Cabarete Bay

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The north coast of the Dominican Republic from space

Cabarete Bay is a bay on the northern coastline of the Dominican Republic. The bay is formed by a barrier coral reef and is a popular destination for surfers and divers, Increased development of the city of Cabarete and deforestation of upland regions has resulted in increased urban and sediment runoff into the bay and impacted the health of the coral reefs. Overfishing of the coral reefs during the 1980s has also contributed to a decline in ecosystem function. Paradoxically, tourism in the Dominican Republic has helped alleviate one aspect of stress on the reefs. Many fishermen now work in tourist hotels for higher pay, decreasing fishing pressure on the coral reefs.

Cabarete is also a small, laid-back Caribbean beach village located only 20 minutes away from the Puerto Plata International Airport on the northern shore of the Dominican Republic. It's a perfect tropical vacation spot, especially for the young traveler seeking fun, new friends and sporting adventures. With its charming, hip ambience and a combination of relaxed and adventurous lifestyles, most visitors can barely resist the spontaneous temptation of extending their stay and just hang around the place for another while.

The village of Cabarete is spread out across the center of a gorgeous, semi-circular beach of golden, sun-soaked, sand. Just behind, limiting its size lies a tranquil lagoon, backed up by richly verdant hills overflowing with luxurious tropical vegetation.

The perfect blend of the surrounding physical elements of nature such as the location of the offshore reef at the entrance of the bay, the direction from which the trade winds usually blow, and the low-lying hills behind the village, which cause a unique thermal effect, form a beautiful layout. They create an unusual synthesis of outstanding wind and wave conditions. These make Cabarete's bay an exceptional location not only for water-sports such as kite-boarding and windsurfing, but for regular surfing at El Encuentro beach as well.

Cabarete is also the perfect place to just lay back to work on that perfect tan. It's the best thing to do when you're not out gliding over warm Caribbean waters, or participating in some other fun adventure sport such as mountain-biking, scuba-diving, wakeboarding, cave exploring or canyoning. Cabarete's nightlife (restaurants, bars, discos and casino) is legendary. There are a number of small hotels such like the Casa Blanca and Alegria that cater to travelers who like to avoid the all-inclusives.

The area is very popular for kitesurfing and windsurfing, with trade winds providing strong, consistent wind. The best months for strong winds are June, July and August when wind speeds average 13-22 knots onshore^[1].