Not surprisingly, Cabarete is home to one of the Caribbean's best windsurfing schools, Carib Wind Center, Playa Cabarete (tel. 809/571-0640; www.caribwind.com). It's devoted to teaching proper techniques and to renting state-of-the-art equipment. Equipment rental costs RD$1,490 for 1 hour, and instruction is RD$1,863 to RD$7,450 per hour depending on the class. Clients who book a week or more in advance receive discounts of around 20%. A worthy competitor, located just a few doors away, is the Fanatic Windsurf Center, Calle Principale (tel. 809/571-0861; www.fanatic-cabarete.com). Fanatic sometimes offers rates a bit less expensive than those at the Carib Wind Center.

Although windsurfing attracts more media attention than any other sport in Cabarete, conventional surfing is also big and getting bigger. Because of the prevailing tides and wind patterns, it's best undertaken at Playa Encuentro, a 2km (1 1/4-mile) stretch of beachfront that's 4km (2 1/2 miles) west of Cabarete and 5km (3 miles) east of Sosúa. Here, surfboards are rented from a crowd of active aficionados at the Club M-Endy, Playa El Encuentro, Carretera Sosúa-Cabarete (tel. 809/571-1625). You'll turn off the main coastal highway at the Coconut Palms Resort, then follow the signs, driving along dirt roads through cow pastures, to Club M-Endy. Renting a surfboard costs RD$931 per day and lessons can be arranged for around RD$1,304 an hour. (M-Endy's centerpiece is a soaring, thatch-roofed bohío that's the site of a simple bar and restaurant, where burgers and grilled fish cost from RD$160 to RD$750.)

Iguana Mama at Cabarete (tel. 800/849-4720 in the U.S. or 809/571-0908; www.iguanamama.com) offers the best mountain biking and hiking. Going strong since 1993, it features a trek to Mount Isabel de Torres with experienced guides that lasts a full day and costs RD$2,794 per person. If enough people book, this tour is offered daily. Another trek involves a 900m (2,953-ft.) downhill cruise, costing RD$3,353 per person and held only Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Finally, Gipsy Ranch (tel. 809/571-1373) is the most complete riding stable in the Dominican Republic; they'll take you horseback riding at a cost of RD$932 per person for an hour or RD$1,788 for a 4-hour ride.

Serious Windsurfing -- Cabarete hosts an annual weeklong windsurfing tournament every June. Only amateurs are allowed to participate. For more information, contact the Happy Surf School, Hotel Villa Taína, Calle Principal (tel. 809/571-0722; www.villataina.com); the Carib Wind Center, Calle Principale (tel. 809/571-0640; www.caribwind.com); and the Fanatic Windsurfing Center, in the Café Pitu, Calle Principale (tel. 809/571-0861; www.fanatic-cabarete.com).

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.