Cabarete, Dominican Republic<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Cabarete is summer incarnate. The bayâs weather forecasts tend to range from incredibly hot to tremendously baking... before going back to incredibly hot.
The resort, in El Choco National Park is situated on the north of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Archipelago and the predominantly Spanish speaking town is host to many professional kite surfing competitions such as Master of the Ocean. Three miles away from Cabarete is Playa Encuentro, the Caribbeanâs most popular surfing beach.
The Dominican Republic is also the birthplace of the Merengue style of music which has its name taken from the dessert meringue which was popularised in the rest of the world by Luis Alberti with his international hit Compadre Pedro Juan.
Summer
First, a warning: Cabareteâs summer features UV levels that can only be described as extreme! Take great care to use the right precautions as unprotected exposure can cause heatstroke and other skin problems.
The actual temperature in Cabareteâs summer ranges from 22°C (71°F) to 31°C (88°F) and coupled with a very high humidity level, making it feel hotter than it actually is. Summer in Cabarete normally sees 13 hours of daylight, with 8 hours direct sun per day. After which, the temperature will drop by an average 10°C at night, so sleeping will be a lot cooler. A dip in the sea or the hotelâs pool would make a great relaxation aid before getting to bed.
Rain always helps cool you down and the Caribbean knows exactly how to rain. Cabarete clocks from 86 to 116mm of the stuff in the summer which will be refreshing at first, but then the humidity will soar as the rain acts to reload the moisture in the air. The sea water temperature ranges from 29°C (83°F) to 30°C (86°F) during the summer days.
Cabarete is a tourist-catering village, with the tourism and commerce significantly helping increase the Dominican Republicâs employment figures (so congratulations, youâre helping fight poverty in foreign lands, just by being on holiday). As such, the village has many outdoor and water-sports activities for the holiday-maker such as kite-boarding, windsurfing, regular surfing, wakeboarding, canyoning (a mixture of climbing, swimming and hiking), biking and exploring the renowned Cabarete caves on the edge of the village.
Winter
Well, second summer really, but in the interests of clarity weâll call it winter. The forecast for winter highs at 30°C (86°F) and lows at 19°C (66°F), so as you can see, itâs not exactly cold, just not as hot as the summer. The high UV levels are still prevalent this time of year, so holiday-makers should still take care during the 11 hours of daylight, especially during the 5 to 6 hours that are in direct sunlight.
The sea water temperature fluctuates a little more than the air, dropping down to a range of 26°C to 27°C, (78°F to 81°F) and sticking with the topic of water, Cabareteâs winter starts by dropping 288mm of the stuff in December, before waning to 182mm towards the end of the season, then substantially dropping as the primary summer returns in full force.
Given the nature of winter in the Dominican Republic, the choice of tourist activities remains the same as the summer.
Itâs nice weather to sit outside one of the many restaurants and eat a Mofongo, a traditional dish from Puerto Rico consisting of fried plantain, stuffed with either chicken or bacon and veg, swimming in a chicken broth.