Cabarete Transportation

try to just walk. the town is small and this is easy.

take a taxi or gua-gua for safety, if you must go very far

negotiate. negotiate. negotiate. and BEFORE you get in the taxi. there's always another taxi.

(the taxis charge excessive rates, in my opinion...on par with chicago cabs really and they're not as willing to negotiate as the motos)

seatbelts are only required for the drivers and it appeared this was the only law enforced, and only when the police were heavily in town on a holiday weekend. drinking and WHILE driving did not seem illegal. the police might also stop you if you have more that a few people in the flatbed of your pick-up. it seemed a few was ok, but full of people was deemed unsafe.

if you're going to rent something and plan to try driving, be warned. gasoline is very expensive. also, there are no intersections or lanes on the road. it's a bit of a free for all, though with the regular feel of traffic, driving on the right. not too different from typical drive in the city of chicago...minus the stop-lights, if you know what i mean. there were NO stops on the road between puerto plata and cabarete.

also, i believe it might be possible to take a gua-gua, but i'm not sure you'd want to with your luggage. i say this only because it is crowded on this bus-like system that is really about four rows full of people crowded into a mini-van. i'm not sure the price from the airport, but from about half way to the airport (sea horse ranch) to cabarete it was 10 pesos during the day and 20 pesos at night. the guagua prices did not seem negotiable, but the price is right if you're super broke and have very little luggage. also, i'm not sure if they come into the airport, or if you'd have to walk out to the main road to get this. there aren't "bus stops" for the guaguas. you just stand on the side of the road. and i was instructed to point away from me and down at the road, instead of up like hailng a taxi or putting your thumb out like a hitchhiker. you know the gua-gua by the white stripe with red lettering on the top edge of the windsheild. i forget what it said. san juan or something to somewhere else. sorry. just ask if they're going to cabarete.

also, about the motos...supposedly, they are not legal taxis and should be wearing helmets. apparently they are too numerous to stop. meanwhile - i only saw ONE helmet being worn over my eight day trip. ONE. and there are motos freaking everywhere. the motos are infamous for hospitalizations, which are common placed for the aformentioned reasons.

1 more image

The closest airport from Cabarete is Puerto Plata Gregorio Luperón, located in the nearby community of Sosúa and about 15 minutes from Cabarete. So far, the only way to transfer between the airport and Cabarete is by taxi.

Cabarete is also located about 45 minutes from Puerto Plata city (PP), making it a good place to go for a daytrip if you don't wanna be there at night. Between Cabarete and PP there's local buses during the day.

The cheapest way to get around is with a Kwakwa. You have to pay a few dominican pesos to drive from one spot to the other but you have to sitt in this car with almost 20 or more other people.

The best way of getting around in The Dominican Republic is with a taxi. You can make a prize before you go on your trip and this board is telling you the prizes of the local city's.