Cabarete Surf Camp (Cabarete, Dominican Republic)

ABOUT THE SURF CAMP

LOCATION AND SURF CONDITIONS

The surf camp is located in the town of Cabarete on the north shore of the Dominican Republic. 

Our perfect location is a:
· 5 minute walk from Janet's Supermarket, Cabarete's largest market
· 10 minute walk from the shops, bars and restaurants in the center of town
· 10 minute walk from Cabarete's main beach
· 5 minute drive from Encuentro Beach
·30 minutes away from the airport POP

The surf camp is located  in El Choco National Park's tropical lagoon in “Pro Cab”, a gated neighborhood in Cabarete, we are only minutes away from Cabarete's main beach and center of town, yet far enough away that our guests are able to relax in a peaceful and safe environment.

CAMP CHARACTER

We are one of the few special surf camps in the Caribbean that offer a combination of a beach vacation and top quality surfing vacation.  Staying here is a perfect way to escape from your hectic schedule, slow down and experience life in a new way.  You will meet people from all over the world, share your interests, and make new friends while enjoying incredible surfing in the Caribbean.

CAMP OPERATOR

Fifteen years ago, Ali, the owner of the surf camp, came here and experienced this tropical paradise for the first time.  He immediately knew he wanted to create a way for other travelers to enjoy Cabarete and its perfect surfing conditions.  He decided to create Cabarete Surf Camp (Ali's Surf Camp).

With Cabarete Surf Camp, Ali wanted to create an entirely new way for travelers to spend their vacation.  His goal was to bring people together from different countries and cultures to share their interests while experiencing an unforgettable time surfing and kiteboarding.  He has succeeded.  Now, run by an international team with years of experience working together, Cabarete Surf Camp has built up an impeccable reputation and has become well known within the international surfing community!

ACCOMMODATION AND CATERING

ACCOMMODATION TYPES

We can please anyone from anywhere, as our wide variety of affordable accommodations can satisfy any budget.  All of our rooms are cozy and colorful and are located within the grounds of our tropical garden.  No matter which style accommodation you choose, you will be able to socialize with other guests while swimming in our pool and eating at our famous “Ali's Surf Camp Restaurant

At our Surf camp we offer affordable rates for a variety of different accommodations.  Our cottages and bungalows are cheap and affordable lodging alternatives for solo travelers on a low budget.  Our high standard studios and apartments are great for singles travelers, couples or families looking for a comfortable place to stay, and our authentic Caribbean houses, the Tarzan and River houses, are perfect for any guests.  The Tower, our latest addition, offers a truly unique lodging experience.  As you sleep above the tree tops and look down onto the surf camp grounds and out onto the tropical lagoon, you'll know you made the right choice.  The Tower is now becoming one of the most talked about attractions in Cabarete.

·         All rooms are provided with the bath towels and bed sheets.
·         Please don’t take your bath towel to the beach.  Bring your beach towel instead.
·         The towels will be changed every 2 to 3 days.  The bed sheets will be changed every 5 to 7 days.
·         We have maid service every day except for Sunday
·         Please leave tips for your cleaning lady.  This is very common and expected in the Dominican Republic.
·         We provide free WiFiinternet at the surf camp.  Just bring your device!

CATERING

Here at Cabarete Surf Camp we have our very own restaurant.  Located directly on the edge of El Choco National Park's lagoon, our “Ali's Surf Camp Restaurant” is known for its exotic Caribbean ambiance and delicious international food.  Our friendly staff welcome guests with a smile, enthusiasm, and open arms.  This friendly Dominican spirit permeates throughout the restaurant, making everyone feel immediately at home. 

The restaurant is open from 7:30am to 10:30pm for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week.  We serve delicious BBQ and curry dishes, fish, seafood, pasta, Dominican food and other international plates. Try our speciality, "Churrasco", a scrumptious dish that is talked about all over the island!  If you're vegetarian you can enjoy vegetable, rice, potato, fruit and salad plates. 

·         All plates range from $5 - $15 US.

The majority of the surf camp guests have breakfast and dinner included in their accommodation package.  However, if these meals are not included in your package, (some of the studios and apartments do not include meals), you can always add them for only $10 USD per person, per day, or you can eat á la carte.

If you have a meal plan with the restaurant, your meals will be served as follows.

Meal Plan Breakfast is available from 7:30 AM – 11:00 AM.
Standard Breakfast:
·         2 cups of coffee
·         Self-squeezed fresh orange juice
·         2 pieces of bread
·         Butter, marmalade and honey
·         Fresh tropical fruits
·         For an additional cost, you can have eggs cooked as you wish or a pancake with banana and chocolate.

Meal Plan Dinner is available from 7:30PM – 9:30PM
Dinner includes:
·         A salad
·         A plate of the day, which is always a dish we choose from our menu of BBQ and curry dishes, fish, seafood, pasta Dominican food and other international plates.
·         Drinks are not included: Water - $1.50 US / Beer - $2.50 US / Cocktails - $5.00 US

Lunch is not included in any of the packages, but is available every day from 12:00PM – 3:00PM.  You may choose anything from our menu and all charges will be put on your own bill.

SURF COURSE AND ACTIVITIES

SURF COURSE DETAILS

We teach surfing to all ages and levels, from complete beginners to advanced.
Beginners will be catching waves and standing during their first surf lesson.  More advanced students will learn valuable techniques to improve their performance.  Get ready to have loads of fun in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Surfing Lessons
We offer surfing lessons to males and females of all ages.  Kids are welcome, too!  You’re never too young to start or too old to learn! All our surfing lessons include the following:
·         Transportation from Cabarete Surf Camp to Encuentro Surf Beach and back
·         Surfboard
·         Rash guards/lycra
·         Surf shoes
·         30 minutes theory, warm up and yoga
·         1.5 hours of instruction in the water

In the afternoons, upon request and if the weather permits, students have the opportunity to surf on their own while still being in a safe and supervised environment.  If you know you'd like to surf in the afternoon, please notify us in the morning

Advanced Lessons
For those who already have a little (or a lot) of surfing experience, we provide lessons tailor-made for your skill level.  One of our professional instructors will evaluate your abilities and together you’ll work on improving your level of surfing.  We can help you fine tune your skills and teach you some tricks, like improving your duck dive or floater, learning how to get some air, or learning some other exciting and radical maneuvers.

We also offer Surfbaord Rental & Transfer, as well as Surf Photo & Video Coaching.

SURF MATERIALS

We rent boards to our guests and to anyone else who visits our surf school.
For those who book any kind of individual surf lesson or pack of lessons with us, all costs of your surfing equipment will be included in the cost of your lessons.

If  you rent a boards with us it  includes the following:
·         Transportation from Cabarete Surf Camp to Encuentro Surf Beach and back
·         Surfboard
·         Rash guards/lycra
·         Surf shoes

Surfboard Collection:
We have a collection of more than 100 boards, all of top quality and in excellent condition.
Our collection includes fish, shortboards, guns, funboards, foamboards, fongboards, SUP (Stand-Up Paddle boards), and boogie boards.  See the board collection.
If you have not signed up for surf lessons your surfboard rental costs would be as seen below.  Along with the board, these prices include a leash, a lycra shirt, wax and transportation from the surf camp to Encuentro Beach and back.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

KItesurfing, Windsurfin and Sup are available to book.

And Cabarete is filled with endless entertainment.  Here are a few of the many things to do:
·"El Choco National Park", bordered by the foothills of the Cordillera Septentrional to the south and the Cabarete Lagoon to the North.  The park guards 77 square kilometers (48 square miles) of pasture land, lagoon, jungle, tropical plants, Caribbean birds, caves, and abruptly jutting hills. Many of the freshwater springs encountered in the park have subterraneous origins deep in the belly of the earth.
·27 Waterfalls of Rio Damajagua, nestled in the rolling hills of the Northern Corridor mountain range, lie behind the long stalks of sugar cane. Mother Nature has crafted twenty-seven awe-inspiring pools, etched out of limestone rock.
·Isabella de Torres. Located 45 minutes west of Cabarete, towards Puerto Plata, is Mount Isabel.  If you're driving you can't miss it. This is a perfect place to hike and see beautiful views of the countryside.
·Puerto Plata tours
·White water rafting
·Canyoning
·Snorkeling and Scuba Diving.  Clear turquoise waters in the Sosua area, just 15 minutes from Cabarete, cater to unique scuba diving & snorkeling experiences, and an abundance of underwater life. Whether you're looking for gear rental, or diving certification, a number of shops located in the area will be more than happy to prepare you for the sea.
·Horseback riding.  Whether you're a first time rider, or have been riding for many years, you will not be disappointed by the trips available through several ranches in the area. You can ride on the beach along the ocean coast, or take trails through the lush tropical mountain forests, or both!
·Yoga
·Tennis
·Spanish lessons
·Salsa, Bachata and Merenque dance classes
·Mountain biking

MORE INFO, HOW TO GET THERE & FAQ

Our surf school is located on the north shore of the Dominican Republic at Encuentro Beach, just 10 minutes fromthe Surf Camp.  Encuentro Beach, known as Playa Encuentro bylocals, istone of thebest places in the world to learn to surf and meet other surfers.  It has one of the most famous reefbreaks on the North Shore and is powered by the Atlantic Ocean.
Sometimes you can surf at Cabarete Beach. Itis a beach break, butthewaves are notstable.
In addition to our lessons and surf courses that run in and around Cabarete, we also offer year round trips to places outside of Cabarete.  These include organized surf trips to Playa Grande, Playa Preciosa, Playa Sosua and other surfing spots on the North Coast.

Playa Grande: This is most famous of the north shore beaches and is only an hour from Cabarete.  Here you will find a long and wide beach, clear water, great waves, and of course, the obligatory fresh fish dining opportunities to satisfy your appetite after a few hours in the pounding surf.

Playa Preciosa: 2 min from Playa Grande. Here you can experience the awe inspiring Caribbean nature at its very best! The left side of the beach takes you outside of the reef and the right side is the area known as “El Barco.”

Seasonal conditions

Encuentro Beach, known as Playa Encuentro by locals, is tone of the best places in the world to learn to surf and meet other surfers.  It has one of the most famous reef breaks on the North Shore and is powered by the Atlantic Ocean.  In the winter time the beach has a north swell, and in the summer time it has both east and north-east swells.  With its excellent conditions for surfers of all levels, it is truly the ideal spot for anyone to learn, practice and improve their surfing skills.
Average wáter and air temperaturebetween 25-30 C (80-90 F)
Good wind for kitesurfing starts around noon, ranging from 4-6 Beaufort and provides ideal conditions for all level kiters.  The trade winds blowvfrom the Northeast, bringing excellent side shore winds from the right.  An outside reef, approximately 800 meters from shore protects the bay, leaving the swell inside relatively flat.

Crowd factor and local people

Encuenro beach is a very friendly  beach, locals are  very loyal and because it is a very large beach and it is divided to a different zone (beginner, advanced and a zone with a big waves)  you can avoid the crowd.

SURROUNDINGS / REGION

Characterization of surroundings/region

Cabarete where the surf camp is located  is a beautiful small town on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic.  Often referred to by visitors as “Paradise”, it lies on a strip of land with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the lagoon and mountains of El Choco National Park on the other.  Over the last fifteen years word of Cabarete's perfect wave and wind conditions have spread around the world, transforming it from a sleepy fishing village into the surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing capital of the Caribbean.  Although sports fans and adventure seekers now come flocking to Cabarete, it has maintained its slow pace of life and Caribbean charm.  With more than 300 sun-filled days every year and an average air and watter temperature between 25-30 C (80-90 F), this is a perfect place for both sports freaks and sun-loving lazy bones. 

- Cabarete is one of the most happening places on the planet.  We have great surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, amazing beaches and a throbbing Caribbean nightlife.  You'll never be able to forget Cabarete's special charm.  Life here is good!
- The official language is Spanish, but because Cabarete  is very international almost  everyone speaks English. You can often hear german, italien and French.The currency in Cabarete is the Dominican Peso, but the US $ is widely accepted.
- There are several stands, banks and ATM’s in Cabarete that will exchange your country’s currency into pesos.  Credit cards are accepted at some places, but there is sometimes an additional surcharge.  We do not recommend that you exchange money at any airport, is the exchange rates are usually not as good as they are in Cabarete.
- There is a medical center in Cabarete that’s open 24/7. There is also a hospital in Sosua (10 minutes from Cabarete) that has excellent doctors on staff from Europe and the United States.  While this is comforting to know, hopefully a visit to the hospital will not be a necessary during your vacation!

Do I need to get special shots/injections before visiting the Dominican Republic?
• No.  As long as you have had your regular immunizations you’ll be fine.

JOURNEY

Ways to get to the camp

LOCATION:
Cabarete Surf Camp is located in Cabarete, Dominican Republic on the North Shore of the island.
There are several Airports within the Dominican Republic. From there you can catch taxis, busses or contact us to inquire for pick-up details

If you have trouble finding us or have any questions, please call us + 1-829-548-6655

Important details:

All you will need is a valid passport.  When you arrive at the Dominican airport you must purchase a tourist card for US $10.  Upon leaving, you must pay a departure tax of $20.

PACKAGES & PRICES

This package includes:
1 week basic accommodation,  breakfast and dinner, 1 week surfcourse incl. daily transport to the surfbeach, board rental, leash, lycra, wax, airport transfer POP-Cabarete-POP

15/11 -15/04: 444 $US

15/04- 15/11: 410 $US

Basic - PACKAGE B - from 549$US per  Person

This package includes:

 2 weeks basic accommodation, breakfast and dinner, 1 week surfcourse incl. daily transport to the surfbeach(morning and afternoon), surflesson, board rental, leash, lycra, wax, airport transfer POP-Cabarete-POP

15/11 - 15/04: 620 $US

15/04 - 15/11: 549$US

Basic Surfboard only - PACKAGE C - from 330$US per Week / Person

Basic Surfboard only - PACKAGE D - from 470 $US  Person

This package includes:

2 weeks basic accommodation, breakfast and dinner, 1 week surfboard rental incl. daily transport to the surfbeach, leash, lycra, wax, airport transfer POP-Cabarete-POP

5/11 - 15/04: 540 $US

15/04 - 15/11: 470 $US

Comfort** - PACKAGE E - from 388 $US per Week / Person

Comfort** - PACKAGE F - from 542 $US per Person

Comfort** Surfboard only- PACKAGE G - from 309 $US per Week / Person

*Basic Surf Packages
Perfect packages for solo travelers with low budget
Accommodation in a cottage with the shared bathroom

**Comfort Surf Packages
Perfect for solo travelers who want to spend their surf vacation in Cabarete with comfort, couples, families and groups    
Accommodation in a bungalow for 2 or in a shared apartement if there  more than 2 persons