There is a huge amount of accommodation on offer in and around Cabarete alone, and much more in the wider area. From all-inclusive hotels, to guest houses and Airbnb’s.
Outside of Puerto Plata is Playa Dorada, an area which was developed some 40 years ago to be one of the first all-inclusive one-stop-holiday-shops in the Caribbean region. Sadly, it’s showing its age and the cheapness of the flights, packaged with accommodation, reveals itself in the quality of room and food/drink you will receive.
If you value cheapness above quality, then these holidays are still a good option for some sun and beach. Playa Dorada is a good 40 minute drive to Cabarete, so getting to and from the surf beach, if you are coming to surf, will not be easy or cheap.
Sosua is a 15 minute taxi from Cabarete (Encuentro, the surf beach is only 5 minutes outside of Cabarete in the direction of Sosua). Sosua itself has a stunning bay and beautiful water for snorkelling, but a rather deserved reputation for being a bachelor haunt. Bars and clubs at night are frequented by prostitutes.
The new Mayor of the town is doing her best to clean up Sosua, but she faces a tough task.Cabarete is the sporty neighbour of Sosua. Itself set inside a panoramic bay, there’s a safe area for swimming with calm water and an area of the beach reserved for windsurfers and kiteboarders. SUP is now very popular in this huge bay where you can paddle out to the reef to catch some waves, or stay on the flat water inside and paddle up and down the bay.
The bay is light sand and lined with palm trees, just in front of a large number of charming restaurants. The restaurants have their own sun loungers where you can pay a couple of dollars to sit all day, have food and drinks served to your lounger, and watch the various water spots go on around you.
Cabarete has a ban on motorised water sports, so you won’t be disturbed by any motorboats or jet skis. There are modern apartment complexes right on the beach, Ocean One, Harmony, Ocean Dream which have apartment rentals aplenty. Kite Beach and Cabarete East also have accommodation on offer which might suit fervent kite-boarders looking for cheap accommodation, but bear in mind you will have a 20-30 minute walk back to town for dining and partying, so you will likely need transportation.Specialist accommodation like Swell surf camp offer packages of accommodation including surf lessons, airport pickups, some meals and surf beach transportation.