In this report, we share our favorite things to do in Cabarete Dominican Republic. This report includes where we stayed, our favorite beach, our favorite restaurants, our favorite grocery stores, and our favorite nightlife spot in Cabarete.
We will show you the video and pictures we took around Cabarete as we share this information with you. But there is no need to take notes. We will provide written notes and Google links to everything we discuss at the end of this video.
Cabarete is one of the best kitesurfing destinations in the world. It is also one of the communities along the northern coast of the Dominican Republic that receives tourists, retirees, and snowbirds from all over the world.
Seven million tourists visited the Dominican Republic in 2019. Three million of them were American. Only five countries in the world receive more Americans: France, Italy, United Kingdom, Canada, and Mexico. In fact, 200,000 Americans live in the Dominican Republic year-round.
Since my hobby is traveling the world finding the best retire cheap in paradise locations, the Dominican Republic was a must-see destination for us. So we visited all of the cities along the north coast where people vacation and retire on a budget.
I will cover the guarded and gated community where we stayed, our favorite beach, our favorite restaurants, our favorite grocery stores, and our favorite nightlife spot in Cabarete, in that order.
How We Transferred to Cabarete
The taxis in the Dominican Republic (DR) are expensive compared to almost all of the other destinations in my 80+ retire cheap in paradise reports. We needed to get from Puerto Plata to our Airbnb.com condo in Cabarete. Luckily they have Uber so we could have ordered an Uber taxi for around $12 to $15 USD. But the Uber service on the north coast of the DR is unlike any place else we have experienced in the world.
As soon as an Uber driver accepts the Uber set rate for the ride, they start texting you and asking for more money. Luckily, we had already met a private driver named Sam the week before. He spoke English and matched Uber’s rates and was always on time. So we just contacted Sam on his WhatsApp number and he delivered us from Puerto Plata to Cabarete. Here is Sam’s WhatsApp number: +1 (829) 444-4440.
Where We Stayed in Cabarete
Below is the Airbnb condo where we stayed. The total for 7 nights with a cleaning fee and Airbnb fee was $286 USD, or $40 USD per night. That is more than we normally like to spend, but I had a friend from high school staying in the same gated complex and we wanted to be near him.
The condo was really nice and has a swimming pool and direct beach access. If you want to see the inside of the condo, you can watch Qiang filming the place here.
Our Favorite Beach in Cabarete
Beach Tour (Google Map):
Just click the Google Map link above or the Google Map itself to get started.
Mojito Bar: Start your walk at the Mojito Bar. This bar is open to the public, so you can walk through it onto the beach. Then just turn left when you get to the water. You can also enter the beach from any of the public restaurants along the way.
Playa Cabarete: Between the Mojito Bar and the Ocean Dream where we stayed is Cabarete Beach.
Ocean Dream: This is the guarded complex where we stayed. If you decide to stay here, you can also access the beach from here.
Kite Beach: This is a great spot to watch kite surfers both new and expert fly their kites in the strong winds and jumping high into the air off the tops of waves. Kite Beach is also one of the best places along the whole stretch of beach to arrange your kite surfing lessons and rentals.
Our Favorite Restaurants in Cabarete Dominican Republic
Here is a Google Map of where we had our favorite meals in Cabarete. The Map is in the order to walk from one to the next, but the list below the map has my favorites on top.
Swai restaurant and bar: If you are jonesing for amazing fresh and healthy food from all over the world, both vegan and non-vegan, you will not beat this place in Cabarete. Entrees ranged from $7 to $11 USD.
Beach Side Italian Restaurant: We had a beautiful Gnocchi and a salad. It is right on the beach. Meals start around $8 USD.
Roma Cucina & Pizzeria Italiana: The pizza here is really nice. It is a high-end place pricing and atmosphere wise. You will pay $10 t0 $15 USD for a nice pizza.
Gorditos Fresh Mex: They had delicious fresh Mexican food here. Meals start around $5 USD. If you need Mexican food, this place will tickle your taste buds.
Vagamundo Coffee & Waffles: Very delicious and interesting food here. This place is full of digital nomads with open computers and great coffee too. Dishes are around $5 to $7 USD.
Mojito Bar: The food here is perfectly acceptable. But the reason you come here is for the Mojitos and the people watching.
Favorite Groceries Stores in Cabarete Dominican Republic
Janet’s Supermarket: This is a more expensive expat-style grocery store with some imported foods from around the world. They have all canned and dry goods plus fruits, vegetables, meats, and personal care products. They have a beer and wine and some alcohol. They also delivered 20-liter water bottles to our condo which was nice because we were walking while in Cabarete.
Rosa’s Super C Market: This was a smaller, more local feeling market with fruits, vegetables, meats, canned goods, etc. They also have beer and wine here. This was cheaper than the above supermarket.
Favorite Nightlife in Cabarete Dominican Republic
The nightlife is pretty chill in Cabarete. There are a bunch of restaurants where you can have a drink on the beach and stayed late in the evening. Just start at Mojito Bar and slowly go left facing the beach until you hear your favorite music and people. At night, around 11PM, we walked home on the street in front of restaurant row instead of walking on the dark beach. Nobody looked at us twice.
Thanks for viewing Our Favorite Things to Do in Cabarete Dominican Republic including Best Beaches, Restaurants, Grocery Stores, Where we stayed, and Nightlife.
Make sure to grab a free copy of my eBook while you are here: How I Fired My Boss and Traveled the World for 14+ Years. This is Dan of Vagabond Awake. The Youtube channel for Vagabond Buddha.com. The world is your home. What time will you be home for dinner?