BOARDING SCHOOL
The Dominican Republic has an enviable collection of sweeping palm-fringed beaches that demand studious contemplation of every bone-white grain from the comfort of a water's-edge chaise. But if you seek a bit of buzz with your beach time, you'll love Cabarete, where sun and sea are served with a heaping side of high-energy water sports and rugged adventure. Set against a backdrop of emerald hills, the bohemian north-coast enclave attracts an international contingent of footloose beach athletes to a golden-sand playa that unfurls for three unbroken miles, blessed with some of the world's best conditions for kiteboarding, surfing and windsurfing.
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GET BUSY
Wiry kiteboarders and windsurfers pit their skills against the bay's year-round eastern trade winds at the breeze-blown Bozo Beach and the aptly named Kite Beach; dreadlocked surfers ride the waves at Encuentro; and neophytes master the basics with morning lessons at one of the dozen schools in the area.
But the cosmopolitan oasis offers plenty of active pursuits that don't involve boards. Fuel up with the $3 Dominican breakfast at local hangout Dick Café House, then mountain-bike along the numerous mule trails that crisscross the hilly interior or brave a breathtaking, almost vertical teleferico (cable car) ride to the 2,500-foot-high summit of Mount Isabel de Torres. Fearless travelers can join outfitter Iguana Mama for a white-knuckle adventure traversing rivers and scaling waterfalls on an excursion to Rio Damajagua. It's certainly not for the acrophobic, but expert guides lead the way, and the buffet feast at the end of the trip is a welcome reward.
TAKE IT EASY
Cabarete's half-mile-long Calle Principale is lined with a profusion of small and comfortable hotels, such as Velero Beach Resort, where suites with kitchenettes and spacious living areas face the bay. Tucked in between the hotels are a variety of handicraft and souvenir stores, and worthy mementos can be found at Fred, a tiny boutique with an eclectic assortment of jewelry made from conch shell, turquoise, locally harvested amber and the indigenous aquamarine stone larimar.
DINNER & DANCING
The town's large expat community migrated with its cuisine in tow, and visitors can enjoy a global array of flavors steps from – and directly on – the sand. Try Indian specialties at La Boca, North African favorites at Miró and shrimp at Papi's, which at more than 20 years of age, is the oldest restaurant on the beach. The curiously named 7:36 p.m. restaurant in the nearby Pro Cab neighborhood opens only on Thursday evenings, and the intimate eatery in the candlelit garden of a vine-covered private home has a uniquely romantic and relaxed ambience.
If daytime activities don't deplete your energy reserves, Cabarete's happening night life just might. Its epicenter is an atmospheric strip of hip beachfront bars and restaurants lit by the glow of flaming tiki torches and colorful lanterns strung between coconut palms. Much like the town itself, stalwarts such as Lax, Casanova, Bambu and Blu have a casual and worldly ambience that owes as much to the multinational clientele as to the waitstaff, many of whom are smitten adventurers who decided to stay. On any given night, barefoot revelers in the unofficial Cabarete uniform of tank tops and drawstring pants, or bikini tops and flowing skirts, drink and dance till the wee hours with the carefree abandon of those blissfully unfettered by a 9-to-5. It's a chilled-out beachfront bacchanal, and if only for a brief moment, you're right in the thick of it.
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GO THERE
Puerto Plata International Airport is 25 minutes' drive from Cabarete and is served from North America by Air Canada, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, JetBlue and WestJet.
STAY THERE
Velero Beach Resort - Rooms at this 22-suite beachfront condo resort start at $83 in low season ($122 high). 809-571-9727; velerobeach.com
MORE INFO
888-374-6361; godominicanrepublic.com; activecabarete.com
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