Santo Domingo

Why choose Santo Domingo?
Santo Domingo is the oldest city in the New World, where the settlement of all the Americas began. See the first cathedral, the first hospital. Wander down cobble stone streets among the Spanish colonial architecture and imagine how things were back in the 1600s.

No other city in the Caribbean has a greater variety of restaurants and night life. There are so many restaurants in this city that it is practically impossible even for those who live here to have visited them all. And it's a city that never sleeps. A great place to meet people. A lot of young single executives who come here to work end up leaving (if they leave) married to a Dominican.

Santo Domingo has great shopping. Major chains from all around the world have opened branches here and more will be opening soon. Discount stores offer great prices on designer brands, the leading shops offer clearance sales several times a year and there are many designer shops for more exclusive wear. 

Santo Domingo is the most bustling and diverse city in the Caribbean. It has a population of over three million inhabitants and sprawls out over 250 square kilometers. 

What else is nearby
Santo Domingo is located on the south coast of the Dominican Republic, about mid way between the western border with Haiti and the eastern coastline. The furthest western border, the north coast and east coast are all four hour drive away. Go east and the first major town you come to is the resort town of Boca Chica. Go west and you will arrive at the Palenque and Nizao beach areas. Go north and you will pass the cities of Bonao and Jarabacoa as you work your way through the highest mountains in the Caribbean.

How to get to Santo Domingo
Las Americas International Airport is located to the east of Santo Domingo, about 30 minutes away from the heart of the city. It receives direct flights from: 
The other option is the Air Santo Domingo connection from San Juan, Puerto Rico that puts you right into town. This way you save the half-hour to 45-minute (depending on the traffic) drive into Santo Domingo. Inexpensive coach bus transport is available from the North.

Getting around
Most tour groups will be bussed into the city in large chartered busses. If you are traveling individually, you will need to take a taxi from the airport to the city which will cost about RD$300. Negotiate this price with the taxi driver prior to leaving for your destination.

Another option is to rent a car. It is pretty straight forward driving into the city - take the Las Americas Expressway westbound until you pass over the Duarte Bridge and continue onto the 27 de Febrero overpass system. 
A cheaper way to get from the airport to the city (if you have little luggage) is to take a taxi or motoconcho (motorcycle taxi) up to the highway about 1/2 mile. From there, you can take a public bus to Santo Domingo. 

Within Santo Domingo there are excellent radio-taxi services. You can call a taxi that for RD$65 (with air-conditioner) will get you to most points. These taxis will usually arrive in around five minutes. Befriend a taxi driver and he can become your tour guide, assisting you with many of your needs. 
Other forms of public transport are the "carros publicos" (multi-fare taxis), the minibuses, the OMSA large grey buses and car rentals. For more information, see our Transport Page

Best ports of entry
Santo Domingo has two international airports. These are the Las Americas International Airport and the Herrera International Airport. The Santo Domingo Port receives many cruise ships throughout the year as well.

Cabarete

The restaurants, bars, surf shops and occasional hotel are located just far enough from the beach to add to the destination, not detract from the enjoyment of the beach. Many feel the attractiveness of Cabarete is in the people, the mingling of tourists who enjoy the intimacy of the smaller non inclusive hotels that encourage their guests to venture out and discover Cabarete. In the evening, the restaurants place their tables on the beach to serve dinner. While most are plastic tables, don't be fooled. The quality of some of the restaurants is first class. The whole evening experience of strolling on the beach under the stars from one place to the other to pick the restaurant for the evening is special. Many tourists even dress up for a fun people-watching evening. See and be seen.

While Cabarete caters to a young sports-minded crowd, it is also perfect for those who just want the leisure of sitting in the shade or taking sun on the beach, and for parents with little children. 

What else is nearby
Cabarete is also a great day trip for those staying in Playa Dorada, Playa Grande or Sosua hotels. Located 14 kilometers to the East of Sosua, Cabarete is about a 40 minute drive from Playa Dorada to the west or from Playa Grande to the east.

Port of Entry/How to get there
You will likely fly into the Gregorio Luperon International Airport of Puerto Plata (POP). If you fly into Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) you will be a 4 hour drive away from Cabarete. There is coach bus service from Santo Domingo to Sosua, from which point you can take a minibus or taxi onward to Cabarete. Minibuses travel to and from Cabarete all day long from Puerto Plata, Playa Dorada or Sosua.

Getting around
You can get around Cabarete by foot. Everything is close by if you are staying in the town. Some resorts are located about a five minute drive from the center of the town and in that case, your hotel will likely provide a shuttle service into town.

Attractions: 

Beach walking
Few people realize that Cabarete beach is one of the longest stretches of uninterrupted sand beach in the DR. The bay of Cabarete is two kilometers long. You can walk west to Sosua until Perla Marina, probably 6 kms. Going east, it is 7 kms to the Yasica River which you can cross walking usually only waist-deep pending on rain in the mountains the night before. Before crossing, you might have lunch in the Dominican bar overlooking the lagoon that serves fresh fish with an incredible view. Then you can walk another 30 kilometers on a totally deserted palm trees lined beach. That's 6+2+ 7 +30= 45 kms. So close to civilization, such a long beach.

Windsurfing
With a wide beach and soft white sand, the coral reef-protected bay has ideal conditions for windsurfing. Windsurfers revel in progressive winds that pick up around noon with waves breaking from three to six feet high and only light currents. 

As a world class windsurfing destination, Cabarete was discovered in December 1984 by Canadian Jean Laporte who spread the word. He set up a windsurfing school and wrote several articles for Voile Libre wind magazine and Hifly Canadian Rep. Claude Marois from Quebec brought the first windsurfing championship to Cabarete -- the Professional Windsurfing Associaton World Cup in 1988. The World Cup event came to Cabarete again in June of 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1997. The big names of professional world class windsurfing have competed here, including Robby Naish, Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Anders Bringdal, Robert Teriitehau and many others. 

While the cost of the World Cup has lately been too high to find sponsors in the DR, the Cabarete windsurf community organizes an annual international amateur event, the Cabarete Race Week, that attracts some of the leading amateur competitors of the world for a week of windsurfing days and partying nights. Competitions are organized in the Open Class, Masters, Grand Masters, Women, Juniors and Sports Class categories. This year the event took place 18-23 June 2001. 

Windsurfers say the best months for the sport are the summer months (June through August) when you can expect good flat water. Trade winds and thermal winds create perfect conditions for world class sailing, with winds averaging 15 to 25 miles per hour (24-40 kph). The best waves occur from January to March. The worst months are May, October and November. But, if you can't make it in the summer don't worry. 
Wind conditions vary all year and it is more than likely there will be many good surfing days regardless of when you travel. 

For those of you bringing your own equipment, there is no duty or deposit required upon entry through the airport. But for those who don't want to bring their gear, quality equipment and instruction are available at the resorts here.

Surfing
Cabarete is a good choice if you want to go surfing. Playa Encuentro, just five minutes from Cabarete, has a reputation among local surfers as the best spot. You can bring your own surf board or rent one in Cabarete. Some businesses will offer lessons and shuttle buses to North Coast surf spots.