Cabarete,
Dominican Republic
AREA GUIDE
Divided by what is reachable by foot and what requires a car or taxi.
Taxi Driver: Tony Tavares (WhatsApp 809-862-9062)
BY FOOT
PLACES
If you love to walk on the beach you can’t go wrong either direction.
Turning left will get you to Kite Beach, a mecca of kite surfing and a nice spot to grab a coffee or a cold beer.
Turning right will take you to the center of Cabarete and the restaurants on the beach. From the beach, walk up in the little alley next to Pomodoro Pizza to get to main street, (but don’t miss the handmade popsicles in the alley.)
If you continue walking down the beach, past the town to the point, Velero Resort is on your right. To get around the point, you may need to walk up a side street and around Velero Resort. When you get back to the beach, you will be at the Alligator ponds.
The “Alligator” Ponds is what our children named these remarkable natural pools on the East end of town. To find them from the street, walk past the Velero Hotel entrance, and down the stairs to the beach. To the east, at low or medium low tide, is a magical array of naturally protected rock pools, perfect for young swimmers, and others who value their beauty and protection from the waves. * Visit at low tide. (Unsafe if the waves are big, or the weather is rough).
SUPERMARKETS
When we don’t have a car, we love to walk along the beach to Supermercado Janet (about 30 minutes). We shop and then either take a taxi back, or have Janet deliver our groceries. You can also call and place a grocery order to be delivered.
Janet SuperMarket is on the east side of Cabaret. Phone 809-571-9770. Delivery is available.
Cabarete’s biggest store sells everything from Champagne to dish soap. Everyone shops here, hotels, restaurants, tourists and locals. Janet has a good selection of fresh and packaged foods and supplies, both imported and local. Often crowded.
Supermercado La Rosa. A very small market that is close to our house (about a 10 - 15 min walk), perfect for snacks or drinks. Delivery available. Phone 809-571-0361
RESTAURANTS
ON the beach
Pomodoro Pizza & Pasta offers smaller Italian pizza’s, pastas, and gnocchi.. Definitely book ahead for peak dining times. They have an ice cream cart set up in the alley, next to the restaurant for dessert. WhatsApp: +1 809-571-0085
Casa de Papi. Chef Papi is long gone, but their famous giant shrimp with curry cream sauce continues to draw a crowd. WhatsApp +1 809-986-3750. Centrally located on the beach.
Drifter. Serving bistro fare including steaks, burgers, and pizza, this smaller restaurant is priced higher than some others, but you will notice the care and the quality of ingredients. This restaurant is on the east end of the beach.
Velero Beach Resort. Cabaret’s first proper hotel no longer feels exclusive, but their outdoor restaurant offers the best place in town to enjoy a cocktail and watch the sun set over Cabarete Bay. Located on the far right top of the bay.
Mojoto Bar. A good place for fried snacks and a frozen Mojoto.
OFF the beach
Cabarete Coffee Company. Coffee, just steps from the house. Walk past security and down the driveway. The Coffee company is on your left. Good for breakfast, smoothies, and brownies. WIFI
Crazy Bowls. This stylish cafe features excellent frozen smoothie bowls, and an array of coffee beverages. WIFI
Vagamundo. This inspired coffee and waffle place is the busiest in town, and is our teenage children's favorite. If you take your coffee drinks seriously, you will be happy to wait for their carefully crafted coffee and tasty waffles. Our favorite waffles at Vagamundo are the simplest ones. WIFI
Belgian Bakery. A favorite of our older relatives, this cafe serves American breakfast and French pastries. They make birthday cakes to order.
Panaderia Dick’s. A favorite for its simplicity, with coffee and a tiny bakery. In the center of town, Dicks is small, casual, friendly and inexpensive. Their homemade bread is a simple white, but the desserts are sometimes excellent.
Food Truck Park: Dona Carmen. Just across the Cabarete highway, a 5 minute walk from our house, you will find this small food truck park. We recommend the Smashburger stand, the taco stand, and the sushi stand. The bar in the middle serves drinks. Skip the donut shop.
PIZZA SPAGHETTI. On the west side of Cabarete, right as you enter the center of town. This Italian owned casual restaurant offers higher quality and slightly lower prices than you will find on the beach.
BLISS. On the road into the Callejon de la loma. On the West side of Cabarete. Bliss offers an elegant off the beach option, with excellent hand made pasta and more, served in an attractive villa courtyard.
Gorditos is our good friend Deirdre’s place. Absolutely delicious! Offering Mexican American fast food in the style of Chipotle. Try the fish tacos.
BY CAR
SUPERMARKETS
Super Pola. On the road to Puerta Plata, about 10 minutes by car from Cabarete.
This supermarket often has a better selection of fresh greens than the others. Some fresh meat and fish.
Playero Supermercado. By the traffic light in Sosua, about 15 minutes by car. Playero tends to have a better selection of fresh meat and cheese, as well as Spanish cured meats. They also have more (non-fresh) Chinese ingredients than the other markets.
Farmers Market. At Seahorse Ranch on Saturday mornings.
RESTAURANTS:
Food Truck Park: Encuentro. Almost across the highway from the Encuentro entrances. This busy food truck park has a broad array of vendors and is a good place to grab a drink and enjoy the scene.
Natura Cabana Restaurant. Located on the beach a little past Encuentro beach, this fancy bohemian hotel and cafe offer a lovely crunchy setting and lots of vegan options. After lunch, for a treat, walk west up the beach (away from Cabarete) to watch the waves crashing into the gray cliffs, sending plumes of blue spray skyward.
The Restaurant at Seahorse Ranch. Our friend Joe’s place is perched on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean. With stunning views and a diverse menu, this is a terrific restaurant for a special occasion. It’s a 10 minute drive from Cabarete. Call to reserve before sunset to maximize your enjoyment. (Tell security at the Sea Horse entrance that you are heading to the restaurant. They will still ask you for ID before letting you drive in.)
Casa Veintiuno - A fifteen minute drive away, Casa Veintiuno offers inventive fine dining in a lovely boutique hotel setting. Reservations are required, and can be made via their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CasaVeintiunoRestaurant/
PLACES
Encuentro. This busy surf mecca, about five minutes by car west of Cabarete, has many surf shops. They offer lessons, board rentals and sales. Ask around to see who has the equipment or instructor you like best.
Also at the beach in Encuentro, Tasty food carts, picnic tables, and free bathrooms and showers. It’s an especially lively scene, often with music, on weekends!
Caves of Cabarete. Drive all the way to the far end of Callejon de la loma (long Past Bliss restaurant), and you will get to the entrance of the Caves. This is an entrance to the Parque Nacional El Choco. Tour these 5 million year old limestone caves with a guide, and plan to end your tour with a refreshing swim. About $20 USD per person. Guide required.
Monkey Jungle. Another way to see the Parque National El Choco is to visit the Monkey Jungle. About 20 minutes from Cabarete on Carretera El Choco 9km. 829-554-2425
The rough entry road is not recommended for timid drivers. Arrive by SUV, (some cars may have trouble on the rutted dirt road). Admission is about $40 for adults and $30 for children. If your idea of fun includes Ziplining and feeding squirrel monkeys as they climb in your hair, this might be right for you.
Wilsons La Boca Restaurant. Wilsons is an unusually rustic destination restaurant. Wilson, or one of his team, will pick you up, drive you down a long dirt road, and help you to cross the Yasica river on a tiny boat. The food is very simple, and will include Dominican staples, and some fresh caught local fish. (Caribbean Lobster is available for a premium). This dining experience takes many hours and costs about $100 per guest. Dining at Wilson’s may be too rustic (for some tastes). The location at the mouth of the river is spectacular.
Iguana Mama Tours. The oldest and most respected tour company in Cabarete will arrange for custom tours of some of the North Coast's most remarkable locations.