Originally, El Yaque was a typical, small Caribbean fishing village, and in fact, not all that much has changed! There is one thing that makes
El Yaque so different from all of the other villages on the island – THE WIND!
About 25 years ago, this unique place was discovered by some windsurfers looking for big and consistent wind. Well, they liked what they found, and stayed here to develop possibly the best windsurf/kite surf beach in the world. For several reasons, El Yaque enjoys an almost year round, strong and steady wind, blowing from the east, side shore over the warm and shallow waters of El Yaque.
It is because of our spectacular wind conditions, that El Yaque can each year, welcome World Cup Windsurfing and Kite surfing competitions.
And to this day, the special charm of a small fishing village turned surf town is what continues to make El Yaque unique. After making friends sailing on the water during the day, it is more than likely that you will run into your new friends at one of the many beach bars, funky surf shops, or casual restaurants. It is a common practice for sailors to enjoy a cool beverage at the end of the day and watch the spectacular display of windsurfing and kite surfing tricks, performed by many of the World Tour competitors, who train here.The sight is unbelievable!
For such a small village, El Yaque offers an astounding number and variety of restaurants, with everything from great Thai food, to pizza and pasta, to smokin’ BBQ and Mexican, to, of course, awesome fresh fish. The restaurant settings range from romantic, gracious terraces overlooking the sea, to wide open pizzerias, to groovy Blues-inspired eateries
Located within the village, right on Main Street, are two bodegas or shops, which sell everything from beer and groceries, to toiletries and snacks. Internet access is available at the cool Internet Café, which also proudly displays photos of all current and former El Yaque windsurf champions! Congratulations Ricardo, Gollito, Cheo, Collette and Dioni!
El Yaque is also a transition point for those who would like to visit the island of Coche. A ferry boat, which is accessed at Playa El Yaque takes sailors over to the flat-water windsurfing and kite surfing paradise that is Coche. In recent years, Coche has become a kite surfer’s mecca, with super flat water, kite-schools, and brand new hotels. The kite surfing is so good on Coche, that the island now hosts a PKRA kite boarding competition each year.
