surf yoga holiday
Cabarete, Dominican Republic
Stay Longer, Surf More

A long stay surf camp in Cabarete, built for adults who want weeks in the water rather than a rushed week.

Warm Caribbean water, no wetsuit, and a town that stays lively long after your lesson ends.

From the guidebook

Think of Swell as the anti-surf camp.

There’s plenty of surfing, of course, but the similarities to other surf camps end there. For starters, the rooms are stylish — more boutique surf retreat than reggae-loving surfer digs. Then there are the legendary breakfasts: omelets, pancakes and crepes, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and fruit bowls.

Structured surf lessons take place each morning — an instructor alongside you and the head surf coach watching from shallow water, ready to offer learn-to-surf tips between riding waves. If you are serious about learning to surf, then Swell should be on top of your destination list. Highly recommended!

Frommer’s Travel Guides Guidebook review
01For a longer trip
Dominican Republic

Weeks in the water, not days

good waves
Sleep Swell

Our long stay surf camp is for adults who have the time to do this properly — teachers on summer break, people between jobs, and remote workers who can bring a laptop and a board to the same place. You come to Cabarete for weeks rather than days, so progress in surf or wingfoil arrives without the pressure of a seven-day countdown, and the town itself becomes home for a while.

This is more premium than a surf hostel in Europe. In return you get the Caribbean: warm water, no wetsuit, palm trees and salsa most nights. Between June and September the conditions here are ideal for learning to surf, kite or wingfoil, which makes an extended stay easy to justify. See your stay and pricing for how longer bookings work.

Cabarete is a genuinely vibrant town with a young crowd, so a surf camp digital nomad rhythm — mornings in the ocean, afternoons working, evenings out — fits naturally. Read our honest adult surf camp page if you want the shorter version.

Jun–Sep
Ideal season to learn surf, kite or wingfoil
18+
Adults-only camp
0
Wetsuit needed — warm Caribbean water

Cabarete rewards a longer trip

Two things make this town right for a monthly surf camp rather than a quick week.

Jun–Sep
Ideal conditions for learning to surf, kite or wingfoil
Vibrant
Young crowd — an ideal town for an extended stay

A surf camp digital nomad routine that actually holds

If you work remotely, a long term surf camp lets you keep your income while you learn something real. The pattern most people settle into is simple: surf or wingfoil in the morning when conditions are best, work through the afternoon, then join the town in the evening.

Cabarete has cafés, reliable connectivity and a steady flow of other travellers doing the same thing, so an extended surf stay never feels isolating. If you are weighing which sport to commit to over weeks, our guide on surfing vs wingfoiling is a useful read before you arrive.

Young adult working on a laptop at a Cabarete beach café with a surfboard leaning nearby
More than surf

Learn Spanish, dance salsa, live in the Caribbean

A surf camp for adults on a long stay is about more than wave count. Weeks in Cabarete give you time to pick up Spanish, learn to dance salsa, and get to know a town instead of just passing through it.

  • Spanish in real life — daily practice beats any app when you are ordering, chatting and living locally.
  • Salsa and nightlife — the town stays lively; the beach bars and music are part of the deal.
  • Day trips and exploring — waterfalls, lagoons and more on your rest days. See day trips and the best things to do in Cabarete.

This is where a long stay earns its keep: the surfing improves, but so does everything around it.

Who a long stay surf camp suits

A quick, honest look at who tends to thrive on an extended stay with us.

Type of guest Time available Main goal Good fit?
Teacher on summer break Several weeks Jun–Sep Learn surf or wingfoil properly Ideal
Gap-year traveller Open-ended New sport, new town, new language Ideal
Remote worker / digital nomad Ongoing Work mornings off, surf daily Strong
Quick one-week holiday 7 days Fast intro to surfing Better on our week programs
02The surf

Ideal conditions
to learn or to progress your surfing

Surfing Surfing the warm water in Cabarete
Progress your surfing
Warm water · Fun waves

Surf lessons

We’ve been teaching surfing since 2009, and in that time over 9,000 guests have learned to surf with us. Our structured method is built to get you standing on the surfboard and progress in a way that’s safe, efficient, and most of all, enjoyable.

We coach you at your pace so you’ll always know what you’re working on and why it matters for your next step. You won’t get moved on too quickly, or be left behind. Our surf coaches work in small groups and adjust to how fast each person picks things up.

Whether you’ve never stood on a surfboard or you’re already surfing a bit and want to progress, we have a coach for you.

  • Consistent waves
  • Waves for different levels
  • Quality equipment
  • Warm water
  • 2 Sessions per day
  • Small groups
  • Experienced instructors
  • Lessons in english
  • Year round surf season
  • Since 2009
Surfing
Season Year-round
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Water & air No wetsuit
Water 27°C · 81°F
Air 28°C · 82°F
Ages Mostly 30 to 65
20 30 40 50 60 70
Solo travelers Majority
65% Most guests arrive on their own — and leave with new friends
As seen in
03The stay

Sleep (s)well.

A purpose-built surf retreat: a place to sleep in comfort, meet fellow travellers, chill between sessions and eat delicious, home-cooked meals.

The rooms
The rooms
The freshwater pool
The freshwater pool
Relaxing spaces
Relaxing spaces
The communal hub & garden
The communal hub & garden
Calm palette, generous beds
Calm palette, generous beds
Fresh, delicious food
Fresh, delicious food

In the air-conditioned private rooms, you will have a California king-sized bed (2mx2m), or you can elect to have twin beds if you are bringing someone along. Each room has its own ensuite shower/WC, a ceiling fan and crisp 100% cotton sheets.  After an action-packed day in or on the water, you can sleep as well as you should. We have kept the palette calm and relaxing.

At the centre of our surf retreat is the communal hub — an open living room with free WiFi and lots of space to lounge around.  There’s a huge dining table where guests eat together.  You’ll always find time to enjoy a game of pool with fellow guests, or relax completely on the sofas and chairs.

Outside, a freshwater pool sits in a beautiful, palm-shaded garden, with ample loungers for the down time between sessions.

  • Ensuite · AC · ceiling fan
  • 100% cotton sheets
  • Fresh breakfast & dinner
  • Restaurants minutes away
  • Communal area with WIFI
  • 24/7 staff onsite
  • Fresh water pool
  • Set in tropical garden
  • Walk to restaurants & shops
  • No need for a car
ACCOMMODATION INFO
The pool
The pool
Slow hours
Slow hours
The rooms
The rooms
The communal hub
The communal hub
Five minutes away
Five minutes away
04Getting here

Easy & hassle free
3 Different international airports

Puerto Plata (POP) has nonstop flights from Miami, New York, Boston and Toronto. From the terminal Swell is just a twenty-five minute drive down the coast road — and our driver will be waiting for you at arrivals.

Direct gateway Airport code Airport to Swell Status
Puerto Plata POP 25 minutes Pick-up included
Santiago STI 1 h 20 minutes Pick-up optional
Santo Domingo SDQ 3 h 35 minutes Pick-up optional

Puerto Plata (POP) is the closest airport to us but it isn’t the only one. Two more international airports sit within an easy drive: Santiago (STI) is about an hour and a half away, and Santo Domingo (SDQ) around three and a half — both worth a look if the fare or the timing happens to work better for you on the day you want to travel.

Whichever you choose, we’ll help you line up the transfer so the final leg is sorted before you touch down. There’s a full breakdown of routes, drive times and transfer costs/options on the Getting here page.

Final leg · POP → Swell 25 minutes by private transfer
GETTING HERE & OUR LOCATION
06Good to know

Questions,
answered.

Anything we’ve missed? Write to us — Swell's owner, Clare, will get back to you within a day.

There is no fixed maximum — guests stay for weeks or months depending on time and budget. Teachers often come for a summer, gap-year travellers stay open-ended, and remote workers settle in for extended periods. Ask us about longer bookings on the pricing page or via contact.

Between June and September the conditions are ideal for learning to surf, kite or wingfoil, which makes those months the sweet spot for a long stay. For a fuller picture of temperatures and seasons across the year, read our Cabarete weather guide.

Yes. A surf camp digital nomad routine works well in Cabarete: surf in the mornings when conditions are best, work in the afternoons, and enjoy the town in the evenings. It is a vibrant place with a young crowd and cafés, so you can keep your income while you learn.

Swell is more premium than a European surf hostel, so it is not the rock-bottom budget option. What you get in return is the Caribbean — warm water, no wetsuit, palm trees and salsa — and comfortable adults-only accommodation. See surf camp vs surf retreat to understand the trade-off.

An extended stay gives you time for far more than waves. Living in Cabarete for weeks is an easy way to practise Spanish daily, learn salsa, and take day trips on your rest days. Many guests treat the surfing as the anchor and build the rest of the experience around it.

Both suit a longer trip, since you have the weeks to progress properly. Wingfoiling tends to give fast early thrills while surfing builds steadily. Our surfing vs wingfoiling guide breaks down which to start with, and why Cabarete suits wingfoiling.

From our guests

Don’t take our word for it.
Take theirs

4.9 300+ Reviews
Megan S
Age
43
From
San Diego
Level
Beginner
Travelled
Travelled solo
If I could give Swell 10 stars I would!! My partner and I visited Swell at the end of March 2026. We had an absolutely amazing trip. The rooms are clean and spaceship. The A/C works great and had warm water to shower. The WiFi is spotty in the upstairs rooms but works perfectly in the downstairs communal room. The staff is above & beyond!! The meals were some of the best I’ve had. The surf instructors are phenomenal.. they work with your experience and levels of surfing and join you for breakfast & dinner nights. The yoga is great mostly long holds and stretches which are great after 2 sessions of surfing. Haudy is the best. She runs the place and without her Swell wouldn’t be Swell. I highly recommend doing the canyon tour with Helmut. And last but not least the people that I stayed there with honestly became my family for the week. I honestly want to come back!
Tripadvisor April 2026
Aerial view of the cove at Swell, Cabarete
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SWELL
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Watersport paradise

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Any day Arrival
Limited Availability
300+ REVIEWS
5 nights Minimum stay
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