República Dominicana
19 degrees 44'59.07 N & 70 degrees 24'40.90 WCabarete its located on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. Have a look for yourself by typing the coordinates above in to Google Earth! Cabarete twenty years ago was a very small, sleepy village on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. Then it was discovered by windsurfers. A beautiful bay with predictable winds made it a spot to head for. Shortly after that kitesurfing began to get popular on this stretch of beach. According to an article on Wikipedia kitesurfing requires... “...any locale with consistent, steady side-onshore winds (10 to 35+ knots), large open bodies of water and good launch areas are suitable for kitesurfing. Most kitesurfing takes place along ocean shores, usually off beaches, but it can also be practised on large lakes and inlets and occasionally on rivers. Since kiteboarding relies heavily on favourable, consistent wind conditions, specific geographic locations tend to become popular and sought out by experienced kiteboarders. The Outer Banks of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina has some of the most consistent and steady wind for kiteboarding. This is a very popular spot for beginners to come and learn the sport of kiteboarding. Because of its excellent and consistent wind conditions, Cabarete Bay in the Dominican Republic has been a popular site for World Championships, including the PKRA (Professional Kiteboard Riders Association) 2008 World Tour.”  One (or two) of the many attractions at the 2007 World Cup in Cabarete  With increasing numbers of tourist coming for the wind, the town began to awake. Bars were built, guest houses came and went, Presidente Beer got cold & sold. Soon the town had lots of laid back bars, cool restaurants and a permanent population of beach guys & girls.As the infrastructure improved, other tourists, more 'mainstream' than the early folk, began to flock to Cabarete. All inclusive hotels began to open. As the Canadians and Europeans decided this was a nice place to come in the winter, condominiums began to pop up. The Canadians in particular began to come to escape the whole of the winter. The 'snow-birds' were flocking in to town. The last few years have been a boom town, with hundreds of condominiums being built. Now, by late 2008, you can expect to pay around US$1,500,000 for a four bedroom, beach front apartment.  Beach front... not cheap You will be working hard to find even a one bedroom studio for less than US$70,000. Hotels closed and more condominiums were built. A different type of tourist started to come here, looking to rent an apartment and have freedom to eat when and where they wanted, or to stay for a longer period, such as the whole winter. As the rough edges were smoothed off the town, even the kitesurfers who visit at peak times look like they are a little wealthier than those trail blazers who went before. Now catering for a wider audience includes entertainment like the annual Jazz Festival... The town is definitely changing. It has gone 'up market' and while that will appeal to many, it will perhaps result in a loss of character for others. As the quality of apartments increases, so does the cost of renting one. Perhaps we will see the kitesurfers being pushed further out of town as rich retirees from the US & Canada take over the town centre, mixing with 'middle-class' families on their vacation? Now is a great time to visit, as the different types of tourists can still all mix eclectically. In a few years time, it may have changed both for the better... and for the worse. Main Menu Page |
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