By Encuentro Beach is known as the top surfing beach in Dominican Republic, and for good reasons. It offers consistent waves for beginners, intermediates and advanced surfers, and a good number of schools offering surf camps and classes all year round. It can be found between Sosua and Cabarete, right next to Hideaway Beach.
Encuentro Beach Photo Gallery
There`s a bar restaurant to grab a quick bite or shake, security, parking and plenty of shade under the mature trees. The Pura Vida Restaurant in Encuentro serves a menu of wraps, arepas, burgers, organic smoothies, fruit juices and coconut water. Nearby villa rentals and condos offer Encuentro Beach lodging, also local surf camps with rooms.
Encuentro Beach Videos
This mile-long beach has a beginner area with a 200 meter width, featuring low depths of 4-5 feet, great for first timers. The intermediate zone includes Bobo`s Point, The famous Left, and the Main Peak (La Derecha). For the experts, Mini Tavarua, Destroyer, Coco Pipe and the Outers will deliver a more powerful experience.
Encuentro Beach starts the action on early morning everyday, before 7am. Surfing school trainers get students ready on the beginner side, while advanced and intermediate surfers take their positions in their respective zones waiting for the big waves.
BEGINNER:
- The beginner area is located between Pahuana`s school and Bobo`s School. It extends about 20-50 meters into the ocean, and about 200 meters in width. The first 30 meters at a low 4-4.5 feet depth depending on the tide. It is a convenient area for those who start practicing surfing for the first time, teachers are very diligent and professional.
INTERMEDIATE:
- BOBO`S POINT: A hollow, consistent right and left reef point, favors right shifty peaks of varying quality. Epic and hollow when on, works best on clean straight N will stay clean when other breaks are a mess, breaks on any tide. It is located right after the beginner`s area.
- THE LEFT: La Izquierda, a fast and hollow left reef break, shallow and sharp rocks and coral. Will break on any swell but favors NW, low tide always best. It is the third from the left side of the beach.
- MAIN PEAK: La Derecha, as it is locally known, is a very consistent right and sometimes left over mellow coral reefs. Breaks on any swell direction and tide. Favors NE, but will have waves on any swell. This is the centermost point of Encuentro Beach, facing the Hideaway Beach community.
EXPERTS:
- MINI TAVARUA: Super hollow, powerful left reef break, reef on the inside drain dry. Sharp coral. Located in the far left edge of Encuentro.
- DESTROYER: Hollow, fast and powerful left reef break. Shallow and very sharp bottom, holds size and breaks best on N of NW swell. Low tide best. Strong rips, holds wind. This is the second spot from the left edge of the beach.
- COCO PIPE: Heavy right reef break, epic and hollow when on, favors NE swell and high tide. Left is longer but less hollow, your best wave or worst wipeout. This spot is second from Encuentro`s right edge. SUP ( stand up paddle board ) is allowed in this area.
- OUTERS: Long right and sometimes left reef point, a longer mellower version of coco pipe. Works on any swell but will favor NE, high tide best. This is the rightmost side of the beach.
The list of surfing schools is extensive, and their quality and commitment have made Encuentro the very top in DR when it comes to surfing:
