The surf in Dominican Republic has long been the Caribbean’s best kept secret. The natural beauty of this island, with its variety of landscape and its excellent sandy beaches, combined with average year round temperatures of 28° and extremely friendly locals, ensure that the Dominican Republic is a hidden winter gem.

You’ll need your shortboard, and possibly something that will deal with a bit of size. Hire cars are pretty expensive, and many of the breaks are hidden behind holiday complexes or tucked away at the end of the surf-trip-standard ‘dusty track’; so a guided holiday can work out pretty good value in terms of money and time in the water.