North Coast

For windsurfing, there is no better place than Cabarete. It is a great town: small, very friendly, good beach, great windsurfing, restaurants, bars, and some interesting shops. Afternoons, when your friends aren't surfing, you can visit other places. Sosua is easily reached by public transportation for no more than RD$10/person. It is next town to the west. Or you can go to Puerto Plata. The guaguas that pass through Cabarete continue on to Puerto Plata. The public cars go to Sosua, where you can easily change to another. The ones passing through Cabarete have a blue sign on the roof; the ones that run between Sosua and Puerto Plata have a red sign (Sosua-Puerto Plata) on the roof. Most comfortable would be for the 4 of you to pay the driver of the car to Puerto Plata RD$100. That way you would have the car to yourselves (normally the driver squeezes in 6 people). No different than taking a taxi, except it would cost you only 1/3 to 1/2 of what you would be charged by a taxi.

Have a great trip.

If you do decide to rent a car and drive around the Island, being in Cabarete you will have two excellent routes which cross the hills right near Cabarete. One is the road from Sabaneta de Yasica via el Cumbre and Moca, which I have crossed and has excellent views of the Ciboa valley. One can visit Santo Cerro, La Vega Vieja, Jarabacoa and Constanza which are near this road's termination on "Autopista Duarte". The other I have not yet been on is the "Routa Turistica", which I have been told is beautiful as well, comes out near Santiago.

These routes could be used with a visit to Santo Domingo before returning North.

How to get there

From Cabarete you go east to the first cross roads and turn right.
That road comes down in San Victor, Moca. Turn left to Moca, La Vega, or turn right to Tamboril and Santiago

If you go this way, be sure to stop at Cafeto and have a brunch or just some coffee and the view.

Now, if you go west, you have two choices:
1) The Carretera Tur?stica Luperon. This is a slightly confusing intersection. You will find it just as the cane fields end on your left. There is a sort of tirangle, a little sign, on-coming traffic coming around a curve and downhill. YOu turn left.
This road comes down in Gurabo, Santiago. If you go straight, you end up in the center of town. If you turn left at the first major intersection (next to Hach?), you will go past the Gran Almirante Hotel and Casino, Supermercado Nacional, McDonalds, KFC, BurgerKing. At the second light, if you go right, you are in the center of town, if you go left, you are near the Plaza Internacional for shopping.
2) If you stay on the highway into POP and go left at the ballpark, you also take a nice road that comes down into Navarrete. Go left and you are in Santiago, where you can go straight for 7 lights and you are at Hach? from another direction...go straight to the Gran Almirante and other attractions.
If you go to the right as you enter Santiago, you go to the Ballpark.Now, if you go right at Navarrete, you go to MonteCristi....and Hait?

good Luck...

HB, tourist guide estraordinaire...hehehe

_{If you are totally confused, e-mail me and I will be even more precise!}

Before you make a final decision re car rental, find out what tours are offered. There are several locations in Cabarete that sell tours, which include your transportation, meal, and whatever equipment is needed. Among the vendors is a popular bike rental/repair place. It may very well be the mountain biking is one of the excursions available.

Cabarete is a good base of operations. The best windsurfing in the country is there for your friends, cars can be rented, and excursions can be purchased.