Cabarete Bay

Cabarete Bay is a bay on the northern coastline of the Dominican Republic. The bay is formed by a barrier coral reef and is a popular destination for surfers and divers, Increased development of the city of Cabarete and deforestation of upland regions has resulted in increased urban and sediment runoff into the bay and impacted the health of the coral reefs. Overfishing of the coral reefs during the 1980s has also contributed to a decline in ecosystem function. Paradoxically, tourism in the Dominican Republic has helped alleviate one aspect of stress on the reefs. Many fishermen now work in tourist hotels for higher pay, decreasing fishing pressure on the coral reefs.Fact|date=July 2008

Cabarete is also a small Caribbean beach village located about 20 minutes away from the Puerto Plata International Airport on the northern shore of the Dominican Republic. It's a frequent tropical vacation spotFact|date=July 2008. The village of Cabarete is spread out across the center of a semi-circular beach.

The area is very popular for kitesurfing and windsurfing, with trade winds providing strong, consistent wind. The best months for strong winds are June, July and August when wind speeds average 13-22 knots onshore.Fact|date=July 2008

[http://www.dominicanwebcams.com Live and timelapse webcam images from Cabarete]

References

*cite web | url=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16632 | title=Cabarete Bay, Dominican Republic | publisher=NASA Earth Observatory | accessdate=2006-05-23