The entire North shore of the Dominican Republic is packed with insane kite spots! In the North East, the Samana Peninsula boasts pristine palm lined beaches surrounded by turquoise water. To the North West the thermal effect boosts the wind up to 30 kts.
Accompany this with a little Latino salsa or bachata and you have the perfect mix for an amazing kite cruise experience.
In the Dominican Republic we offer 2 kite cruise options.
Las Terrenas and the Samana peninsula are great for families, beginners and riders of all levels wanting a relaxed trip, stunning scenery and shorter sailing passages.
For more advanced riders we offer the North Coast downwinder. This trip visits all the spots along the North coast of the D.R. Expect stronger winds, long downwinders, flat water boosting and wave riding!
The Dominican Republic probably has more windy days than any other destination in the Caribbean. Due to a thermal effect, the wind gets stronger the further west you go. In Las Terrenas the wind blows 15-18 kt most afternoons, however further west the wind will pick up to 30 knots.
In Las Terrenas expect flat conditions and downwinders. Further West expect flat water, waves and long distance downwinders
Start your journey through the Dominican Republic by scrolling through some of the main kite spots visied during the trip.
Portillo is situated about 2 km outside the town of Las Terrenas in the North East coast. We anchor inside the lagoon and guests can choose to launch off the boat or from the palm lined beach. The wind is side shore, 15-18 kts and the riding conditions are super flat inside the bay with rolling waves out to sea. From here there is a fun downwinder inside the lagoon to the next kite spot.
As the name suggests Bonita Point is a stunning palm lined point with a surf break to the right and a huge sandy bay to the left. In the mornings when the wind is light its a great place to go wakeboarding, surfing or snorkelling. Intermediate riders and beginners should launch off the boat and ride in the open water of the bay. Advanced riders can have fun in the super flat reef right off the point.
No names given away here as this is our own little gem that we are trying our best to preserve! Tucked away behind the barrier reef is a tiny anchorage just big enough to give us access to a spectacular flat water lagoon. Choose to ride between the boat and the beach or take a tour up the lagoon to discover the nature reserve and the mangroves filled with birds.
Cabarete bay has long been recognised as a windy destination. It was first discovered by windsurfers in the 90’s but since then it has become a well known kite destination and on a busy day you can count hundreds of kites in the air. Luckily the kite area is huge so space is not a problem. Enjoy choppy conditions inside the bay with fun waves on the outer reef. In the evenings choose salsa, bachata or rock from any of the busy beach bars.
Cayo Arenas is a tiny sand bar protected from the ocean swell by coral reefs. This is a great place for advanced riders to get some big air! The water is fairly flat and the wind is usually close to 25 kts. Cayo Arenas is also a great place to start a downwinder along the lagoon to the nearby spot ‘Buen Hombre’.
Buen Hombre is about a 1 hour sail downwind from Cayo Arena and is a popular choice for kitesurfers looking for stronger winds. This tiny village is way off the beaten track but is a popular weekend hangout for local Dominicans. Expect both waves and flat water depending where you ride. Launch straight off the boat or from the beach.
The 7 Hermanos are a group of small islands on the far North West of the Dominican Republic. Each small island offers a protected anchorage and the ultimate of freestyle kitesurf conditions. As the day progresses the wind slowly picks up from 10 to 25-30 kts so you can choose your weapon of choice for the conditions. Foil after breakfast, surfboard mid morning, twin tip freestyle early afternoon and twin tip big air from mid afternoon till evening. The islands offer butter flat offshore conditions and you can ride 2 meters from the beach in offshore winds.
To Guarantee the best chance of wind we organize Dominican kite cruises from January to Late August during the trade wind and thermal seasons. In the Dominican Republic the winds generally pick up by mid day which leaves the morning to sail comfortably to the next kite spots. In the Eastern D.R. the winds are 15-18 kts. In the Western D.R. the winds pick up from 20 – 30 kts.
The Dominican Republic has 3 international airports and offers many direct flights from Europe, USA, Canada and South America. To avoid long transfers please book a flight to the airport closest to your departure port.
Miches is a great place to start your trip if you choose to fly to Punta Cana airport. The itinerary is a downwind sail through the Samana Bay and on towards Las Terrenas where you can get a transfer back to Punta Cana. February to May is Whale watching season in the Bay so keep a watch out for company in the water!
Airport code: PUJ
Flights from: USA and Europe
Departure Port: Miches, Playa Esmeralda
Transfer to Port: 1 hour 30 mins
Sailing time to kitespot: 0
The local Las Terrenas airport is called El Catey (AZS) however most travellers find easier flights to Santo Domingo (SDQ). Transfer time is 2 hours and costs around 140 usd for a 12 seater van. Las Terrenas is a great departure port for the North Coast Downwinder. It’s also a good place to start the Samana cruise if you want to keep sailing times to a minimum.
Airport code: SDQ
Flights from: USA – Europe
Departure Port: Punta Poppy
Transfer to marina: 2 hours
Sailing time to kitespot: 0
Cabarete is a great place to start the trip if you find flights to Puerto Plata (POP) and want to concentrate on the windier kite spots. Starting the trip in Cabarete excludes out the Eastern side of the Dominican Republic and is primarily for riders looking at the Downwind cruise towards the 7 Hermanos.
Airport code: POP
Flights from: USA, Germany, Switzerland
Departure Port: Cabarete Bay
Transfer to Port: 25 mins – 40 usd
Sailing time to kitespot: 0
In this video Duotone team riders, Machu, Reno and Olivia join us for a cruise along the North Coast of the Dominican Republic
