Cabrera

Jul 11, 2011
8
0
0
Sorry to be the newbie with a million questions, but I have another one. Is anyone on here in Cabrera? Can you tell me about living there? Is it relatively safe? Is there a good market there? Can you tell me anything about the schools there? Any info you can give me about the area would be appreciated. Thanks so much!
 

pularvik

Active member
Jan 2, 2011
424
38
28
Lived in Cabrera 2 months last winter, going back for 6 months in September. Not a tourist area so public night-life limited. Decent markets for basics, one hour to Sosua for esoteric items. Clean and safe. Large town, about 25,000 very friendly people. Many ex-pats chose this town as it's quiet and laid back. Several beaches 10-20 minutes away. Sorry,- don't know about schools.
 

flako

New member
Sep 18, 2010
2
0
0
My wife and I have a house in Cabrera. There is a private school up on Naranjito run by swiss ladies (Los Ninos del Arcoiris) that teaches English and French as part of the curriculum. There is another private school in town and public ones too.

Some good cheese is made locally. Markets have sufficient produce. If you want anything more, Sosua and Nagua are close by. You can easily access El Catey or POP airports.

People are friendly and try to understand my broken spanish. There are some very nice non-touristy beaches. I have always felt comfortable.
 
Jul 11, 2011
8
0
0
Thanks for the information. There is a chance we will be moving there in August. I was able to find some info on the net, but more about the larger cities. We have never lived outside the southeastern US, and this is exciting, but scary. Thank you, again, for your time and kindness. We will know more about the opportunity tomorrow evening.
 

Kozy

Member
Jun 1, 2002
233
26
18
size of Cabrera

Actually Cabrera is about 5-7000 people. The entire province here- that being Maria Trinidad Sanchez- is about 125-150,000. The capital of the province, the "big city", is Nagua, 30 minutes from Cabrera, about 75,000. If you like small town living Cabrera could be for you. If not, I would suggest elsewhere. Cabrera has 2 stoplights, neither of which has worked for years. I believe the entire province has 6 stoplights, 3 which function on a regular basis, mas o menos.
 

Lolitula

New member
Mar 16, 2011
205
0
0
Hey Marzee, good for you! It's scary making the change but soooo worth it in the end! :)

I lived in Cabrera for about a year, and I just loved it. It's not a very large town, but I find the nightlife great (bars all emptying out on the beach, all lit up at night, really casual and within minutes to cover the full gamut). The restaurants are small and friendly (and delicious! I really loved Friends, right on the strip, for their beautiful breakfasts :) ) and overall the town possessed a happy, chill atmosphere.

Regarding schools, that's been answered for you (I wouldn't know, because I didn't have a child when there) but I know there is an International School in Sosua.

Cabarete's main strip is busy, busy and often congested with motoconchos and low-hanging wires, but I never encountered any issues there (although there have been plenty of motor accidents). It's a great, very chilled-out town, and the beach is gorgeous and breezy, rougher surf than in the South but perfect for kite-board watching!

I hope you enjoy!
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,966
113
Best Beaches near Cabrera?

What are the names and locations of the beaches near Cabrera?
 

MaineGirl

The Way Life Should Be...
Jun 23, 2002
1,879
89
0
amity.beane.org
windeguy: Playa Grande, Playa Caleton, La Entrada

Loli: I think you mean Cabarete...this gal sounds like her husband may have a job at AIC.
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
514
113
Marzee: Send an e-mail to "MaineGirl" she lived and worked there for a goodly while. She can probably give you names and numbers and send you a few pictures of the place.

You should know that it is really far from anywhere. There are no top level medical facilities within miles and miles (Santiago or Santo Domingo) Basic cuts and scratches are things that you will have to deal with. Really good shopping will have to be in Puerto Plata, or San Francisco de Macoris (La Sirena) and then for even better shopping you need to go to Santiago.

Water and lights in the area are iffy at best, so if you will be uncomfortable with that, at least be aware of it.

This is not Kansas, Toto....

You will suffer Culture Shock. You will be really really tired all the time for your first two or three months here. Please read up on Culture Shock and how to deal with it. You are coming from the greatest place in the world to a Third World setting without any training or language skills to deal with what you will see, feel and hear here. Again, prepare yourself by reading up on this.

Sure, if you are wealthy, you can create a bubble around yourself that insulates you from the "madding crowd" of Dominicans, but if you can't speak the language or deal with really surreal situations, you are going to be frustrated like never before.

So talk to MaineGirl and get some feedback from her.

Cordially,

HB

I see that while I was writing and editing, MaineGirl has appeared. Do your thing gal and clue this lady in!!!!
 

MaineGirl

The Way Life Should Be...
Jun 23, 2002
1,879
89
0
amity.beane.org
You have said it HB! It is a small town, away from a lot of services. It has a wonderful community feel--my landlords were extremely decent people, they even sold my scooter for me after I left and sent me the money via Western Union. The new school there is in year 4 (this year) and by all accounts is growing. The beach is not walking distance. You will need transportation to get around. Shops, etc are small time and for more options, SF or Nagua. You have to be careful to earn a good reputation as it is a small town and every move is examined. Great cheese as someone mentioned. Chori pan has the best ribs....my mouth is watering. It is not a place to move to without resources and you will not make a comparable wage to US wages in Cabrera. Spanish is probably a necessity for sanity. My take. VERY CLEAN town and lots of pride. Nice festivals and events where everyone shows up and has a great time. More cows than people though.
 

hammerdown

Bronze
Apr 29, 2005
1,466
107
63
don't forget playa diamonte, and playa preciosa.....also lago dudu, if you want a fresh water sinote (sp?)
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
MOst of what is said above is true... except for the beach bars... there are none b/c there is no 'in-town' beach.
As such, the crowd is different.... little to no short term tourists - very few hotels.

Many foreigners who live seasonally.... homeowners or long term renters.

I'm not sure about the schools but there is a french school in Rio San Juan (15 minute saway.... )..... 1 or 2 Inrernational schools, which are apparently quite good.

Restaurants are basic.... nightlife too..... remember no beach crowds in Cabrera.

I'm here right now...... hot, slow... just fine.
Things are growing so fast you can watch it grow !! Regular lawn and bushes trimming.

There is one other beach at Cabo Frances Viejo..... rarely used 'though.

Sosua is just about an hour for good shopping...Santiago 2 hours as is the Capital.

You go to those places often.... just for the trip.
All the basics are in Cabrera... just the luxuries aren't.

As has been said before.... in most of RD, you will need to redefine 'luxury' and 'necessity'................. many things you may consider a necessity now in US or Canada could be classed as luxuries here.
 
Jul 11, 2011
8
0
0
Thanks, everyone. We are from a town of about 10,000, and actually live outside the town, so a small town isn't so bad. We have spent a some time in the mountain area of Jamaica, so aren't shocked by the third world conditions. We knew to expect that. I guess I was more concerned about the safety, availability of basic groceries, and those kind of things. Is the one beach that was mentioned, Cabo Frances Viejo, within walking distance of town? We will be without our own transportation, at least to begin with.
I have understood that it isn't too difficult to get from place to place by guagua. Is this true in Cabrera? Again, sorry for so many questions, but this is a pretty big decision. We have a 12 year old son. I truly believe this would be a great experience for him. At the same time, this makes the decision much harder. If it were just my husband and myself, we would be on the next plane, without question.
 

Lolitula

New member
Mar 16, 2011
205
0
0
Oooooops! Sorry Marzee et co, I was reading it as Cabarete, not Cabrera...got ahead of myself :) At any rate, let me know if you'll be making the move, because I'll be teaching at the school there (and sending my 5-year-old!) We're moving there next week! I did live in Cabarete...and that's a whole other story.
@Maine Girl, I wish you'll come back and we can take you out to the Chori Pan to thank you for the great advice! And I hope to meet the rest of the DR1 gang near and far in our new adventure...I hope you will make it! Good luck! :D
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
Walking to the beach would depend on where you live.... there is another beach at Orchid Bay which is a gated community but a public beqch... you just need to learn how to get there - not hard.

Yes, guagua and motoconchos abound..... 100-150 pesos for the moto ride to almost anywhere nearby.
Public transportaion to Nagua and Rio San Juan too.
Caribe tours has a stop here for the bigger trips.

There must be a reason you're looking at Cabrera......???

Its very safe..... do a search here and you'll find a robbery a year or so ago..... the police shot and killed the robber..... been quiet ever since.
As my friend said to me....You can sleep with your wallet on your face here now!

There are several threads on Cabrera with a lot of good information.

All the best..... good luck.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
Having said everything, Cabrera is on the cusp of change.....

Some of 'Terrible Tambo's" silver spoon friends are coming to town--- along with some of their 'hard working' friends.... to build houses and a small hotel near Playa Grande Golf and beach.... search for details.

This new influx might change the character/culture of Cabrera.... we shall see.

May not be all bad.... too early to tell..
 

TravelHippo

Active member
Mar 24, 2008
504
32
28
Hi Marzee Hufstetler Carnes,

Great to hear that you are considering a move to Cabrera! It really is a lovely little town. I live here with my husband very close to the centre of town and have for the past three years. We absolutely love it here. Mainegirl mentioned that you may be getting a job at AIC? My husband and I actually worked there for a year when we originally moved here so we may be able to answer some of your questions related to that. We have also had many friends who have worked there over the years and a couple who still do. Otherwise, we can certainly answer questions about the town in general. We actually run a small school ourselves now, as well as a free summer camp for the local children which is taking place right now until mid-August. If you have any questions for me or just want to hear more about our experience living here in Cabrera, please feel free to PM me or email me at info@esperanzaproject.ca .

I look forward to hearing from you soon and wish you all the best with your decision! :)
 

TravelHippo

Active member
Mar 24, 2008
504
32
28
To add to that, you asked about getting around without transportation. It can definitely be done but it isn't always easy. There have been many teachers who have been here to teach for a year at AIC who didn't buy any sort of transportation, but it can be tough. Most end up buying a moped (pasola) or motorcycle to get around, especially around town and to close by beaches, etc. We bought our pasola brand new for $1000 USD within a month of living here as we were fed up walking around, sweating in the heat. You can easily get second hand ones for $300 - 400 USD, which is well worth it to help in getting you around, especially this time of year when it is so hot. Gua guas and buses can then be used for longer trips. There are a few car rentals in town as well for about $30 USD a day.
 
Jul 11, 2011
8
0
0
Thank you all for the information. It doesn't look as if we will be relocating at this time, but possibly in the future. We were looking at taking a teaching position in the area, but my husband got a 1 year contract in the states. I am still very interested in the area, and it may be something we do in he future. Thank you, again.