Dominican Republic

Where to surf in Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is the second largest and most populous country in the Caribbean, occupying the eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola adjacent to Haiti. To the east of the Dominican Republic is the Mona Passage, which separates it from Puerto Rico. Both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea produce rideable surf on an ideally indented coastline.

North Coast

While the Dominican Republic is a mountainous country, golden sandy beaches remain the main tourist attraction, which explains the high concentration of hotels and resorts on the Amber Coast. Relatively low-key until recently, the 65km stretch between Puerto Plata and Cabarete is now getting swamped by surfers from the US, Puerto Rico, Europe and a growing local contingent. It’s hard to avoid the wind, which blows hard from the NE or E, resulting in towns like Cabarete becoming world-class kite and windsurfing centres.

Eastward is the Samana Peninsula with friendly beachbreak at Nagua, Cayena, El Coson and La Bonita in touristy Las Terrenas.

There’s also a high concentration of hotels and resorts in Bavaro near Punta Cana and a few kilometres north is the reliably onshore, sandy peaks of El Macao, where straight N swells can produce short hollow waves plus there’s some reef action at Caligula and more beachbreak at Uvero Alto.

South Coast

Close to the capital Santo Domingo and Las Americas airport is La Boya, the best right on the south coast, peeling over a rocky reef beside the polluted Boca Chica harbour. A bunch of locals have lobbied to protect La Boya (and nearby Banzai) from plans to expand the neighbouring Andres container terminal. There’s more pollution at the reefbreak peaks of Guibia in downtown Santo Domingo and the reef at 3 Tabacos works in SE swells also.

Half an hour southwest of the city is the huge port at Haina and some barreling beachies at Chinchorro and Nigua. Najayo el Ojo and Palenquito are outer reefs in San Cristobal, La Punta is misleadingly a rivermouth left, while rocky Patho is more like a pointbreak as is El Derrumbao, way off near Las Calderas.

The SW province of Barahona, close to the Haitian border is where the mountain range meets the sea and a scenic coast road winds through thick jungle, and colourful, neat villages beside the turquoise waters of steep pebble beaches. There is not much choice between budget guest-houses and high-end hotels like Casa Bonita, overlooking Bahoruco, the best wave around. The cobblestone rivermouth peak gets pretty hollow, throwing up occasional tubes that head into the cold mountain river flow! Surfed by a handful of locals, who have a choice of a sandy lefthander La Cienaga, San Rafael shorebreaks, sucky rivermouth peaks at Paraiso, or lefts over the pebbles of Los Patos.