All-Inclusive Hotel near Legendary Windsurfing Beach

Though it’s a laid-back town, people in Cabarete—situated on the north shore of the Dominican Republic—take their windsurfing very seriously. The resort town is located on an offshore reef and gets easterly trade winds, which create ideal conditions for windsurfing; every year, Cabarete hosts multiple international competitions. As a guest at Celuisma Cabarete Beach Hotel, you can try your hand at this beloved local pastime with a free windsurfing lesson. When you’re not catching a wave, the all-inclusive resort has plenty of places to unwind with a drink in hand, including two pools, a pair of bubbling jacuzzis, and a golden-sand beach.

Stationed just over a mile from Cabarete’s premier surfing beaches, the hotel is far enough away from the crowds that it maintains a noticeably quiet atmosphere. Palm trees and cabana tents surround one pool, and Balinese lounge beds line the other. Behind the swimming deck, there’s a short, soft-sand beach sprinkled with palapa-style huts and wooden lookout towers. Guests can play in organized beach volleyball games or sip on complimentary fresh-juice cocktails.

The all-inclusive package covers all meals at the hotel’s restaurant buffet and two à la carte spots. You’ll find healthy kosher cuisine at Windows, a romantic dinner spot with views of the pool. Live cooking demonstrations kick off each meal at Tepan Tai, which serves spicy Asian cuisine; meanwhile, the sports bar, the hotel’s go-to spot for Caribbean music and billiards, stays open until 1 a.m. At the end of the day, you’ll head back to your newly renovated superior guest room, where a private balcony and high ceilings lend the space an open, airy feel.

Cabarete, Dominican Republic: Youthful Beach Town Hailed as Windsurfing Capital of the Caribbean

Set on the Dominican Republic’s north coast, Cabarete has reliable trade winds and big waves that make it a playground for extreme watersports such as kiteboarding and windsurfing. Cabarete Bay has even served as a location for Master of the Ocean, a triathlon that incorporates surfing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing. Nearby, Laguna Cabarete has a more relaxed pace; you can take a stroll along the beach or browse jewelry shops, beachfront restaurants, and colonial monuments in the charming downtown center. Dozens of bars and lounges also line the main beach here.

Cabarete is part of Puerto Plata, a province known for its sun-kissed sands and breathtaking geographical features. Damajagua is a natural water park of sorts—it features 27 waterfalls flowing from limestone rock formations. Tour guides lead groups through the falls, and you can swim and occasionally slide down the natural water slides.

You can get an aerial view of Puerto Plata and the Caribbean Sea on a teleférico, or cable car. One of them climbs 2,565 feet to the apex of Mount Isabel de Torres, which is crowned with blooming botanical gardens and a replica of Rio de Janeiro's massive Christ the Redeemer statue. It's also worth it to take a scenic drive to Parque Histórico La Isabela, where you'll find the remains of a church as well as ruins of a colonial village where Columbus routinely woke his neighbors by blasting the Santa Maria's foghorn.

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