Where to stay in Cabarete – Sleep in town, surf at first light
Surf camps, guesthouses and apartments along one bay. Where you sleep decides whether dinner is a stroll on the sand or a motorbike ride in the dark.
The best areas to stay in Cabarete, and why
Close to the waves, far from everything else
Ten minutes from the surf, and that is all there is: no restaurants, no shops of any kind. Every dinner, cash run and bottle of water means the back of a motoconcho on the coast road, usually after dark.
Wind sports
Step from your room to the launch. Busiest in summer.
Surfers and first-timers
Everything on foot: beach restaurants, bars, the supermarket and the bank. Choose a quiet street a block back from the sand, with an early lift to Encuentro.
Families, a bigger choice
A sheltered bay and more hotels, fifteen minutes west. You will drive to surf.
Not built for a surf trip
Wristbands, buffets and a gate between you and the coast. No early transport to the waves, no boards, and you never eat where the town eats. Fine for a pool week; wrong for this one.
Getting away
An hour east: long beaches, a few hotels, the best waves on a big winter swell.
Cabarete on one page: where to eat, shop and sleep
Everything a surf week needs sits along one road and one beach. Swell is in the middle of it; the waves at Encuentro are ten minutes west.
Schematic map, not to scale. Tap a number for directions.Swipe the map ↔
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1
Swell Surf Camp Surf camp for every level: early van to Encuentro, a quiet street, the beach bars on foot.
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2
Mojito Bar Juices, salads and sandwiches; one of the few affordable beachfront spots.
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3
Gordito’s Fresh Mex Burritos and bowls, quick and cheap.
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4
Pomodoro Crisp-crust pizza and gelato on the beach.
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5
La Casita de Papi Garlic shrimp, paella and grilled fish with your feet in the sand.
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6
La Parrilla de Luis Barbecue chicken and yuca on plastic chairs.
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7
Otra Cosa French-Caribbean at the east end of the bay; sea breeze at dusk.
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8
Fresh Fresh Café Grain bowls and smoothies with organic produce.
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9
Cabarete Coffee Company All-day breakfast, paninis and smoothies.
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10
Belgium Bakery Bread, croissants, omelettes and coffee.
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11
Surf and kite shops Wax, leashes, rash vests and ding repair.
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12
Supermarket Groceries, big bottles of water, sunscreen.
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13
Pharmacy Reef cuts, after-sun and the basics.
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14
Banks and ATMs Use the machines inside the banks, in daylight.
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15
Kite Beach Kite and wing schools from midday; a surf break on a winter swell.
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16
Bozo Beach The kite launch closest to town.
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17
Cabarete town beach Beach restaurants, sunset and the evening crowd.
Where we would send a surfer of any level
From a first lesson to a week chasing the outside peaks, the set-up we keep coming back to is Swell Surf Camp in the middle of Cabarete. The van leaves for Encuentro at first light, so you are in the water before the wind and back for breakfast. In the evening the beach restaurants and bars are a short walk away, yet the camp sits on a quiet street, and with everyone surfing the same mornings it is easy to arrive alone and leave with a crew.
Not a camp person? Book anywhere in town that ticks the same three boxes: a lift to Encuentro before the wind, dinner within walking distance, and a quiet street to sleep on.
“Sleep where you can walk to dinner. Let someone else drive you to the waves.”
Guide rule no. 1
Cabarete hotels and guesthouses we have checked
Swell Surf CampSurf camp for every level · early van to Encuentro · beach bars on foot · from [PRICE]Town centre · quiet street · social02
[GUESTHOUSE NAME]Independent guesthouse a block back from the beach · town centre · from [PRICE]Town centre03
[APARTMENT NAME]Beachfront apartments by the week · town centre · from [PRICE]Town centre04
[HOTEL NAME]Small hotel on the bay · Sosúa · from [PRICE]Sosúa05
[HOTEL NAME]Beach hotel for the east · Playa Grande · from [PRICE]Río San Juan and Playa Grande
Where to stay: questions we get asked
What is the best area to stay in Cabarete?
For most visitors, the town centre: restaurants, bars, the supermarket and the bank are all on foot, and the surf camps run an early lift to Encuentro. Kiters do well at Kite Beach, and families with a car like Sosúa, fifteen minutes west.
Should I stay at Playa Encuentro?
Only if the waves are all you need. Encuentro has the surf schools and nothing else: no restaurants and no shops, so every meal and errand means a motoconcho on the coast road, often at night. Staying in town with transport to the waves gives you both.
Is an all-inclusive resort a good idea for a surf trip?
Rarely. Resorts sit behind a gate, away from the breaks, with no early transport to Encuentro and no boards. You pay for meals you miss because you are in the water, and you never see the beach restaurants that make the town.
Where should surfers stay in Cabarete?
In town, with transport to the waves. A surf camp such as Swell, in the centre of Cabarete, drives guests to Encuentro at first light and back for breakfast, and the beach bars are a short walk away in the evening.
Is a surf camp good for solo travellers?
It is the easiest way to arrive alone and have a crew by day two: shared sessions, shared meals and the same van every morning. Choose one on a quiet street rather than above a bar if you want to sleep.
Where should I stay for kitesurfing?
At Kite Beach, where you step from your room to the launch. It is busiest in summer, the windiest season.
Is Sosúa a good base for a Cabarete trip?
For families, yes: a sheltered bay and a bigger choice of hotels, fifteen minutes west of Cabarete. You will drive to surf.