Paraiso del sol Beach Resort

Great Place

We are from Winnipeg, Canada and stayed at the Paraiso del Sol just east of Cabarete from March 12-26th, 2008. We chose this all inclusive because of the price, Cabarete location and because it offered singles’ rates. Eight of us stayed at this resort, two couples and four singles. It is really hard to find affordable single rates and the Paraiso del Sol offered this. Initially, because of so many poor reviews we had read on this resort, I was very apprehensive but as this was my 7th trip to the Dominican and my boyfriend’s 10th, we knew that you have to take the poor reviews with a grain of salt.


This was a great resort and all of us plan to return to it next year. We have stayed at other Cabarete area resorts (Wyndham Tangerine) and location was great as it is out of Cabarete so there are no early morning night noises from nearby resorts or bars in town but close enough to take a cab or moped or free shuttle.

The beach is great with miles to walk in either direction. Waves can be big but that is what to expect at times from the ocean. It is a big, powerful, beautiful ocean and makes you wonder at the power of Mother Nature. Cabarete is a free shuttle or a 50 pesos moped ride away so if you like calm beach then you can go there. The ocean view is great.

The resort was great, staff helpful and friendly and there are three pools that kept us cool - a huge more shallow pool and a nice deep pool closer to the beach as well as another near the restaurant that we didn’t go to.

Our rooms were clean, which is my main concern on any trip. (The women in our group liked the fact that bleach was used on the floors in our rooms and hallways). The single people in our group had rooms with two double beds so they really liked the extra space. Air conditioners help but be advised that the air is turned off during the day as this is a country that does not have services we take for granted here in Canada, like drinkable tap water, great electrical, etc. We were never in our rooms during the day anyway except to change for supper and to sleep. As long as air is circulating, a ceiling fan or air conditioner will do the trick to get the air moving.

No complaints at all about our room, showers, or anything. Pillows were a bit lumpy but after a day in the sun and sand, I could have slept on the floor. No one lost weight on the trip and my compliments go out to the chefs and kitchen workers on this resort who gave us tasty, nutritious meals with local, fresh produce in, I am sure, a non-air-conditioned kitchen prep area. Beets and carrots grow well in the sandy soil and all of us in our group ate fresh chicken at both lunch and supper every day. There is a big taste and texture difference between fresh Dominican poultry/fish versus the frozen chicken that we get here in Canada. The breads were made fresh each day and Swiss meringue is the icing they use on their cakes. The rice pudding is the stove top kind and was every bit as good as my grandma’s. Chicken, fish, rice and beans and fresh cabbage salad are Dominican staples and are nutritious and good for you. Pork is also fresh and tasty. You will not lose weight unless you choose to eat fresh, juicy pineapple and rice every day.

This is an underdeveloped country that is doing its best to satisfy everyone that comes and visits. It is unfair of tourists to expect the things we take for granted in our countries of origin to be readily available in this country. What is available in the Dominican is: wonderful people, sun and sand, fresh produce and fruit, inexpensive Brugel rum and any other kinds of spirits and beautiful breathtaking scenery. All in our group like to support the Dominicans so would buy beer from a local for half or less the price that they would charge at a restaurant or bar run by non-Dominicans. Ice cold Dominican made El Presidente is a great beer!!!

My boyfriend and I always go to the Cabarete area as we have made friends with three local families and have become very close to them. We had the humbling experience to be taken to Miguel’s and Biganos’ homes and offered their most wonderful hospitality this year. The Dominican people are kind and “Please” and “Thank You”, just like at home, are the Magic Words.

One of our close friends is Willy (Wilson) Zapete and his wife, Ingris. Willy runs the Jungle River Tours out of Islabon, about two miles east of the Paraiso del Sol – a quick cab or moped ride. Every two week vacation we make use of Willy and his great staff to enjoy the Islabon and Jessica river boat tour which takes us to the mouth where the Jessica meets the ocean. There we spend time on the beach, have a few coco locos (rum in a fresh coconut) and just chill out or swim. Then Willy brings us back to dock and you can opt in with an extra cost and have Ingris and her friend cook you up the greatest Dominican lunch – sea bass, chicken, salad, rice and beans and fresh crab i.e. we met the crab fisherman on the boat on the Jessica and luckily had a plastic bag to put the freshly caught crab. Willy made a quick call to Ingris to put the water on for the crab and we had crab that doesn’t get much fresher.

Willy also took our group of 8 and 5 others from the resort along with Ingris, little Juan, Willy’s two nieces and two of his helpers for a day long trip to the most fantastic beaches. Other tour groups offer this trip to Playa Grande beach, Diamond Beach but Willy took us to three other beaches that we had never been to. Had a great lunch at Playa Grande and were able to buy Brugel rum hats which are unavailable in Canada. Great, fantastic day with our Canadian and Dominican “family”!!!!!!! Another tour we did was take three children from Miguel’s family on the boat down the rivers to the beach (their first time in a boat) and beach hut. They had a great time and Willy and his staff made sure they felt comfortable and happy. Willy knew their auntie and cousins!!!! The day after we left some others from the resort wanted about a 3 hour shopping spree in one of the towns east of Cabarete so they got Willy to arrange this with beaches and lunch to follow.

For the past seven years, we only do tours with Willy whether it is to beaches, the mouth of the Jessica, Santiago, the waterfalls, etc. as he is a local and we know the money is going to the Dominican people with no middle man. His prices are very reasonable and much lower than others. More importantly, he is absolutely trustworthy and a great diplomat for the Dominican people and the beautiful island. He speaks Spanish but also English and German with a bit of other languages as well. With Willy, you can customize your tour i.e. have lunch and alcohol included; lunch or no lunch, etc. It is best to meet with him to go over it all and then to confirm it. You may need to put a bit of money down and Willy is too honest to every renege on a deal. Once he gets to know you, like us, you pay at the end of the trip unless he needs money upfront to rent the bus, etc.

All in all we had a great time and two of the people from our group even bought into one of the time shares on the resort. At Paraiso del Sol, there are NO high pressure tactics like at the Wyndham or other resorts. That was our main reason for not returning to the Wyndham this year.

We were there during Easter. Well, it was an experience. The resort became so full of city dwellers from Santiago and other areas that wanted and needed a weekend get away. It was a continual party from the time they arrived till the time they left (Thursday night to late Sunday afternoon). Luckily we had a day tour with Willy one day and escaped to a nice bar next door to the Paraiso del Sol for another day – there is a pool there for customers’ use as well. But if crowds, continual noise day and night and aggressive behavior to Paraiso del Sol staff are not up your alley, avoid Easter week in the Dominican!!!! Our group and many others have decided to plan future trips before or after Easter as it can be quite overwhelming with crowds, noise and attitudes that some of us may not be used to or enjoy.

All of us enjoyed this resort and plan on returning next March...

Great value for our money