them FREE OF CHARGE AT KITE HOUSE.
GETTING HERE
TRAVELING BY BUS
Caribe Tours is an affordable option when traveling from Santiago or Santo Domingo. Take the bus to Sosúa, then take a local taxi from the Sosúa bus station to Kite House for approximately US$15.
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Routes, schedules and prices can change, so check the current information directly with Caribe Tours before traveling. We recommend bringing a sweater on the bus, as the AC can be very cold.Â
LOCAL TAXI CONTACTS
If you prefer to organize your own transfer or need a taxi during your stay, you can contact reliable local drivers directly via WhatsApp. Most drivers prefer WhatsApp messages for bookings.
ALEJANDRO · +1 809 981 9307
RAFA · +1 809 912 5084
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC E-TICKET
Every traveler entering or leaving the Dominican Republic must complete the electronic Entry and Exit form. It is free to complete and generates a QR code that will be scanned at the airport. We recommend completing it at least 72 hours before your flight.
TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION
Private Rental (AirBnB)
PROVINCE
Puerto Plata
MUNICIPALITY
Sosúa
SECTOR
Cabarete
ADDRESS
Kite House, Kite Beach, Cabarete
Note: When filling out the form, please select 'Alojamiento Particular' from the accommodation type options.
POP
Puerto Plata Airport
The closest airport (20-30 mins). Taxi fare is approximately US$35.
STI
Santiago Airport
Alternative for arrivals (1.5 hours). Taxi fare is approximately US$100.
SDQ
Santo Domingo Airport
Main hub (3.5-4 hours). Taxi fare approx. US$200. Bus options via Caribe Tours.
PUJ
Punta Cana Airport
Large hub (5-6 hours). Taxi fare approx. US$400+. Travel via bus possible through SDQ.