Best WiFi Coffee Spots in Cabarete
We suggest unplugging from your phone to fully enjoy your adventure vacation in Cabarete. But for those times you need to surf the net before you get back on your board, here are the best coffee shops with WiFi in Cabarete. La Mesa Taina The farm-to-table restaurant in eXtreme is blessed with great WiFi. Right on Kite Beach, it’s a lovely spot to enjoy the ocean breeze and watch the kiters at play. The chefs cook all sorts: amazing seafood soups and burgers, Mexican and Dominican delights, Asian dishes and salads. Best sushi in town. Hands down. (Would recommend the Tropical Roll, it’s topped with sweet platano!) Whatever you feel like, these guys have got it covered. The organic ingredients are sourced from the aquaponic Taino Farm, who are blazing the way in sustainable farming in the Caribbean! Responsible and delicious. Where? In eXtreme grounds, on Kite Beach. You can’t miss it. Opening hours: Every day 8am – 10.30pm. Vagamundo A very hip, Pacific-Northwest style cafe with excellent WiFi. It’s a social enterprise linked with Ninos de la Luz, which houses street kids from the DR, Venezuela and South Sudan. Vagamundo mentors and employs graduates from the home. So, you can sip your macchiato knowing you’ve supported a good cause. It’s a chill, breezy place to hang out for a few hours, and there’s comfy chairs outside, too. The friendly staff are happy for you to have a good laptop sesh. They serve amazing Belgian waffles topped with extravagant ingredients, sweet and savoury. Warning: Vagamundo waffles are pretty addictive. You may feel the need to come back every day. Where? Coming from eXtreme, it’s opposite the supermarket La Rosa, just before the main stretch of Cabarete town starts. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 7am – 5pm; Sundays 9am – 3pm. Fresh Fresh A cute, healthy cafe in the center of town, a short walk from the main Cabarete beach. As the name suggests, Fresh Fresh is all about healthy nutrition. They serve amazing smoothies that will pump you full of all the best vitamins. The friendly staff are cool with you staying for a few hours on your laptop. There’s indoor and outdoor seating, with comfy cushions outside, if you need a change of scene. Their iced coffees will power you through any work session. You can also browse their fancy organic soaps, mosquito repellents and artisan chocolate. Two words: Air. Conditioning. Where? Centre of town, opposite the street to the beach where Pomodoro is. Opening hours: Every day 8am – 9pm. Belgium Bakery If you’re a fan of European baked goods, this is the spot for you. Connect with loved ones back home, pain au chocolat in hand. There’s also a bank next door (Banco Popular) with an ATM, so you can stock up on your pesitos. Where? It’s a quick moto ride into town from eXtreme, just past the traffic lights. (There’s only one set in town!) Opening hours: Mon-Sun 7am – 7pm So, there you go Now you know all the best WiFi spots in town to hide out and plug in. Don’t forget your charger!
Motoconchos, Carritos, and Guaguas: Getting around in Cabarete
Cabarete is a small town, but walking any distance is a sweaty struggle in the hot Caribbean sun. Lucky for you, there are some options that locals and visitors to Cabarete use to zoom around town to where they need to be. Motoconchos, carritos and guaguas are your three cheapest ways of getting from A to B in Cabarete. There are taxis floating around, but they do cost that bit extra. What on Earth are motoconchos, carritos and guaguas? Allow me to introduce you to Cabarete transport’s finest. Motoconcho: The Motorbike Taxi Ever been on the back of a motorbike? My first time on a motorbike was in Cabarete, when my friends called me out of my hotel room for dinner, the first night. As I stumbled out of the hotel entrance in a jetlag daze, they hailed two local guys on motorbikes. Having quickly agreed a price for the four of us, my friend jumps on and motions for me to do the same. Before I could really process what was going on, I was clutching the moto driver’s T-shirt and we were zipping through the traffic. I think I managed to shout ‘Lento, por favor!’ over the roar of the engine, but I’m not sure he heard my plea. Motoconchos are a fun and easy way of getting around town. Within a day or two, it seemed totally normal and you couldn’t even see my knuckles through my skin any more. Riding a motoconcho is a risk, sure, and it can sometimes be dangerous. From watching the guys in Cabarete, they are pretty confident and competent drivers. Most of them have been driving from a very young age, and they handle the moto like it’s an extension of themselves. Dominicans are experts at carrying all sorts of things on their motos. Shopping bags, long metal rods, multiple fruit baskets, a refrigerator. The whole family? No problem. You can take extra precautions like bringing your own helmet to wear and asking the driver to go slow. Oh, and choose the older-looking drivers over the super-young guys who drive a bit too wildly. Motoconchos cost around 50RD per person within Cabarete, depending on your haggling skills. Carrito: The Carpool Taxi Carrito means ‘little car’ in Spanish. Carritos are public taxis. Like normal taxis, but crammed with as many (or more) people as you can fit in a car. Carpooling, if you will. Very eco. Around 8 people fit in a 5-seater carrito, in case you’re wondering. More, if there are children involved. Carritos are faster than guaguas because they carry fewer people and therefore make fewer stops. For the Spanish-speakers among you, carritos are the place to catch all the town gossip. It’s a small car, and you may well overhear some entertaining stories about local goings-on! If you spot one heading in the direction you want to go in, hail it by waving your arm. Bonus points if you get loud bachata music all the way. Enjoy the ride! Guagua: The ‘Tight Squeeze’ Bus Taking a guagua, crammed in like a sardine, is almost a rite of passage in Cabarete. Guaguas are public buses that look like vans with sliding doors. They run very regularly along the main road, with one passing every 5 or 10 minutes, or so. If you walk along the street in Cabarete, you’ll likely be enthusiastically invited into a van full of people by a shouting and waving man, who may or may not be hanging out of the open door. To get on, wave the guagua down and jump in, if there’s space. Tell the assistant where you want to go, using local landmarks if you can, and pay the fare. It should be around 12-20RD per person for most short journeys. Offical guaguas have ID tags and destination names on the wind shield, which may well be cracked. They often carry cheery slogans like ‘Jesus saves’, ‘God bless my driving’ or ‘May God help whoever crashes into me’. Please, use common sense and don’t get into an empty, unlabelled van. Once you’re in, you will likely be sharing the van with tens of other people, and maybe some large, pointy-edged packages and live animals too, if you’re lucky. To get off, just do what everyone else does and shout real loud. ‘Aqui, aqui, aqui!’, ‘Me quedo!’ or ‘Llego!’ usually work a treat. The most fun part of taking a guagua is trying to guess when the driver or assistant thinks the van is at capacity. Just when you think no one else could possibly fit, everybody squeezes up and suddenly there’s room for a family of four! They say there’s no such thing as a full guagua. Always room for one more! So, now you’re all clued up on Dominican transport methods. Life in Cabarete truly is an adventure.
Cabarete Nightlife
Bachata, karaoke, open mic, beach parties: Cabarete is known for its lively nightlife. In Cabarete, everyone is welcome. Party fiends who are right at home in the middle of a sweaty mosh pit; chill folk who love meeting someone new and talking all night, taking in the beachy vibes. There are dancefloors and cosy, quiet beach couches, here. You just do you. Generally, if you head down to Cabarete beach, you’ll find out quickly where the party is at. But, it can help to know the standard pattern of popular nights out in town. Here’s a run-down of Cabarete nightlife, day by day. Mondays Monday night in Caberete is almost synonymous with karaoke night at Voy Voy. Things usually kick off at around 10-10.30pm, but tables fill up fast, so get there a bit earlier to avoid having to stand on the beach. The hosts are wonderful and will get the ball rolling by singing a few classic karaoke hits. It couldn’t be easier to sign up to warble a song from your past. There are also two microphones so, if you’re shy like me, one of the hosts will kindly sing ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ with you. Expect Backstreet Boys, expect Green Day, expect Gwen Stefani, expect Maroon 5. Expect to spend the whole night drunkenly shouting ‘Oh my gosh, I love this song!’. Voy Voy on Mondays always delivers a sing-along night to remember. Tuesdays Tuesdays are the one night a week in Cabarete when there isn’t too much going on in Cabarete. You might wander along the beach bars, and enjoy some drinks with friends. In high season, the bars will still be fun, pumping with those party-loving souls. The Laguna Park Hostel, known as The Castle or El Castillo, in ProCab has a cheap, friendly bar with pool table. It’s a great place to meet people and relax, and an alternative to beach bars. There’s usually something going on there in the evenings. But, if you’re looking for a rest day, Tuesday is a good one to take off. You could head to bed early so you can wake up for an early morning surf or SUP or yoga class. Or you could stay in and catch up on your favourite Netflix show. Or call your mum. The Cabarete chill options are endless. Wednesdays On a Wednesday in Cabarete, there’s only one place to be: La Chabola’s Open Mic Night. La Chabola is a cosy, comfortable local bar that serves cheap drinks and great pizza (2 for 1, every night of the week). If that’s not enough to convince you, their Wednesday open mic nights are a classic Cabarete experience. The music is always pretty cool at La Chabola, whether live or played off YouTube. The weekly open mic is the time for musicians to show off what they can do in front of an easygoing crowd of locals and expats. You’ll find La Chabola a little down the Callejon de la Loma, which is by the traffic lights (there’s only one set in town). Visiting musicians, you can usually ask around and find a guitar to borrow, so be bold and sign up! Thursdays Thursday night is Latin Night at Ojo, which is upstairs in the same building as LAX, on the beach. This is the cultural experience you’ve been waiting for in the Dominican Republic. If the blaring music and dancing everywhere didn’t give it away, music is super important and loved here. The most beloved genre of all here is bachata. If you’ve done any sort of Latin basic step before, you’ll pick up the one-two-three-tap rhythm easily. You can check a YouTube tutorial beforehand to have a little pre-game practice, if you want. Better still, just pair up with a local, they’ll be happy to teach you! Ojo Latin night has the major advantage of starting early by Cabarete standards, at around 8pm. Ideal if, like me, you need to get to bed to wake up at 6am because surfing is life. A little rum, a little dancing, a little water, and off to bed. Perfection. Fridays Although Friday nights are not as big here as they are in other parts of the world, there are always people up for a night out in Cabarete. If it’s high season, there will be a whole crowd of people livin’ it large Stroll along the beach bar strip and follow the music to find yourself a good spot for a Friday night dance. Saturdays On Saturday nights in Cabarete’s high season, the beach bars get pretty full. ONNO’s and Kahuna are fun places to be, as is Lax/Ojo which has two storeys of party fun. You can take your pick, depending on what music you’re feeling in the moment. Check out the drink deals at ONNO, they have a late Happy Hour that runs from 11pm to midnight – half price cocktails and shot, and pitchers for around 350RD. Wherever you end up, try and keep your wits about you somewhat, since drunk stumbling tourists are prime targets for pick-pocketing. If you’re not done partying when the clubs close, keep an ear out for Cabarete’s legendary after-parties that rage on towards dawn. Full respect if you can get up and do watersports after that. Or if you can do anything except lie on the couch and groan, really. Sundays Sunday nights are reasonably big here. Many locals like to day drink on Sundays through the afternoon and evening, and there’s nothing stopping you from doing the same! Mojitos on the beach? Yes, please. Not to get mumsy with you, but make sure to drink plenty of water if you’re drinking in the heat. You do want to make it to the club, later, after all. Kick off your night with some gentle bachata dancing to live music at Voy Voy from 6pm. Take in the atmosphere, try out your moves in a very safe space, with staff on hand to show you the steps. For the party
Cabarete Supermarkets and Colmados
Cabarete is a pretty small town, but we are blessed with a good few options for buying food and home essentials. Larger supermarkets are not usually open so late, and close early on Sundays. Colmados are open at the owner’s discretion, but they are littered everywhere and there will most likely be one open somewhere. Look out for fruit stands, vegetable pick-up trucks, and street vendors selling plantains and avocados, in particular. It’s quite the experience to wave your vegetables down to meet you on the roadside! There are also several pharmacies in Cabarete for your health needs. A reliable one is the pharmacy in the Ocean One plaza. It’s well-stocked and clean; the staff are helpful and know their stuff. Here are your basic Cabarete shopping options: Janet’s Supermarket The main supermarket in town is called Janet’s, and it’s a big green local landmark. Everyone knows Janet’s, and it’s a good go-to place for all your grocery needs, toiletries and anything else you might need around the home. The number of gluten-free and ‘health food’ products on their shelves might surprise you. They stock lots of healthy brands that you might recognise from North American stores, and have a great selection of sugar-free cookies. Janet’s offer free delivery for larger orders, over 3000RD. You might see their dinky little delivery vans driving around town. I love them. If you’re in a tight spot, ill or just lazy, you can also pay a motoconcho to go to Janet’s and bring you what you need. They will be at your door, shopping and receipt in hand. Pay the receipt amount plus an extra 50 pesos or so to make it worth his time. Important note: Janet’s closes at 1pm on Sundays. I can’t tell you how many times this has caught me out. Open: Mon-Sat 8am – 8pm; Sundays 8.30am – 1pm. La Rosa Your next best bet is Dominican-owned La Rosa Supermarket. It’s far smaller than Janet’s, but still has a strong selection of goods. They sometimes even stock some rogue products that you won’t even find at Janet’s, like a delicious cider that appeared in their drinks section one fine day. Household items and pet food are found upstairs, don’t miss it! La Rosa is open until 10pm every night, even on Sundays. It’s pretty handy for an evening beer run. You’ll find La Rosa over on the opposite end of town to Janet’s, across the road from Vagamundo. When the toilet is out of order at Vagamundo, the closest option is La Rosa. It ain’t pretty, but it does the job. Open: 8am – 10pm every day of the week. Easy to remember. Super Pola Sosua Super Pola, or just ‘Pola’ for short, is a large supermarket a little way out of Cabarete, on the way into the next town Sosua. Pola is huge, air conditioned, and has a whole lotta beautiful grocery options, not to mention a pretty fine bakery (great doughnuts). Worth the trip, especially if you have a car and need to do a big shop (or if, like me, you enjoy supermarket tourism). Open: Mon-Sat 8am – 10pm; Sundays 8am – 8pm. Colmados Take a close look at the painted signs on buildings around town. You’ll see a few key words repeated: comedor (cafeteria-style eatery), peluqueria (hairdresser), and colmado (corner shop). Colmados are sometimes abbreviated to Col. and come in a variety of sizes. The smallest are tiny hole-in-the-wall colmados, and the largest are medium-sized walk-in stores, sometimes called super colmados. They mostly sell a similar selection of things: water, beer, gum, fruit, cookies, packaged chocolate and candy, bread, milk. Have a look inside, you’ll see. Colmados sometimes have little seating areas where you can sit with your coffee and cake, and watch the bustle of the street. It’s not unusual at all to have to shout your order over loud bachata music. They are often places where locals congragate to catch up and chill over something sweet, especially on the Callejon. In that way, they are centres of local culture, and definitely the place to get the latest Cabarete town gossip. Hopefully that helps take care of your supermarket and grocery needs during your stay in Cabarete!
Hair and Nail Salons in Cabarete
Getting your hair and nails done can definitely be a part of your Cabarete vacation. Yes, the town is full of sandy surfers and crazy kiters, but we do like to take time to pamper ourselves, too! There are so many local hair and nail salons in Cabarete where you can sit back and relax, as the lovely local ladies take care of the rest. If you walk along the main road in the centre of town, you’ll see a variety of places offering services. Some are full-on spas, like N Day Spa, that will tend to all your massage, waxing, spray tanning, and facial treatment needs. Others, like Yeiry Nails Center and Get Nailed Spa, are dedicated to getting your nails looking and feeling amazing. For hair, Salon Ana and My Dream Beauty Salon will sort you out so you’re feeling your absolute best on your vacation. Who says you have to put up with humidity hair? There are some places that take bookings online, but mostly you just walk in and see when they have an opening. Remember, it’s Island Time here, so plan plenty of time to have a treatment before your next activity. Rushing is not a thing in Cabarete. If you’re feeling adventurous, you might wander down Callejon de la Loma. This area has way less of a touristy vibe, and is where many locals live and work. There are many beauty, hair and nail salons to choose from in the Callejon, just explore and see what you find! The prices will likely be lower than the salons in the centre of Cabarete town, especially as they will charge you in pesos instead of US dollars. If you’re on a budget, but still want to indulge in a little beauty therapy, then the Callejon is a strong option. At Cabarete Professional Nail Center, you ca nhave the full Dominican experience. Relax to the sound of motos whizzing by, bachata music blaring out of car speakers, kids running around screaming. It may not sound like the most relaxing time, but it is well worth it to get into the local culture! Before you get jealous, male friends, the barber shop culture here is huge, too. Barber shops are where you will meet the coolest Dominicans with the freshest trims. The little shops are often the site of pop-up parties, so grab a cold one and enjoy the vibe. Hair and nail salons are buzzing centres of local culture. For Spanish-speakers, you’ll hear all the town gossip at the salon, as the locals regale each other with stories. It’s pretty fun to join in the action, if you can! In Cabarete, we have a reputation for being active, but it’s also important to rest your mind and body, and treat yourself. Enjoy your Cabarete vacation to the fullest, and find your relaxation home here!
Introverts on Tour in Cabarete
The loud bachata music, the crowded parties, the buzzing beach bars. At a glance, it’s easy to peg Cabarete as an extrovert’s heaven. And it can be. But it can also be an introvert’s dream. Part of the beauty of this charming beachside town is that it caters to a whole range of traveller characters. Cabarete is a world-class watersports hub and attracts a crowd of active, fun-loving sports enthusiasts. It attracts tourists who want to escape the big resort-style spots for a more authentic local experience. It’s a place to find your calm at a yoga retreat. It’s where you can chill in the water, waiting for your perfect wave. Or you can wait for your perfect mojito on the beach. Cabarete is a wonderful mish-mash of all different characters, and that’s what makes it a special community. Some visitors love to party all night. Others prefer to get an early night to prepare for an active day of sport and fun. If you’re an introvert, eXtreme is an ideal spot for you. It’s a bit removed from the main strip of town, and far enough away from the pounding clubs to allow for peace and quiet in the evenings. The hotel backs onto Kite Beach, so you are only ever a few steps away from a quiet beach walk, read, or swim. At eXtreme, you are free to be you, and take exactly what you need to have the best time on your vacation. Whether that’s having a drink at the bar at La Mesa Taina, our farm-to-table organic restaurant, or taking a sunset yoga class to wind down from a busy day. All speeds are welcome here. You’re sure to find fellow like-minded guests who enjoy a chill and chat over Happy Hour drinks on the beach, if that’s what you prefer. Cabarete is a sanctuary to all sorts of people. If you look beneath the surface, you’ll see the town is full of interesting characters, from different backgrounds. Introverts, never fear. eXtreme is the perfect base for you to relax on your own (massage, anyone?) and take time to feel like yourself again.