new things in cabarete

there's a great new spot to eat and/or just have a drink on cabarete beach. it's called marabu and is located directly next to the laurel eastman kitesurfing school. it is quite simple in terms of design & architecture and is very cool. it's basically a platform/wooden deck underneath a large white canopy. elevated up from the beach, you have a fantastic view of the ocean and beach. if you are sitting in the back of the restaurant and look out towards the ocean, it feels like you are actually on the ocean, as if on a boat or something. you don't see the sand at all. a very cool effect!

they figured out how to deal well with the ever present cabarete winds by putting up glass on the side where the winds normally come. as it is under a canopy, the glass goes up just a few feet and stops. the openness of this space and use of glass allows for the best views possible.

we had a snack of various meats (salami, etc.) and cheese, which was tasty. the menu is italian with pastas, pizzas, and salads. i believe that one of the owner's of this place owns toma la luna - a very good italian restaurant in cabarete.

this is a great addition to the cabarete restaurant scene and certainly brings some style to the area. i'll post some photos of marabu when i am there next. in the meantime, here is some info on it: http://www.cabaretewinds.com/news/148/ARTICLE/1174/2006-01-10.html

as we were sitting there, we were thinking about how much development has happened within cabarete since we first came almost a year ago now on vacation. for instance, there's the expansion of cabarete eastwards, the opening of the casino, the opening of restaurants and places like marabu & extreme hotel, the condos being built at blue fish, oceanpoint, porta-del-mar, ocean dream phase II, pelican beach, a gym opening up, and kite schools opening up beyond nanny estates.

now it's the biggest well known secret on the north coast that sea horse ranch is going to develop a golf course. it is believed that they will begin work on this course starting in march near to lomas mironas. who knows when it really will happen - though i certainly do believe it will happen at some point in the near future. when it does happen, it will provide a big pop to this area. so bring it on!