The North Coast of the Dominican Republic, especially Puerto Plata, is gaining a significant foothold in the water sports world by increasingly offering improved facilities for tourist from all over the world attracted by the calm and peaceful beaches of the North Coast.
Puerto Plata is home to some of the best beaches in the country, including Playa Dorada, Cofresí, Long Beach and Cabarete, where you can enjoy different water sports like surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing thanks to its generous winds. To demonstrate the importance of water sports in Puerto Plata, it’s worth mentioning the fact that they have held ten world championships in windsurfing and kitesurfing in the area. In Cabarete alone, there are five or six water sports schools, clearly demonstrating that these extreme sports have become professionalised, so you needn’t worry as you’ll be learning in a safe environment. Now, this doesn’t mean that you don’t have to be fit, but if you’re into adventure, then it’s surely worth staying in shape to enjoy these experiences.
If you find yourself in, or you’re travelling to the Dominican Republic soon, give yourself the chance to try out some of these sports that are sure to make you feel like the king of the ocean.
Kiteboarding
An extreme water sport to propel across the water. You ride on a standard board and are connected to a traction kite with a harness that allows you to do spins and rotations at incredible speeds. It’s perfect for those who enjoy a risk, but you need to be able to master surfing and paragliding before even trying it. Puerto Plata has hosted and endless amount of important kitesurfing events and competitions like the Master of the Oceans. This is an elite water sports championship that attracts professionals from all over the world in the disciplines of surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and stand up paddle boarding. Basically, it’s the Ironman of water sports. In Playa Neptuno, thanks to the winds, pleasant temperature and calm waters – due to the fact it’s protected by a barrier reef –, there have been two international kiteboarding cup championships which have attracted some of the world’s best from countries like France, England, Germany and Canada.
Windsurfing
One of the biggest sports on the North Coast is windsurfing, a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing as it’s powered by a sail attached to a surfboard that’s attached to a foot mast, providing complete mobility and allowing you to change the position of the sail and take full advantage of the force of the wind to drive the board. Playa Cabarete is an extremely important spot for windsurfing and has more than a dozen specialised shops where you can rent boards
Diving and Snorkelling
Playa Sosúa boasts coral reefs, ravines, sunken ships and beautiful gardens of coral that are perfect/ideal for diving in depths ranging from 15 to 29 metres with an average water temperature of 26°C. In and around the Playa Grande area, just 90 minutes from Puerto Plata, you also have the Gri Gri Lagoon which offers amazing opportunities for snorkelling.
