YOUR STAY
Location
We will gather in Playa Encuentro / Cabarete, on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic. As our Founder Marlim’s home, the DR holds a very special place in our hearts. When we think of Caberete, we feel a sense of freedom, community and alegria! Cabarete is always alive with its vibrant culture, art markets and local restaurants that colorfully illuminate the town. Also known as the Amber Coast, the calm waters and warm, breezy weather of this area brings us so much peace and grounding. This is a town where socio-economic status lines often feel blurred, where people can connect through dance, laughter and pure joy.
Every place has a rich and complex story
And we want to honor and respect that as your hosts for this retreat. While we have the privilege to visit and enjoy this beautiful island, we acknowledge that the DR is much more than just a place to vacation in. From the first day we decided to host this retreat, we were faced (and still do) with the dilemma of recognizing the privilege and power dynamic that comes with our ability to create this experience for our participants. We want to be honest and invite you into a dialogue of how we can decolonize yoga, surf and wellness retreats together. We believe that the first step is to enter with an openness to learn beyond the narratives that fit our own comfort and bliss. Here are some steps we invite you to take with us:
Learn the history, culture and economics of where we are visiting
Although the Dominican Republic has shown strong economic growth in recent years, inequality, chronic poverty and low economic mobility persist, with almost a third of the population remaining in poverty despite having skills and assets to generate higher income, while wealth continues to accumulate within a narrow ruling elite. La Cienaga is a shanty town on the outskirts of Cabarete. The Dominican Republic is also a popular destination for international sex tourism, which is mostly concentrated in small coastal towns such as la Cienaga, where women have less economic opportunities than in larger towns and cities. Many of the sex workers are of Haitian descent, who also face additional discrimination due to colorism in the DR. This is where many of our surf instructors are from.
The Taino/Arawaks are the indigenous people of the Dominican Republic. The Taino people inhabited the island of Ayiti (“Land of high mountains”), also known as Kiskeya (“mother of all lands”), which was later taken from them and turned into what we now know as La Hispaniola, which includes the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Our Co-Founder Marlim is a descendant of the Taino people. She remembers the story of “espejitos por oro” (little mirrors for gold) - the history of how the Tainos greeted Columbus with food, water, and gifts of gold. What they received in exchange were chunks of mirrors and such trinkets at first, and later diseases, enslavement, starvation and slaughter till the point of near extinction. While knowing and learning this history of our ancestral roots takes an emotional toll, we believe that this needs to be part of our work and healing. We invite you to also explore the history of the DR from an indigenous perspective, and share with us what you discover.
Invest into the local economy
Kokoro y Mar is committed to paying our local surf instructors a fair wage. We will also be offering our instructors additional paid training—co-led by our Co-Founder, Marlim Reynosa, and local ISA Certified Surf Coach, Papito Santana—to support their advancement within the local surf school industry. Our cooks and drivers will also be locally hired. Part of the proceeds from this retreat will go towards supporting the Mariposa Center for Girls, a program of The Mariposa Foundation, dedicated to the education and empowerment of young women in Cabarete and the DR. We would love to hear more from you about ways for us to give back and do our part.
Lodging
We will be staying at Hooked Cabarete, a surf and yoga camp lodge we hold dear to our hearts. Each shared apartment (2-4 attendees) has a fully equipped kitchen with gas stove, microwave, coffee maker and fridge. You can choose between shared rooms of 4 or 2 participants. Rooms also include a private terrace with a hammock for post surf naps.
Enjoy taking a dip in the pool located in their tropical garden, as well as other services including: wifi, yoga platform (for independent or group practice), BBQ area, scooter and bicycle rentals, slackline to practice your balance skills, potable hot and cold water, daily maid service, laundry facilities, 24 hour security system, and optional air-conditioning.
It’s walking distance from the beach of Playa Encuentro and its lovely residential community. There's a mini-market in the neighborhood as well as a restaurant right by the beach where we'll be surfing (all walking distance). Occasionally vendors will drop by the beach to sell snacks to surfers. Additionally, many restaurants in the area offer delivery service to Encuentro.
Playa Encuentro is at a 5 min drive from downtown Cabarete, where you'll find shops, restaurants, bars, grocery stores, and a lively scene of locals, expats, and some tourists. Along the road to downtown Cabarete there are also several restaurants, fruit stands, and cafés-- some owned by locals, others by expats.
Directions
Hooked Cabarete | Calle los Cocos 120/121, Cabarete 57000, Dominican Republic.
Traveling to Puerto plata (pop)
We will provide shuttle transportation from Puerto Plata Int’l Airport to the lodge on January 26, and from the lodge to the airport on February 1. We recommend buying your flight tickets soon. There are some very good prices available on SFO-POP JetBlue and United flights right now (around $525 roundtrip). FYI, there are no direct flights from California to Dominican Republic, so the standard/ best option available is a flight with a layover in New York or Florida.
traveling to Santo domingo (sdq)
There are some amazing deals if you choose to fly to the capital city, Santo Domingo (SDQ) through Aeromexico or Delta (around $360 roundtrip!). But you'd have to take a taxi to the bus station (which Marlim can help arrange for you) and then a 4.5 hour bus to the north shore of the DR. So it's cheaper, but a bit of a trek.