THE BAHAMAS   | PANAMA  |  DOMINICA  |  HONDURAS  |  ST. LUCIA  
ST. VINCENT  |  SABA  |  DOMINICAN REPUBLIC  |  GRENADA

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Cascade in the Cordillerras

There's a new game in the windsurfing town of Cabarete. With ocean breezes at 10 to 20 knots, this affordable former fishing village on the Dominican Republic's north shore has been overrun with windsurfing fanatics since the late 1980s. But now a few outfitters have turned their gaze inland, sussing out prime real estate for sports like cascading and canyoning.

"The idea," says Iguana Mama guide Joseba Egia, "is we go up and down and through waterfalls by walking, sliding, swimming, and making jumps of up to 25 feet [8 meters] into pools at the base of cascades. Think of it as a natural amusement park." The Damajagua Falls, then, 40 minutes from Cabarete, would be the D.R.'s Great Adventure. Don a helmet and life jacket for a cascading course of 27 waterfalls.

Canyoning is a little more technical, requiring rock climbing equipment for scaling and rappelling. The action happens in a virgin forest in the Cordillera Central's Jimenoa Falls, east of Jarabacoa. In rougher Cordillera Septentrional, just north, canyoning buffs have begun to establish a range of routes—from the beginner Magic Mushroom to the more advanced Big Bastard.

Sea Horse Ranch resort houses one of the D.R.'s many equestrian centers, with world-class instruction in trail and endurance riding. Later, sip a glass of Chilean wine at Natura Cabañas' seafront restaurant, before retiring to the hotel's bungalows.
 
WHAT TO DO
Multisport
Iguana Mama, Cabarete's most dependable adventure outfitter, leads canyoning, mountain biking, trekking, and cascading trips ($60; www.iguanamama.com).

Horseback Riding
Upscale resort Sea Horse Ranch offers top equestrian instruction and guided trail and endurance rides ($47 for a three-hour trail ride; www.sea-horse-ranch.com).
 
WHERE TO STAY
Natura Cabañas ($70; www.naturacabana.com), just outside of Cabarete's fray, has thatch-roof bungalows on a quiet beach.
 
GETTING AROUND
Fly into Puerto Plata's international airport and take a taxi to Cabarete ($20). Guaguas, crowded but cheap minivans ($1 to $3 in town), are also prevalent and can take you anywhere on the island.

THE BAHAMAS  | PANAMA  |  DOMINICA  |  HONDURAS  |  ST. LUCIA  
ST. VINCENT  |  SABA  |  DOMINICAN REPUBLIC  |  GRENADA