Casa Maravilla B&B

yoga

by sunshinenow

when i was at playa encuentro, attempting to surf, i asked if they knew of any place to do yoga. yes. there is a guy who was just here, wearing a straw hat, named Otis. he teaches yoga. a few minutes later, i found otis. he's a guy with light hair and freckles. very friendly, from the state of michigan. he told me he teaches at the SeaHorse Ranch on Thursdays and Saturdays from 5:15 to 6:15 by the big pool/beach club for $15 US. i treked out there, paid a moto 100 pesos to take me to the front gates. it was a LONG haul to the place where the pools were. freakin beautiful i tell you. but honestly, it's private gated community and i'm not sure if i was supposed to be in there like that. this place was full of beautiful, large homes. OTIS also told me that he would come teach me or as many people as i got together for $15 US. i didn't find people to do this. i assume the rate is not garanteed long term, and honestly i'd give him more than 15 bucks if there was a group of us there. he was very reasonable, prefectly fine with the idea of setting up a time to have a class on the beach for me and my friends, whenever and whereever we wanted. i'm used to a longer class and using a towel on grass was a new one for me. definately worth it. for the adventure and the yoga. yoga is always worth it. plus i met a nice family poolside when i'd arrived early. i still talk with one girl online from time to time. i believe the number below is his personal cell phone.

Cabarete, the paradise of windsurfing!

by Nounours

If you love windsurfing or kiteboarding, you're in the right place. Cabarete is famous for having excellent conditions for the sports. Everything revolves around the six kilometers of Cabarete Beach. On a two kilometer stretch (Cabarete Bay) businesses of all types have sprung up, many run by foreigners who first came as tourists and then came back to stay.
The restaurants, bars, surf shops and occasional hotel are located just far enough from the beach to add to the destination, not detract from the enjoyment of the beach. Many feel the attractiveness of Cabarete is in the people, the mingling of tourists who enjoy the intimacy of the smaller non inclusive hotels that encourage their guests to venture out and discover Cabarete. In the evening, the restaurants place their tables on the beach to serve dinner. While most are plastic tables, don't be fooled. The quality of some of the restaurants is first class. The whole evening experience of strolling on the beach under the stars from one place to the other to pick the restaurant for the evening is special. Many tourists even dress up for a fun people-watching evening. See and be seen.

While Cabarete caters to a young sports-minded crowd, it is also perfect for those who just want the leisure of sitting in the shade or taking sun on the beach, and for parents with little children.

With a wide beach and soft white sand, the coral reef-protected bay has ideal conditions for windsurfing. Windsurfers revel in progressive winds that pick up around noon with waves breaking from three to six feet high and only light currents.

As a world class windsurfing destination, Cabarete was discovered in December 1984 by Canadian Jean Laporte who spread the word. He set up a windsurfing school and wrote several articles for Voile Libre wind magazine and Hifly Canadian Rep. Claude Marois from Quebec brought the first windsurfing championship to Cabarete -- the Professional Windsurfing Association World Cup in 1988. The World Cup event came to Cabarete again in June of 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1997. The big names of professional world class windsurfing have competed here, including Robby Naish, Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Anders Bringdal, Robert Teriitehau and many others.

While the cost of the World Cup has lately been too high to find sponsors in the DR, the Cabarete windsurf community organizes an annual international amateur event, the Cabarete Race Week, that attracts some of the leading amateur competitors of the world for a week of windsurfing days and partying nights. Competitions are organized in the Open Class, Masters, Grand Masters, Women, Juniors and Sports Class categories.

Windsurfers say the best months for the sport are the summer months (June through August) when you can expect good flat water. Trade winds and thermal winds create perfect conditions for world class sailing, with winds averaging 15 to 25 miles per hour (24-40 kph). The best waves occur from January to March. The worst months are May, October and November. But, if you can't make it in the summer don't worry.
Wind conditions vary all year and it is more than likely there will be many good surfing days regardless of when you travel.

For those of you bringing your own equipment, there is no duty or deposit required upon entry through the airport. But for those who don't want to bring their gear, quality equipment and instruction are available at the resorts here.

Most hotels in Cabarete are small to medium size, with less than 50 rooms.
Personaly, I stayed various time at Cabarete Beach Hotel where I had a room three steps far from the beach!