Swell Surf Camp
Calle Las Palmeras, Cabarete Dominican Republic
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About
#2 of 52 hostels in Dominican Republic
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Swell is a purpose built hotel for surfers, right in the center of Cabarete. You will have no need to hire a car or use a motorbike as we take care of the transportation to and from the beach twice per day and you are right next to all the restaurants and the beach of Cabarete. All our private rooms have en-suites with AC. Swimming pool with LED and fibre optic lighting and a large communal area with pool table, fussball and ping ping table as well as a video library and other games. We cater for active people who want quality accommodation in a social setting. 4 home prepared dinners and our delicious daily breakfast are included in a 7 night package at Swell. We don't allow our rooms to be sold on this website.
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Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
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Fitness classes
Game room
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Shuttle bus service
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Air conditioning
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Non-smoking rooms
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87Good for walkers
Grade: 87 out of 100
39Restaurantswithin 0.3 miles
6Attractionswithin 0.3 miles
Calle Las Palmeras, Cabarete Dominican Republic
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265Reviews5Q+A35Room tips
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Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
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I spent 6 days at Swell Surf camp. I highly recommend this boutique style accommodation and outstanding quality surf lessons. Each day I partook in two surf lessons. In between we all gathered for an AMAZING breakfast. I am already missing the food and I have been home just 2 days. Words cannot describe how nutritious and delicious my diet was during my stay at Swell. Lessons are led by experienced, award-winning instructors. I learned so very much and cannot even believe the small hard surf board I graduated to by day 4. You really do learn from the best. I also have to mention how much fun it is to ride in the van with everyone to Encuento Beach Beach. This transportation is prompt and safe. We all enjoyed music, laughter, and chatter on the way to and from the beach each morning. Haudy, Swell's Manager, is completely focused on making your stay a wonderful time. She is so kind and welcoming. She is smart and does not miss a beat. You are in good hands with Haudy. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I always looked forward to yoga with Molly and followed by a delicious meal cooked right in the open dining room beside the pool. I got to sit down with my new friends and surf instructors and celebrate the joys of each day. Tuesday and Thursday I spent dinner at various restaurants on the beach just a 5-7 min walk from Swell house. There is SO much to do and see on your free time. Cabarete is an amazing place! The culture, food, and weather is outstanding. My bedroom at Swell felt like home! The bed is super comfortable. The bathroom and room is tidy and clean. The AC and fan make returning "home" from hot days in DR so such a luxury haven. I slept so well in my room each nap and evening. I also took advantage of the excursions. I signed up for the Canyoning trip. I got to see some new sites, continue with my fitness/exercise, and swim in cool waters. I will go back to Swell! It was amazing. HUGE thank you to the staff, instructors, security, chefs, housekeepers, and Michel (transportation).…
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
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Room Tip: It is not required, but if you are new to surfing and taking lessons more than 4 days, I....
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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I’ve just returned from a 10 night stay at Swell safe camp. I have to say it was one of my best holiday experiences of all time and I’ve been on a lot of vacations, including surf camps in several different countries. I am well used to traveling alone, but as a 51 year old, I wasn’t sure at first to believe how well I would fit in at a place like Swell. From the moment I enter the building (which looks even better in real life than the photos) all my fears and anxieties were relieved. I don’t think I’ve ever walked into such a welcoming space. Neno, the chief Surf Instructor and the other guys were all there to greet me, along with the wonderful Haudy, who is managing the place. My first surf lesson began the day after my arrival, but before that I was asked about myself experience so that they could make sure I was placed in the right group which was encouraging. As an 'intermediate surfer', I was generally with Henrri who I found it to be incredibly helpful and encouraging. Even though I have some surf experience, I learned a lot more tips and advice from the team who were always on hand to help. Neno particularly offered extra advice if he saw me making errors. The pool paddle practice, and the theory lessons were also quite useful to me. The food, both breakfasts and dinners were superb, and the overall ambience of the place was second to none when I compared to other surf camps I have visited in the past. Rooms are spotlessly, clean and very relaxing to be in. I even tried a couple of hours of wing foiling lessons which I thoroughly enjoyed but as I didn’t start until the fourth day of my trip unfortunately I run out of time to make enough progress. I would definitely choose Swell again and my advice would be to start the other activities sooner rather than later if you want to learn them too! Thanks Swell team, Justine.…
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Date of stay: May 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Staying at Swell was a splurge for me, but I figured it was just a week and I was traveling alone as a woman over 50, and so a stay at Swell would really make this week away feel like a proper holiday. In addition, Swell’s surf instruction got excellent reviews. Everything was lovely and the coaching friendly, but none of it merited the high price tag. I’ll focus on the surfing component. We were supposed to have two hours of surfing in the morning and then another optional hour after breakfast (which is truly yummy), but in actuality it’s only an 1hr15 in the water in morning and 45 minutes in the afternoon, so just two hours total. This chief reason for so little actual time in the water is because the land exercises, done on the beach before getting in the water, are inefficiently run. Just Neno monitors our practice popups on land, and there’s just one practice board. This means that it takes a good while to complete this exercise, since we are standing around and waiting our turn to be assessed by Neno. I find this mystifying: There are four coaches, a ratio of 2:1--why isn’t there a practice soft board for each one of us to do our popups on and why don’t the other coaches help assess the practice popups? During this time, the other coaches are just hanging around, not even watching. In addition, the practice pop-up sessions with fast-talking Neno weren’t all that helpful. Once in the water, there weren't clear, specific instructions. Each day I wasn’t sure which coach I was supposed to surf with or where in the line-up I was supposed to go or what to practice on, and I didn’t get any feedback on what I ended up doing. It was a bit of a free for all, which is not what I expected from this camp. More worrying is that there didn’t seem to be much safety instruction. Not many of the newbies knew about turtle rolls or how to hold onto their boards. This made it quite dangerous out there in the water, for both the newbie surfers and everyone around them. For sure the instructors are kind, friendly and supportive, and it’s really lovely that they join us for breakfast and the three dinners during the week, but they don’t share helpful analyses of surfing. Part of the problem is that it’s only Neno who speaks English fluently and most of us don’t speak Spanish fluently. The staff is kind as well and Haudy will arrange lots of activities and give advice on what to do and where to. The hotel is quiet, clean, and pleasant, but I am not sure this is worth $200+ a night. …
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Swell Surf Camp, Owner at Swell Surf Camp
Responded 27 May 2023
When we read a review like this (fortunately it's rare for us to have such a critical one) I am puzzled that you chose not to reply to me to let me know how you were feeling regarding your surf lessons when I wrote to you on Day 3 of your stay (as I do with all our clients) to see how a stay is going. I asked if you have any concerns at all to let me know but you didn’t answer, nor did you raise any concerns with Haudy, as she always passes feedback on to me. As the owner of Swell, I’m genuinely interested in and concerned about all aspects of our client's stay and that’s why I make a point to ask. Had you let me know any of these negative comments whilst you were with us, we would have been able to do something to make sure you had the experience you were expecting, or at least have had a chance to explain more about why we do some things a certain way before you write an anonymous review. Truthfully, we don't recognise the negative things you report as being our normal practice. Choosing instead to write a review under a pseudonym 3 months later, unfortunately, gives us no option to find out what might have been happening differently during your stay. Warm-up, stretching, and pop-up practice we do take seriously because they are a huge part of the surf-learning experience and are important to prevent injury, especially for people not used to surfing. I understand it can seem a little frustrating if you have surfed before and just want to go straight into the water without correct preparation. 'Intermediate' surfers must warm up too if they are in the lessons programme. Neno (who features so positively in the majority of our reviews) is our #1 guy and has the most experience (more than 20 years of teaching people to surf), so he always leads the beach practice and theory lessons for Swell clients. Regarding complaining about the rate you were charged (which seems to be your primary motivation given the number of times you mention what you paid in your review), it's impossible for us to provide the quality of accommodation, food, and surf lessons/transport to the beach twice each day, and pay all of our 15 staff a decent salary, without charging our guests at least $200 USD per day and we make absolutely no apology for that. My only regret is that I didn’t have to explain this to you on a public forum like Trip Advisor.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
As someone who has visited dozens of surf camps over the last three decades, Swell Cabarate stands out. While most surf camps cater to younger advanced surfers, Swell aims for the beginner / less experienced surfer. If you are 20 or 50 years old and have dreamed of learning to surf - Swell is your place. The staff, food, and surf instructors are top notch. The hotel and grounds are lovely and welcoming. The social aspect is especially great. At the communal table you might hear five different languages being spoken, all expressing their stoke of surfing and being in the DR. I highly recommend Swell to anyone who dreams of a surfing adventure.
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Date of stay: April 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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This was one of the best trips ever. My daughter and I were a little nervous traveling out of the country during the height of covid but we felt completely safe at Swell. Clare, the owner was incredibly responsive to all my questions and Haudy the manager was there to help us with anything we needed. The accommodations are beautiful and the food is amazing. The surf instructors were incredibly attentive, helpful and fun! The waves are great for any level of surfer. Whether you are single, a couple or a family, this is a perfect adventurous vacation.
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Date of stay: December 2021
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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I had an amazing trip to Cabarete thanks to Swell! I was extremely nervous doing my first solo trip internationally as a female - especially during the pandemic. Clare, the owner of Swell, took the time to answer all of my questions leading up to my trip, and provided me with very informative and helpful information for planning my trip logistics. Once I arrived in Cabarete, I felt so safe and taken care of by Swell! Haudy, the manager on site, is amazing and she is available to you with any questions or logistics planning you may need during your trip. The surfing instructors I had that week - Neno, Henry, and Daniele - were very professional, experienced, and friendly instructors. Safety was their top priority. They were very patient, taking the time with each person to make sure they were excelling at their own pace all week. I progressed my beginner surfing capabilities so much thanks to them! They were truly a pleasure to hang out with, and made everyone feel welcome and included. I also did kiteboarding lessons with LEK kiteboarding while at Swell which was another great experience. The food and accommodations at Swell were great. I stayed in one of the private rooms - it was spacious, cleaned daily, and the beds were very comfortable which was important for how much physical activity I was doing each day. The breakfasts and dinners are beautifully prepared, healthy, tasty, and all local dishes. The cooks were so friendly and would make adjustments for your needs. Being a directionally challenged person, Swell's location made it easy to access everything you needed within walking distance - from Cabarete beach, restaurants, bars, shops, etc. Thank you to everyone at Swell that made this an incredible experience! I look forward to going back someday soon!…
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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My wife, mother, two sons and one daughter chose Swell Surf Camp because of the reviews and Swell's website. It was all and more than we were looking for. There was also the value for the money factor. Not cheap or chintzy, but not overpriced for all that we received. Their website mentioned that there was no live corral to get sliced up on, there were consistent waves, talented instructors, great food, clean and airy rooms. It was all true and better. The owners, Jim and Clare, know what they are doing. They have created an oasis for the perfect "learn to surf" holiday. The food is made from scratch, healthy and balanced, delicious, locally sourced and abundant in portions. The rooms are immaculate and the gated resort, safe. Not that we didn't feel safe on the main street during the day either. Just be wise and stay off the back streets at night like any city in Canada. The theory lessons were not long or irrelevant. The practical techniques made easy to understand and follow. The surf sessions, safe and fun. Although Jim and Clare were not there at the time, Haudy, their more than capable manageress, made sure that the whole operation ran smoothly. We, nor anyone else who were there at the same time, experienced any deficiencies or problems of any kind. She was constantly scanning for anything that might be amiss and require attention. She made a point of mingling with her guests and befriending them. Neno, Jeffry, Lee and Greg, our professional surf instructors, were friendly, patient and experienced surfers who instructed us on shore, in the pool and around the lounge area, teaching technique and theory. Our safety was their first concern in the water, keeping an eye on the water conditions and on us while at the same time teaching and giving us the opportunity to surf some great waves. They were able to teach this 56 year old Canadian to surf. They were not just instructors, but became good friends who hung with us outside of lesson times. Esmeralda and Arecelys, the two kitchen staff flawlessly cook a huge amount of food in an appetizing display of color and form. They were also very attentive to the surfers' needs. Esmeralda, who does not speak English, while preparing breakfast, noticed that we were a bit agitated about leaving one morning on an excursion. Our bus was not arriving. She took my phone and started Whats-app calling and getting things straightened out with the excursion company driver. A few minutes later we were picked up.. This exemplifies the attention and concern the staff have for their guests. Dietary requests were made ahead of time by us and executed well by the ladies for our entire stay. Sipriana kept our rooms superbly clean every day. She was considerate as well, cleaning our room around our schedules. Damian keeps the entire gated retreat neat and tidy and in good repair as the dedicated groundskeeper. Our stay at swell was fantastic. We felt safe the entire time. There is even a "night watchman" to ensure that nothing happens and that there is someone around for the guests to got to. We all simply left our phones and even wallets on the coffee table or lounge area. The staff are totally trust worthy and the guests came to surf, not pilfer. We were just like one happy family even as people came and went. We all got to know each other and are keeping in touch after our stay. The staff genuinely cared about us, for who we are, not just as guests to placate. I'd take this vacation stay over any pretentious all inclusive resort.…
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Date of stay: February 2020
Location
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Swell Surf Camp, Owner at Swell Surf Camp
Responded 22 Feb 2020
Hello Dylan, thank you so much for taking the time to write about your stay at Swell. Your kind and thoughtful review really sums up what our place is all about. We are immensely proud of our staff who are always happy to go the extra length to make our guest's stay even more enjoyable. Jim and I hope to welcome you back to Cabarete one day, or to our new venue in Bali, opening in May 2020. Thank you again, Clare.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
If you are considering a surf vacation, and want to be social with other people, this is the place for you. The accommodations were clean and nice, and the food was delicious, but the best part of the experience was the people. The surf instructors were fantastic- making us feel comfortable whether it was our first time surfing or 100th. And a feeling of camaraderie grew amongst the guests and also with the staff during the week which you don’t find at other places. This was a unique and excellent experience for all of us- from our 17 and 19 year old sons to our middle aged selves. One word of warning- paddling is hard! Work those arms before you go!
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Date of stay: November 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Your search for the perfect surf vacation is over! Just book here. From the moment we arrived until we left we felt welcomed and accepted regardless of our various levels of surf ability. The instruction was spot on. The food was amazing. The accommodations clean and comfortable. I don’t know what else to say. Haudy, the concierge, was totally accommodating and arranged several side trips for us after surfing. With her local knowledge our extra activities were always top-notch and reasonably priced. We planned this as a family-reconnecting trip with our boys (20 and 18) that live on opposite coasts. We couldn’t be happier. We could choose to socialize with the other guests or we could find a quiet spot just to sit and catch up on our lives. (We did a lot of both) Dinner was always a fun time and the food was amazing. The breakfasts though. That’s the real treat. When you get back from the first session there’s breakfast waiting to fuel you up for the second trip back to the beach. We rarely plan to visit the same spot twice but Swell Surf has us already pining for next year!…
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Date of stay: December 2019
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Swell surf camp was such a great experience, my brother and I have always wanted to learn to surf and the instructors at Swell were spot on! Lee, Jeff and Neno gave us great lessons and gave us all the best tips to progress through our week long stay. Claire was excellent in giving us all the information we needed and organising the perfect package for us and Haudy was such a fabulous manager once we arrived. The surf camp has such a rad vibe where you can all socialise together and enjoy hanging out, play pool, have a swim in the pool and lounge about. We look forward to coming back and have such great memories of our trip.
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Date of stay: June 2019Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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ALSO KNOWN AS
swell surf camp hotel cabarete
LOCATION
CaribbeanDominican RepublicPuerto Plata ProvinceCabarete
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
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Claim Your ListingSWELL SURF CAMP - Updated 2023 (Dominican Republic, Caribbean)
Frequently Asked Questions about Swell Surf Camp
Which popular attractions are close to Swell Surf Camp?
Nearby attractions include VooDoo Lounge Cabarete (0.07 miles), Cabarete Beach (0.10 miles), and Vino Pinto (0.2 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Swell Surf Camp?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, a pool, and free parking.
What are some restaurants close to Swell Surf Camp?
Conveniently located restaurants include Yalla, Bliss Restaurant Lounge Bar Pool, and Gordito's Fresh Mex.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Swell Surf Camp?
Yes, guests have access to a pool and fitness classes during their stay.
Does Swell Surf Camp have an airport shuttle?
Yes, Swell Surf Camp offers an airport shuttle for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Does Swell Surf Camp have airport transportation?
Yes, Swell Surf Camp offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.