Cabarete, Dominican Republic: Riding High on Wind and Wave
By Hal Pet
Cabarete hardly misses
a beat, even in a pouring tropical deluge. Arrive by taxi along
the main coastal route from Puerto Plata on a mid-summer day,
and the route into this ever-lively resort town swiftly becomes
crammed with traffic—cars, taxis, the local guaguas (mini-vans
that make frequent stops), and of course the Dominican favorite,
the motorbike. Creating a non-stop congestion as they enter
the center of town, all ply their way at maximum speed through
the rain along the two-lane road overburdened with the rush
to development on this stretch of the Dominican Republic’s
northern coastline. Still, the spirit that keeps Cabarete pulsing
and thriving remains on display along the rain-clogged main
artery: surfers dodge past front fenders on their way from
boardshop rentals back to the beach, an open air vendor optimistically
keeps his place next to his stand selling sunglasses, blond
teenagers negotiate earnestly with the owners of motoconchos,
a hair-raising means of commercial motorcycle transport.
Cradle, playground,
and competitive arena to extreme water sport.
A town whose boom has been fueled by air and water, Cabarete
remains largely defined by its still-expanding ocean front
life. Nothing much interrupts that devotion to the waves here:
so even in a passing storm, water sport enthusiasts of every
stripe hang out by the bars, sports shops and coffee bars lining
the sands, waiting for the sun to break through pearl grey
storm clouds before relaunching themselves onto the ocean.
Wake up to a flawless day that follows such weather, and though
you may expect to see it, you are still transfixed by the profusion
of color and motion across and above Cabarete’s shoreline:
the waters from the eastern side of the bay’s curve to
its midpoint are dominated by the fast-skimming sails of windsurfers.
Overhead, and stretching toward and beyond the western curve,
the sky is filled with the curved wing-like form of huge kites,
as kiteboarders race across the bay navigating their airborne
power source.
Originally discovered
in the mid-Eighties as a location for windsurfing thanks to
its near-perfect offshore conditions,
Cabarete began to attract an even wider mix of extreme sports
lover with the advent of kiteboarding (or kitesurfing) as the
new millennium arrived. A hybrid born of harnessing surfboard
and kite, kiteboarding in the few years since has rapidly evolved
both technically and athletically into its own distinct sport.
At the same time, other adventure opportunities abound locally,
both aquatic and land-based, ranging from more venerable surfing
to kayaking, scuba, and inland excursions into the mountains
and forests of lush Hispaniola. Still, the growth activity
among travelers to this area of the island continues to be
kiteboarding, stimulated by a combination of annual world-class
events, the solid following among experienced and pro kiteboarders,
and the growing number of schools and facilities—all
of which in turn bring the novice kiteboarders in droves.
Getting launched: rapid and easy witt expert instruction
So what might a newcomer
to this extreme sport expect from a first-time learning experience
at Cabarete? One simple overview
comes from Jörg Berres, head instructor of the No Work
Team kiteboarding school based at Happy Surfpool Windsurfing
Center. Happy Surfpool, by the way, is one of the oldest local
operators of its kind, having grown from a windsurf school
into its present wider range of operations. Its success also
inspired the construction of the adjacent Villa Taina, a small
well-appointed hotel totally geared to the high-tech and wind
sport needs of its globalized clientele. Nowadays, the surf
station remains busy year-round with guests, students, and
visiting windsurf and kitesurf experts who all rely on the
state-of-the-art gear or instruction here. Austrian-born Jörg
points westward, indicating a preferred stretch of beach: “We
use Bozo Beach, which is just beside the school and a little
bit downwind. Then in winter when the waves are too big, we
go a little bit further down the curve where there’s
a nice spot with less waves and good winds.” Kiteboarding
needs to be taken in easy but careful steps, as Jörg elaborates: “What
we do the first day, is just to learn to get control over the
kite. We start with very small trainer kites of just about
two meters, first on the beach to learn control, and then we
continue with tube kites—small ones still. This is still
the first stages—learning control of the kite on the
beach. The next step is the second day, when we go into the
water just with the kite, to learn the pull of the kite.”
Progress continues swiftly
so that by the third day most aspiring boarders are actually
ready to launch into their first solo
offshore run, albeit still under careful supervision. “They
have to stay under the eye of the school until they’re
able to go out with the board and come back to the same place,” Jörg
emphasizes. “Until they’re able to do this, they
should take lessons or have an assistant from a kite school
who is watching, helping them with going out and returning,
and just helping them practice. Once they’re able to
go out alone, then they’ve learned everything with the
school that they need to know about safety.” Watch the
speed with which kiteboards zip along the waves as you walk
along the shore, and you might think it needs considerably
more practice, but this is quickly achieved. “They’re
starting to do that right on the second day,” Jörg
points out. “They have to get used to the power in the
kite--and they do get really powered in the kite, but in the
water it’s really safe and fun. Here in Cabarete, we
have perfect conditions because the wind is right onshore,
which means it’s quite easy to go out, and it’s
also very easy to come back!” he summarizes.
In fact, the town is
ranked as one of the world’s top
five kiteboarding and windsurfing destinations, a statistic
also reflected in the presence of annual international events
in both sports right here along Cabarete shores. As an established
hub for windsurfing, the coast waters become the arena for
international competition each June with the staging of the
World Cup Windsurfing Competition. Around the same time, seasoned
kiteboarding pros descend on the town from all points global
for the Kiteboarding World Cup at Kite Bay, just west beyond
the curve of Bozo Beach. Windsurfers favor the eastern sections
of the shores off Cabarete: a busy summer day hereabouts will
see windsurf boards of every brand and enthusiasts of every
level and nationality out on the sand—learning, getting
their gear ready, and getting out onto the waves as quickly
as possible. Morning hours are easiest on beginners, but most
can soon take on the rest of the day’s breezier weather
once they have gone through some instruction with one of the
several windsurf instruction centers. What are the main points
that are difficult to master for the novice? “The balance
on the board,” answers instructor Judy Dreier, of the
popular Bic Windsport Center, located front and center on the
windsurfing side of the beach. “But it’s only like
during the first 15 minutes that they’re climbing up
and falling down!” she is quick to add. “Then you
get used to it, and you’re not thinking about the waves.
Instead you start thinking no, I can stay up with that sail,
and I’ll catch the wind.” Schools like Bic Windsport
not only have their own shop, restaurant area and rentals,
but are sophisticated in their instructional methods: Judy,
for instance, uses a simulator on the sands that gets newcomers
at least acquainted with the range of aquatic motion without
tipping while starting to work on their balance. The process
is not lengthy: “Normally it’s four or five hours
with me, and then they can really go out and enjoy the best
places around here,” she notes. “Usually when you
begin, you’re going along with the water’s current,
and then you have to come back. So that takes around four hours
to learn.”
Other adventure and blissful
relaxation
Finally,
for the slightly more traditional minded, just a five minute
drive outside of town lies legendary Playa Encuentro,
a beach known throughout surfing circles for its own outstanding
conditions. Boards and lessons are available through a variety
of companies in Cabarete, with each providing the board, instruction
and transportation as needed to and from the town center. Additional
surfing spots to look into—provided you have the experience
(no lifeguards present)--are Playa Grande and Playa Preciosa
just east of Rio San Juan and Playa Boba north of Nagua. Having
attracted legions of extreme water sport followers from across
the globe, Cabarete has also seen the expansion of its eco-adventure
side move along with equal speed. Nowadays, outdoor enthusiasts
arrive to also sample the range of activities that include
mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, and horseback riding.
With an extensive amount of national park land, there is much
to explore and try out in the nearby lush Dominican interior;
among the most popular destinations is Pico Duarte, the highest
mountain elevation in all the Caribbean at some 10,128 feet
above sea level, and a challenge requiring stamina and strength.
However, outings from soft to extreme are all available from
experienced and versatile operators such as Iguana Mama Tours,
the long-time leader in providing just about any type of land-based
adventure anyone might want to sample. Having a knowledgeable
outfitter such as Iguana Mama take care of all the details,
from permits to guides, food, supplies and equipment, allows
the traveler to focus entirely on the vivid, exhilarating experience
of the trek, bike, ride, or occasional plunge into pools and
streams enroute.
Still a fairly compact
small town, Cabarete’s finest
feature remains her still pristine if often busy miles of strand,
idyllic water and wind conditions, and the resident professionals
who work to make it all come alive successfully for arriving
travelers of all kinds throughout the year. While it can certainly
be useful to check in advance on every aspect of a visit here—from
accommodation to lessons, facilities to events—this Dominican
north coast resort seems destined to continue as a dynamic
and growing presence with much to always offer the wide range
of water sport lovers drawn by the promise of fine conditions
and after-hours fun experience.
Arriving:
By air – flights
arrive into Puerto Plata’s international
airport from across Europe, North America and other Caribbean
points. The airport is just a 30 minute ride by taxi or car
from central Cabarete further to the east. Other transport
- Dominican coach lines Metro and Caribe Tours offer dependable
daily scheduled service from Santo Domingo.
Where to stay:
Villa
Taina – chic, efficient, wired, 57 stylish rooms
and studios with terraces, the place to relax with access to
some of the best wind sport instruction, all while being central
in Cabarete. www.villataina.com; Tel: (809) 571-0722
Schools
Happy Surfpool – Windsurfing,
kiteboarding, kayaking. Tel: 1-809-571-0784; www.happycabarete.com
Carib Bic Center – Windsurfing instruction, equipment.
Tel: (809) 571-0640; www.caribwind.com
Eco-adventure:
Iguana Mama – Tours inland by mountain bike, treks, horseback
riding, canyoning and cascading; Tel: (809) 571-0908; toll-free
in the U.S. at 1-800 849-4720; www.iguanamama.com;
More media:
Several websites provide
news, links and information on Cabarete, the local water sport
scene, or accommodation – check
out any of these: activecabarete.com; carbaretekiteboarding.com;
Hispaniola.com.
