Getting around Cabarete: taxi, motoconcho, guagua or private driver
Four ways to move on the north coast, what each one is actually good for, and where visitors usually get it wrong.
The town is small, the coast is not
Cabarete itself is one main street along the beach: you can walk from Bozo Beach to the eastern end in twenty minutes. Everything else, Kite Beach, Playa Encuentro, Sea Horse Ranch, Sosúa, the airport, needs wheels. That is where the four options come in.
Motoconcho
A motorbike taxi, the cheapest and fastest way to cover two kilometres. Locals use them constantly. For a visitor they make sense for short daylight hops with no luggage, and much less sense at night, in the rain, with a child, or after a few drinks. Helmets are rarely offered.
Guagua
The public minivan that runs the coastal road between Puerto Plata, Sosúa, Cabarete and Río San Juan. It stops wherever you wave. Costs very little, takes as long as it takes, and fills up beyond what looks possible. Good for a cheap trip to Sosúa, awkward with suitcases or a board bag.
Street taxi
Available around the main street and outside the busier bars. No meters, so the fare is whatever you agree before getting in. Fine for a short ride if you settle the price first, less predictable late at night and in high season.
Private driver
You call, the same vehicle comes, and the price was agreed in advance. This is what most visitors end up using for the airport, for day trips, for dinner in Sosúa, and for anything involving children or gear. The advantage is not luxury, it is knowing who is driving, how much it costs, and that someone answers when you write.
A word on safety
The north coast is a friendly place and most trips are uneventful. The two things worth doing are agreeing the price before you get in, and using a driver you can identify, especially at night. Keep one number saved on your phone and you never have to work this out at two in the morning.
