Cabarete is much more than a beach town. Here is the insider's guide to 15 activities — from bachata lessons and river tubing to colmado nights and authentic Dominican food — that make Cabarete one of the most surprising destinations in the Caribbean.
Cabarete has a reputation as a kitesurfing capital, and that reputation is well-earned. But if you reduce this town to wind sports and beach bars, you miss most of what makes it exceptional. Cabarete is a place where a Dominican neighborhood coexists with an international traveler scene — and that combination produces something that no other Caribbean town quite replicates. Here are the 15 best things to do here, in order of how transformative they tend to be for first-time visitors.
Nothing changes your experience of Cabarete as quickly or as completely as learning to dance bachata with someone who grew up doing it. Fraimy Pérez has been teaching visitors from over 20 countries for more than five years, and the consistency of his Google reviews (5.0 stars) tells you something: this isn't a tourist attraction. It's a real skill transfer that happens in one hour.
Book via WhatsApp, set a time, show up. No prepayment, no rigid cancellation policy, no group of 15 strangers watching you stumble. Just one hour of focused, patient, genuinely fun instruction in the dance that Cabarete was built on. After a lesson in the afternoon, going out at night becomes an entirely different experience — you're not watching anymore, you're participating. Private lessons from 2,000 DOP/hr.
The Río Yásica flows through the hills just south of Cabarete and empties into the ocean at a lagoon between Cabarete and Sosúa. River tubing — floating down the river on an inflated inner tube — takes two to three hours and passes through lush tropical vegetation, natural canyon walls, and sections of light rapids that provide genuine excitement. It's genuinely beautiful country, very different from the beachfront scene, and a reminder that the Dominican Republic is much more than sand and ocean.
Even if you have no interest in kitesurfing yourself, watching the professionals at Kite Beach is worth an afternoon. The north coast trade winds are some of the most consistent in the world, and Kite Beach — a quieter stretch of sand west of the main Cabarete beach — draws world-class athletes who make the sport look like something from a different dimension. The beach itself is beautiful and much less crowded than the main strip.
Cabarete's main strip runs parallel to the beach and is lined with restaurants representing a genuinely international food scene: fresh seafood, Italian pasta, Lebanese kebabs, Japanese fusion, and (most importantly) proper Dominican food at prices that are a fraction of what you'd pay at a resort. Eat breakfast at a local juice stand — tropical fruit blended fresh while you wait. Eat lunch at a comedor behind the main strip where the daily special costs less than a coffee in Miami and tastes significantly better.
Ojos Locos is the social heart of Cabarete's nightlife. An open-air bar right on the beach, it gets going on Tuesday and Thursday evenings with a DJ playing Dominican bachata, salsa, and merengue. The dance floor fills with a genuinely mixed crowd — locals, expats, and travelers from around the world. Go after a bachata lesson and you'll understand the point of the whole thing.
Several operators near Cabarete offer horseback riding along the beach or through the countryside behind the town. The beach rides go at sunset, which makes them memorable for obvious reasons. The countryside rides take you through small Dominican villages and farm land — a completely different landscape from the coast. Both are accessible for beginners.
This one requires a local guide, but it's worth it. On Saturday evenings, Dominican neighborhoods come alive around the colmado — the corner store that doubles as a community gathering place. Plastic chairs appear on the sidewalk, cold Presidente flows, merengue or bachata plays at conversation-drowning volume, and domino games appear on every flat surface. It's the most authentic social experience available in Cabarete, and it's free.
Sancocho is the Dominican national dish — a seven-meat stew with root vegetables (yuca, ñame, plátano, auyama) that takes hours to prepare over a wood fire and is traditionally made for large gatherings. The version you'll find at a local family's home or a neighborhood restaurant is incomparably better than anything served at a resort buffet. Ask your instructor or a local contact to point you toward where it's made right.
Puerto Plata, 30 minutes west, offers a complete change of scene. The Teleferico cable car takes you from sea level to 793 meters at the top of Pico Isabel de Torres, where a botanical garden and a replica of Christ the Redeemer await. At sea level, the Victorian-era city center has pastel-colored gingerbread houses, the 16th-century Fortaleza San Felipe, and an amber museum with prehistoric insects preserved in Dominican amber. A comfortable day trip from Cabarete.
Bachata gets most of the attention, but merengue is the national dance of the Dominican Republic — faster, more percussive, and deliriously fun once you have the basic step. Fraimy teaches merengue and salsa in addition to bachata, often weaving them into a session to give students a fuller picture of Dominican dance culture. A class that includes all three gives you the vocabulary to participate in almost any Dominican social setting.
Sosúa, ten minutes east of Cabarete, has a sheltered bay with a coral reef that's accessible to snorkelers and beginner divers. The water clarity is excellent, the marine life is diverse, and several dive operators in town offer guided snorkel tours and PADI certification courses. It's a clean, affordable alternative to the coral crowding issues that affect more touristed Caribbean snorkeling spots.
Cabarete has a small but genuine wellness community. Several studios offer morning yoga on or near the beach — a useful counterbalance to the late-night dancing. The combination of early morning yoga, afternoon bachata lesson, and evening colmado or nightclub is a daily structure that many visitors find surprisingly satisfying.
A comedor is a small, family-run lunch counter serving the daily special: rice, beans, meat (pollo, res, or cerdo), salad, and juice, all plated and on your table in under five minutes for roughly 200-350 DOP. It's the fastest, cheapest, and most delicious way to eat in Cabarete. The trick is finding one — they're usually a block or two off the main tourist strip, and a local guide will happily point you to the best one in the neighborhood.
Arena Sol on Saturday night is the biggest, most energetic event in Cabarete's weekly calendar. The venue is larger than the beach bars, the sound system is excellent, and the dance floor is full by 10:30 pm. It draws a mix of Dominicans from Cabarete and surrounding towns, plus travelers who have heard about it. Go after at least one lesson and you'll have the time of your life. Go without any dance background and you'll have a great time watching.
Dominoes is the national pastime of the Dominican Republic, played with a speed and seriousness that suggests it's both recreational and professional simultaneously. The sound of tiles slapping the table and the laughter of a good game are among the most characteristic sounds of Dominican community life. Joining a game requires no Spanish — the rules are universal — and earns you an immediate look of respect from the players. Ask your instructor to facilitate an introduction.
Cabarete activities are available year-round, but December through April offers the most reliable weather for outdoor activities. The water is calm, the sun is warm, and the wind is consistent for water sports. May through November is more humid with occasional rain, but the tourist crowds thin significantly and prices drop. For the most authentic Dominican experience — with locals fully present and the colmado scene at its liveliest — August (school holidays) and the Christmas-New Year period are unbeatable.
Book your bachata lesson via WhatsAppPrivate bachata lessons with Fraimy Pérez. No prepayment. Available every day. Any level welcome.