Macao Surf Camp — Attraction in Higüey

YOU can surf! This is such a friendly and helpful group of people, especially so if you're a first-time surfer. They are quick to get you in the (somewhat sheltered and calmer) water, which is where you really (and fairly quickly) figure things out--don't worry if you feel terrible practicing on land! In the water you are accompanied by a dedicated instructor who gets you settled on the board and watches for which waves to ride, plus someone to help grab your board and get you set up to ride again...and again, and again! The really cool part is while you are mastering the art of the balance these guys can provide AMAZING photos and videos! There is an option to have someone with a Go Pro camera take pictures from in the water, which really captures the raw action. But you can also have someone filming via DRONE! How cool is that?? The overhead shots are incredible and the drone is able to quickly move around to capture footage from every angle. But, it never feels like its in your way. I am SO glad we opted to purchase BOTH forms of photo/video (gopro and drone) because they each captured the magic of the experience in a different way. The quality of everything is stellar and you are provided with a link to download all photos/videos which you then can use however you'd like. My very favorite photo is actually a single frame from the drone video! I truly cannot wait to go back and hang out with this wonderful group next time we visit Punta Cana! You may be surprised at what you can do, but you will NOT be...

Unfortunately we didn't have a good experience at the Macao SurfCamp. The beach is nice, no doubt about that but the school seems to be only interested in squeezing as much money out of the tourists as possible. While I know this is common in a touristic area like Punta Cana, at a surfspot it annoyed me even more because it should be about enjoying the sport.

First of all, some guys wanted a parking fee from us although the parking is completely free. Then, when we arrived at the school to rent two boards, the guide had trouble finding two boards that were not completely wrecked. There were a few new longboards but these are reserved for the classes. The rest of the beginner boards are in such bad condition that they are barely usable.

The worst part was when we handed the boards back and the guide had the guts to tell us we cracked on of the boatds although it was absolutely clear that the board was damaged before. There was even a thick layer of resin over the crack which you use to repair boards. So it was clear without a doubt that the board was damaged before. But the guide insisted that we had to pay him 10 Dollars to repair the board while in all honesty the whole board was not worth 10 Dollars anymore. Anyway when I simply wanted to wash my shirt with fresh water under the shower, they also wanted money to do that.

Really unfortunate that we had to make such a bad experience, especially after we had the comparison to Cabarete which was the complete opposite and really convinced...

What we brought: 4 year olds and 40 something mamas. The 4 year olds can’t officially swim and I wouldn’t say the mamas are that strong at swimming either. What they brought: A team of experienced surf instructors. The level of care and attention the guys gave was phenomenal. They put us all at ease with their expertise and watchfulness. Wiping out a bajillion times was worth it for the few glorious moments we managed to stay upright. And watching the kids surf was priceless.

Macao Beach: was beautiful. Much nicer than our Nickelodeon hotel beach. They used the kiddie beach section at the far end that had smaller gentler waves for us newbies.

Expect the usual vendors. Bring snacks and drinks and make a day of it. Also if I could give one major piece of advice is to bring plenty of cash. Our biggest regret is not having plenty of cash to thank all the wonderful guys who made sure we were safe and created the best memories for us. We also were lucky enough to have the whole experience documented by a videographer they had on site. You’ll also want cash to buy the video and photos.

Thank you Macao Surf School! We really enjoyed our experience and would love...