On the Atlantic coast of the Dominican Republic is one of the best places in the world for windsurfing and kitesurfing – the resort of Cabarete. Steady northeasterly trade winds blow here all year round. The maximum wind speeds (up to 10-15 m/s) are observed in June-September and December-April, it is at these times of the year that the beaches of Cabarete are crowded with tourists. Every year in early June, an international kitesurfing championship is held here. The best beach for windsurfing and kitesurfing is Kite Beach. Along the coastline of Cabarete, there are kite and surf stations that offer instructors and equipment for rent.
SURFING
For surfing, the northern coast of the country is more suitable. From December to March, the waves here can reach a height of 4 m. Surfing can be practiced on the Playa Encuentro beach (Playa Encuentro) in Cabarete, on the Playa Grandebeach (Playa Grande), located to the east, and on the Playa Coson beach (Playa Coson), which is located near the resort of Las Terrenas on the northern coast of the Samana Peninsula. Also suitable for surfing is located on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic, east of the country’s capital Santo Domingo, Playa Caribe beach. Check top-medical-schools.org for travel information in Dominican Republic.
FISHING
The best fishing areas in the Dominican Republic the resort of Boca Chica is considered, where annually in April the local water club organizes international fishing competitions (Wahoo, sailfish, barracudas live in coastal waters); and Punta Cana, which will be of interest to lovers of deep-sea fishing (marlin, wahoo, tuna, red snappers are found here).
PARAGLIDING
Paragliding is very popular in the Dominican Republic. There are many launch pads here. On the south coast, the opportunity to paragliding is provided by the southeast breeze from the sea, which blows throughout the day. Here is the most popular place for paragliding in the Dominican Republic – Matua (Matu). It is popular because it is located near the capital of the country – Santo Domingo. El Manaclar near the city of Bani, the city of Azua and the nearby La Playita launch site and La Job near the city of Barahona can be distinguished from other places on the south coast. The central part of the country, occupied by mountain ranges, is also suitable for paragliding. The most suitable conditions for paragliding are observed in wide mountain valleys, where “thermal” flows dominate during the day, resulting from the heating of the earth’s surface by the sun. Galvan launch sites near Lake Enriquillo are popular in this region,
Las Aguitas near the city of San Juan and Alto del Guayabo, La Manaclita and La Antena, located near the city of La Vega.
The north coast is less popular with paragliders. This part of the coast of the country is dominated by the northeast trade winds, the speeds of which are quite high and often not suitable for soaring. But still, there are several launch sites here: Mount Loma Isabel de Torres near the resort town of Puerto Plata (Puerto Plata) and Miches (Miches), located on the southern coast of Samana Bay.
EXCURSIONS
Excursion program in the Dominican Republic extremely varied. Among the most popular excursions are whale watching, which are held in Samana Bay and along the northern and eastern coasts of the country from mid-January to mid-March; visiting coffee plantations, tobacco factories and rum factories; participation in the most spectacular February carnival in the city of La Vega; tours of the “Colonial City” of Santo Domingo, many of whose buildings were erected during the life of Christopher Columbus and are the first buildings of Europeans in the New World; scuba diving where you can swim with nurse sharks and rays; sightseeing water excursions along the coasts of the country; helicopter tours and jeep safaris.
LAKE ENRIQUILLO
In the southwestern part of the Dominican Republic, near the border with Haiti, is the largest lake in the Antilles – Lake Enriquillo (Lago Enriquillo). Its area is 265 sq. km. This is one of the few salt lakes on the planet where crocodiles live. Isla Cabritos National Park was created to protect crocodiles on the largest island of the lake (Cabritos Island).(Isla Cabritos national park). Cabritos Island is a flat desert island that divides Lake Enriquillo into two parts. The island is home to cacti and thousands of reptiles, including American crocodiles, rare rhinoceros iguanas and Ricord’s cycluras, and thousands of birds, including red flamingos, herons and ibises. You can get to the island on excursion boats. In addition to visiting the national park, tourists are invited to go to the caves located on the shore of the lake, where the drawings of the Taino Indians have been preserved, and swim in a small lake filled with water with a high sulfur content (it is believed that the water has a healing effect on skin diseases).
