So you’ve seen the advertising or you may have even visited the sprawling hotels in Punta Cana on the South East Coast of the Dominican Republic but what you might not know or you haven’t been told is that the island of Hispaniola is the second largest island in the Caribbean & the North Coast of the DR is a mecca for water sports & adventure tourism. For all the marketing that’s aimed towards Punta Cana the North Coast & the Sosua / Cabarete area is that diamond in the rough just waiting for you to explore it & taste the real Dominican Republic. It’s not all shiny 5 star hotels you know this is a real country & there are real life experiences to be had outside the walls of those gated metropolises. 

So let me explain a little about why in my humble opinion you shouldn’t turn your nose up at swapping that bubble wrapped 5 star all inclusive hotel on the East Coast for an Airbnb, a boutique apartment rental or a slightly lower end or more economical all inclusive hotel like Casa Marina in Sosua or Viva Wyndham Tangerine in Cabarete here on the North Coast of the DR. I’ve been to Punta Cana numerous times, stayed there & bought those god darn awful overly priced t-shirts from the hotel gift shops. I even got married (in a former life) in one of those shiny, marble hotels. It’s all awesome & great to start with but the reality is that it gets old fast & you really could be anywhere in the world. After all once you’ve gone to the Italian & then the Mexican & then the buffet restaurant & sat by the pool & sat on the beach what’s left to do. How many cabaret shows or Michael Jackson themed shows can you possibly watch in one vacation?

So, this brings me onto our diamond in the rough & in particular the Sosua & Cabarete area. I am not going to beat around the bush, Sosua has a reputation for it’s working girls & guess what they’re here & they’re working but sometimes you need to scratch the surface to find out what’s hidden beneath. If you want the girls to be part of your vacation then no problem but if you don’t want it then it’s very easy to avoid. I moved here 8 years ago looking for a change in lifestyle. We looked into various parts if the Dominican Republic & the North Coast was easily the winner. Why you ask, well, firstly the water sports, surfing, kite boarding, scuba diving, rafting, trekking, mountain biking the list goes on. Then there’s the amenities, we have three good supermarkets split between Sosua & Cabarete & a host of great restaurants, bars & clubs. There is a big expat community here on the North Coast & with that comes added benefits. I’m not sure about your chances of ordering a triple skimmed, almond milk, decaffeinated latte but what we do have between the expats & the Dominican’s is a vast array of choices that cater to the needs of most. Surf in Playa Encuentro or Scuba Dive in Sosua in the morning. Kite Board at Kite Beach in the afternoon. Eat dinner as the sun comes down in a restaurant that suits your tastes. Sample some local tipples & party until the early hours on Cabarete Beach. You have choices & the Sosua & Cabarete area has an array of them to suit your vacation needs. Come & experience the real Dominican Republic you won’t leave disappointed.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog. My name is Luke a British expat that owns an authorized PADI Dive Resort called Superior Dive Sosua. We specialize in private PADI scuba diving certification courses & custom dive trips for certified divers in small groups. We dive daily here in Sosua Bay & there is an abundance of marine life right on our door step just waiting to be explored. Don’t hesitate to contact me via email at [email protected] if you have any questions regarding visiting the North Coast of the Dominican Republic.