Why did I choose Cabarete for retirement?

 AboutAnything  | Greg McComb

  My first trip to Cabarete was about ten years ago, the standard two-week vacation to a Caribbean island for a Canadian seeking heat during a long-cold winter. My family members had urged us to come for years, so my wife and I finally relented. 

  My first impression was not good. It seems the town hadn't gotten around to building sidewalks; most are cracked or unfinished; motorcycles speed around the main drag, some doing wheelies as the police look on nonchalantly. Locals are quite loud and can be aggressive in selling you stuff (necklaces and bracelets) on the beach.

  I visited for another year with my family, did Cuba a couple of years, then I came back. And haven't gone anywhere since.

  So, what changed my mind about Cabarete, a beach-town on the north coast of the Dominican Republic? 

Many things, here's a list:

The beaches...lots of them - My favorite is Cabarete's beach, not because it's a kite boarding mecca, but because it's so long: it takes me 40 minutes to walk the length of the beach, plenty of great cardio for these aging bones. I read a recent study that concluded you can cut your death rate in half by walking at least 7,000 steps a day. At this rate, I will live to 103. 

Within spitting distance of Cabarete are plenty of other beaches on the north coast, each with its own unique character.

The picture to the left is of Encuentro beach, a ten-minute car ride from my place. With its special coral reefs, it produces a steady stream of decent-sized, curling waves for surfers. 

  At beach-side, there are plenty of outfits renting surf boards, boots and neoprene tops. All have experienced surfers who provide instruction to beginners. I tried surfing a few years ago with Chino Surf School, and I could pop-up (stand-up) on small waves, quite a feat for a senior citizen. 

   Another great beach is within a 20-minute car ride, in Sosua. It's a sheltered cove so it's calm and clear, perfect for swimming. In the distance, the mountain Isabel de Torres towers above the skyline; a great view. 

   Sosua Beach has a row of dive shops on the street walk-up to the beach. All are extremely competent and  

 provide boats and gear (BCDs, tanks, masks and wetsuits) for dives into Sosua Bay, which has plentiful coral reefs, the type that provide a biodiverse habitat for reef fish.  I got my training for an advanced PADI certificate a few years ago with Aqua Adventures (that's me to the left), and I recommend that shop. 

    My favorite shallow dive is "Three Rocks."  Over the years on that dive, I have viewed lots of exotic fish and sea animals: lion fish, octopus, sea horses, sea turtles and, on a good day, a manta ray. I have also done deep dives (100 feet) to a submerged ship, the Zingara, and Aqua Adventures did a fantastic job of leading that technical dive.  

Weather is nearly perfect - I use the word nearly for a reason; it's hot here, reaching highs of 30–32 C degrees all year round. The trick for us northerners is to manage our days. Early in the mornings until about noon, the weather is spectacular, in the mid-70's F for my beach walks. The afternoon is different; the sun can get really hot and I usually take cover somewhere with air conditioning or cool off in a pool. Siesta time. 

    The perfect part of the day starts in the evening, around 5 or 6 p.m., when the sun tickles the horizon, and the temperature quickly drops to the mid-70's. At this time of day, the ocean breeze has a cooling effect, especially while sipping on a mojito under a grass hut and watching the sunset or listening to a band at my favorite beachside restaurant/bar, Voy Voy. 

 Cabarete has a cool, Bohemian vibe - I don't like tourist bubbles; those all-inclusive, cookie-cutter holidays in the Caribbean advertised by travel agents. Blehck! Cabarete is not that. There are a lot of interesting people from around the world hanging out, wandering around town at the numerous pubs and restaurants, and on the beach. Everyone has a story to tell. I've met

Norwegians, Swiss, Australians, Brits, Americans, Haitians and plenty of Germans. Many are world-class athletes: kiteboarders, surfers, or sailboarders. People also dress outrageously, some with long-pony tails, buns or exotic beards, and there a few 'wild childs' roaming the beach, a little like the 60's and 70's when I was a teen. 

   Dominicans mix-in with the tourist population, and they are the secret ingredient to Cabarete.  The locals are a very expressive and vibrant people; they love to sing, dance and play loud music such as Bachata or Salsa, anywhere and everywhere. One of the hotspots on the beach is the Lax Ojo bar. On any given night, you will see a  dance floor packed with people, gyrating and moving in ways we northerners don't understand. Luckily, the upstairs hosts a great dance school where you can learn what's going on. 

 The surroundings, like the people, exude a Bohemian

vibe: everywhere art is painted on floors, walls and streets  and there are only a few square-cement hotels, plenty of floppy grass-huts, and boutique 'hotels' with eclectic architecture. Many are old-Spanish-built mansions that have been brought back to life by a growing ex-pat population. 

Cabarete is super safe - I have been coming here for years, and I feel really safe walking the streets, even late at night. Guns are non-existent, except those held by security guards who never use them. And no gang activity. I often joke that if I were to pass out on the main street after drinking one too many cervezas, a motorcycle taxi (motoconcho) driver would recognize me, throw me on the back of his bike, and drive me back to my casa (house). 

   It took me a few years to figure out why Cabarete is

safe. While living in a Dominican barrio (neighborhood) a few years back, I
noticed that families are large and closely-knit; there are no helicopter parents; kids play baseball  or leap frog on the street until late at night. In the evening, Dominicans pull up  chairs to the street and wander about, talking to neighbors, sometimes cranking up Bachata music and dancing. So, for a poor country, people are surprisingly happy and content. No need to form a gang and rob people or sell drugs;  that doesn't cut it here.  

Places to eat... -  There are plenty of excellent restaurants in Cabarate. My  favorite is la Bistro, run by an ex-pat from France. It's located up a cute alley part way up the beach. I would recommend their beef bourguignon; my friend recommends the tuna. For a restaurant with a decent wine list, it is surprisingly cheap: a dinner date with wine and dessert costs around $50 U.S. all-in, about half the cost in Canada. 

   Another good dinner date is the Sunset Grill at Valero, a shoreside restaurant on the edge of a small cliff. As the name suggests, its location provides spectacular

views of sunsets. I would recommend their chicken parmeson. The presentation and taste are second to none.

A more informal choice is the Goddess Beach Club. Their shish-kabob (left) and other
barbequed delights with sauces are to-die-for, and the ocean breeze is somehow stronger here, a short motochoncho ride just east of Cabarete proper.  

  So, I'm leaving the best for last: La Chabola's wood-stove pizza (below); super tasty. It's cooked in a

traditional Dominican oven, a large cement structure with a small opening at the front, and burning wood and embers inside, pushed off to the sides. It definitely takes some skill to operate this beast. 

   My favorite pizza is the inferno, a pretty hot offering, but others swear by the green sauce pizza. I don't know what goes into that. I need to ask. Mañana. 

    If you're lucky (and a little bit mad), you may enjoy one of the frequent power outages in Cabarete, and eat your pizza by candlelight, as we did for the above picture. 

Low-cost housing -  One of the main benefits of Cabarete is the relatively low cost of housing: places to stay in any number of boutique hotels or Dominican casas. I say this with a footnote. There are beach-front luxury hotels that go for as much as $100 a night or more. El Magnifico is a good example (left); it has

spectacular Dominican-lava-stone architecture and daily-maid service. 

   If you don't have luxury in your budget, you should be able to find a good deal with a little hunting, pecking and networking at numerous owner-owned places. I have a very nice one-bedroom with a patio, back-up power, air conditioning and multiple pools -- and I pay about $1,000 USD a month in low season. It's a 5-minute walk to the beach. 

On the other hand, if you are young; adventurous and short on cash, it is not hard to find a small studio apartment with a patio, kitchenette and overhead fan for $300 or $400 a month. That's right, $300 a month; that's not a misprint. 

Transportation -  Uber isn't used much in Cabarete. The most popular way to get around Cabarete is by motoconcho, motorcycles driven by Dominicans that will take you from one end of Cabarete to another for about 100 pesos (about $2 US). You hop on the back. 

    

     Be careful, however. There are no set prices in Cabarete for anything, and Dominicans are shrewd negotiators. So, make sure to get a price up-front for your ride, otherwise you will be paying a lot more than 100 pesos (maybe 200 ?!*). Here's a link with a few more tips on how to use a motoconcho: (click here)

  Getting around from city-to-city is even more fun. The most popular is the guagua, licensed taxis that stop virtually anywhere along the main road. Just put up your hand and wave vigorously. The guagua will stop. Trust me.

 

   The fun part is squeezing in with dozens of Dominicans in this large-white or blue van; sometimes people sit

on your lap, or the floor next to you. That's okay and part of the cultural experience. People can ride a guagua from Cabarete to Sosua for 30-50 pesos, about 50 cents or a buck. It's probably two bucks to Puerto Plata, a half hour ride. Like I said, why do you need Uber?