Tropical Casa Laguna

Hey, Snaus.
I've never been in Tropical Casa Laguna... so can't help you on the quality of their rooms. They do however seem to have a fair amount of clients.

Cabarete is essentially a one-street town. Casa Laguna is located on the non-beach side in the very center of town, so the location is excellent except not beachfront. You're a 1 minute walk to the beach across the street. I believe you have use of beach chairs (and maybe the restaurant?) at their sister hotel Tropical Beach Club across the street (it's not shown on the map below, but it's to the right of Palm Beach Condos.

What else would you like to know about either the hotel or Cabarete?

Cabarete webcams

Also a couple of functioning Cabarete webcams.
Cabarete beach cam http://www.cabaretewebcam.com and
Cabarete streets images http://www.cabaretecool.com:8080

I know a little about the place , but sadly I am a typical Eurapean

Snausage said:

I know my brother would like to lie on the beach all day.

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Not a problem... 1 minute walk and he's on the beach. Even if not into kiting and windsurfing, it's a lot of fun to be a spectator.

Snausage said:

I, however, have plans to see the sights, meet locals and ex-pats, make friends....

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Easily done. For seeing the sights, try Iguana Mama tours (can find on internet). Also, if you speak Spanish you can consider renting a motoconcho or taxi for a few hours to take you around to diff't places. Talk to diff't drivers to find one that you think will show you what you want to see. People are friendly and usually quite open to conversations. I'm sure you'll find someone within 2 weeks that you'd have comfortable to take you around the local Dominican neighborhoods. At night, you'll find a lot of people your age on the beach. Lax is a sort of 'chill' place or "Bar Tipo Cool" as they call it. Onno's/Bambu are good for after 11pm dancing to reggaeton and some salsa/bachata/merengue occasionally mixed in. VoyVoy is somewhere in between with Karaoke on Monday nights & Ladies' night Thursdays. Most bars don't get going 'til 10-11pm.

Snausage said:

I'm also very interested in photographing the DR and meeting local artists/seeing local art work.
Are there any markets where locals can sell their wares in/close to Cabarete? .

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Start at Miro's Restaurant & talk to the owner Lydia about local artists. She hosts some exhibitions from time to time. Also, see Art by Veronika - Cabarete, Dominican Republic, Coco Angel - Cabarete, Dominican Republic, and ask about Ronald Duverge a local artist. There are others, Lydia should be able to help.

Snausage said:

I would love to go out on a boat one day, and don't know where to start. I'd love to fit as much in as possible but, like I say, the web info for the area seems relatively limited unless you just want to kite surf, and most of the resort reviews go back to 2005.

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Again... Iguana Mama is a place to start. Also search for Mel Tours. Your hotel will offer some opportunities to get out & about with tours as well. Search terms like Laguna Gri Gri, Damajagua falls, El Choco National Park

So you're bored in Sosua... - DR1 Dominican Republic Forums is a great thread by Rocky for things to do on the north coast. Sosua is about 15 minutes from Cabarete... so the trips he mentions are reachable from and pertain to Cabarete as well.