Alright, let's talk about Cabrera. Don't expect sunshine and rainbows; I'm just here to lay out the facts, with a side of my usual… perspective.
Cabrera
Cabrera, a town nestled within the María Trinidad Sánchez province of the Dominican Republic, occupies the eastern fringe of the nation's northern coastline. Specifically, it anchors the western edge of what's known as the Scottish Bay. For context, it’s a good 130 kilometers north of the capital, Santo Domingo. Coordinates? Oh, that's 19°37′48″N 69°54′0″W, if you're into that sort of thing.
The place wasn't always Cabrera. It started life as 'Tres Amarras,' a name it held since its inception on July 1, 1891. Later, it was rechristened to honor General José Cabrera, a figure noted for his role in the Capotillo Battle. A rather dramatic name change, wouldn't you agree? Today, Cabrera sprawls across 276 square kilometers. The population, according to the 2012 census, stood at 24,218, though more recent estimates suggest it's now over 39,000. That's a density of about 81.383 people per square kilometer. The locals are called "Cabrereños" or "Cabrereñas."
Unlike many coastal towns that rely on the fleeting whims of tourism, Cabrera has a more grounded economy. Its primary income streams flow from cattle ranching, with significant production of meat and milk. Agriculture also plays a crucial role, particularly the cultivation of coconuts and rice. These aren't just crops; they're the steady pulse of the community, far more reliable than a sunburnt tourist with a credit card.
The landscape itself is… a thing. Facing the vast Atlantic, Cabrera boasts beaches, rivers, and an exotic tapestry of vegetation. There's even a national park reserve in El Breton, a subsection of Cabrera known as Cabo Francés Viejo. It’s the kind of place that might inspire poetry, if poetry weren't such a waste of perfectly good silence.
Religion here is a bit of a curveball. While Catholicism is the official religion of the Dominican Republic, Cabrera leans heavily towards the Christian Evangelical Church. This doesn't mean the Catholics are entirely forgotten; there's a prominent Catholic church, recently renovated, right in the city center. It's a compromise, I suppose.
For those who prefer sand between their toes, the local beaches include El Diamante (Diamond Beach), Playa La Entrada, El Caletón de Darío, El Caletón del Medio, and El Caletón Chiquito. They’re beaches. They have sand. The ocean is… wet.
Climate
The climate in Cabrera is, predictably, tropical. It's the kind of warmth that seeps into your bones, whether you asked for it or not.
Here’s a breakdown, if you're meticulous:
Climate data for Cabrera, María Trinidad Sánchez (1991–2020)
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.9 | 29.2 | 29.3 | 30.7 | 31.0 | 32.0 | 32.2 | 32.3 | 32.7 | 32.1 | 30.4 | 29.5 | 30.9 |
| (84.0) | (84.6) | (84.7) | (87.3) | (87.8) | (89.6) | (90.0) | (90.1) | (90.9) | (89.8) | (86.7) | (85.1) | (87.6) | |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.0 | 25.3 | 25.5 | 26.5 | 26.8 | 27.7 | 27.9 | 27.9 | 27.9 | 27.6 | 26.3 | 25.5 | 26.7 |
| (77.0) | (77.5) | (77.9) | (79.7) | (80.2) | (81.9) | (82.2) | (82.2) | (82.2) | (81.7) | (79.3) | (77.9) | (80.1) | |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.2 | 21.4 | 21.7 | 22.2 | 22.7 | 23.3 | 23.6 | 23.4 | 23.1 | 23.0 | 22.2 | 21.6 | 22.5 |
| (70.2) | (70.5) | (71.1) | (72.0) | (72.9) | (73.9) | (74.5) | (74.1) | (73.6) | (73.4) | (72.0) | (70.9) | (72.5) | |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 145.5 | 105.6 | 98.3 | 127.4 | 194.1 | 88.5 | 145.8 | 150.7 | 109.7 | 167.9 | 247.9 | 151.6 | 1,733 |
| (5.73) | (4.16) | (3.87) | (5.02) | (7.64) | (3.48) | (5.74) | (5.93) | (4.32) | (6.61) | (9.76) | (5.97) | (68.23) |
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
And for a bit of historical context, because apparently that matters:
Climate data for Cabrera, María Trinidad Sánchez (1971–2000)
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record high °C (°F) | 32.7 | 31.8 | 33.0 | 32.9 | 33.3 | 34.3 | 34.6 | 33.8 | 33.7 | 32.8 | 33.5 | 31.6 | 34.6 |
| (90.9) | (89.2) | (91.4) | (91.2) | (91.9) | (93.7) | (94.3) | (92.8) | (92.7) | (91.0) | (92.3) | (88.9) | (94.3) | |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.1 | 28.3 | 28.8 | 29.3 | 29.9 | 30.5 | 30.6 | 30.7 | 30.7 | 30.0 | 29.4 | 28.3 | 29.6 |
| (82.6) | (82.9) | (83.8) | (84.7) | (85.8) | (86.9) | (87.1) | (87.3) | (87.3) | (86.0) | (84.9) | (82.9) | (85.2) | |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.7 | 24.8 | 25.2 | 25.8 | 26.3 | 27.0 | 27.1 | 27.1 | 27.0 | 26.5 | 25.9 | 25.0 | 26.0 |
| (76.5) | (76.6) | (77.4) | (78.4) | (79.3) | (80.6) | (80.8) | (80.8) | (80.6) | (79.7) | (78.6) | (77.0) | (78.9) | |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.3 | 21.3 | 21.8 | 22.4 | 22.9 | 23.5 | 23.6 | 23.4 | 23.3 | 23.1 | 22.5 | 21.7 | 22.6 |
| (70.3) | (70.3) | (71.2) | (72.3) | (73.2) | (74.3) | (74.5) | (74.1) | (73.9) | (73.6) | (72.5) | (71.1) | (72.6) | |
| Record low °C (°F) | 16.8 | 15.4 | 17.0 | 17.5 | 19.1 | 19.0 | 19.7 | 19.0 | 17.6 | 19.1 | 18.3 | 17.5 | 15.4 |
| (62.2) | (59.7) | (62.6) | (63.5) | (66.4) | (66.2) | (67.5) | (66.2) | (63.7) | (66.4) | (64.9) | (63.5) | (59.7) | |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 116.4 | 80.2 | 80.0 | 117.4 | 138.2 | 92.1 | 111.2 | 139.4 | 121.3 | 187.0 | 231.0 | 127.6 | 1,541.8 |
| (4.58) | (3.16) | (3.15) | (4.62) | (5.44) | (3.63) | (4.38) | (5.49) | (4.78) | (7.36) | (9.09) | (5.02) | (60.7) | |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.5 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 9.6 | 8.3 | 11.5 | 12.9 | 11.6 | 14.3 | 15.3 | 13.6 | 134.4 |
Source: Oficina Nacional de Meteorología
And if you're really committed to the historical data:
Climate data for Cabrera, María Trinidad Sánchez (1961–1990)
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record high °C (°F) | 35.1 | 35.2 | 34.3 | 35.5 | 35.6 | 35.8 | 34.6 | 35.5 | 35.5 | 35.5 | 36.2 | 36.2 | 36.2 |
| (95.2) | (95.4) | (93.7) | (95.9) | (96.1) | (96.4) | (94.3) | (95.9) | (95.9) | (95.9) | (97.2) | (97.2) | (97.2) | |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.3 | 28.4 | 28.9 | 29.4 | 29.8 | 30.6 | 30.5 | 30.8 | 30.9 | 30.3 | 29.4 | 28.6 | 29.7 |
| (82.9) | (83.1) | (84.0) | (84.9) | (85.6) | (87.1) | (86.9) | (87.4) | (87.6) | (86.5) | (84.9) | (83.5) | (85.5) | |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.6 | 24.7 | 25.2 | 25.6 | 26.1 | 26.7 | 26.8 | 26.9 | 26.8 | 26.5 | 25.8 | 25.0 | 25.9 |
| (76.3) | (76.5) | (77.4) | (78.1) | (79.0) | (80.1) | (80.2) | (80.4) | (80.2) | (79.7) | (78.4) | (77.0) | (78.6) | |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.1 | 21.1 | 21.6 | 21.9 | 22.4 | 22.9 | 23.1 | 23.0 | 22.8 | 22.8 | 22.3 | 21.5 | 22.2 |
| (70.0) | (70.0) | (70.9) | (71.4) | (72.3) | (73.2) | (73.6) | (73.4) | (73.0) | (73.0) | (72.1) | (70.7) | (72.0) | |
| Record low °C (°F) | 12.2 | 15.4 | 17.0 | 16.4 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 17.4 | 16.0 | 17.4 | 16.0 | 17.4 | 15.5 | 12.2 |
| (54.0) | (59.7) | (62.6) | (61.5) | (62.6) | (62.6) | (63.3) | (60.8) | (63.3) | (60.8) | (63.3) | (59.9) | (54.0) | |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 124.8 | 77.2 | 78.0 | 115.6 | 172.1 | 101.9 | 126.5 | 155.3 | 133.0 | 192.4 | 248.0 | 152.8 | 1,677.6 |
| (4.91) | (3.04) | (3.07) | (4.55) | (6.78) | (4.01) | (4.98) | (6.11) | (5.24) | (7.57) | (9.76) | (6.02) | (66.05) | |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.4 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 10.8 | 8.8 | 13.2 | 14.0 | 11.8 | 14.0 | 15.9 | 14.5 | 138.1 |
Source: NOAA
People
The town has its share of notable individuals, though "notable" is a subjective term, isn't it?
- Guillermo Linares: Former NYC councilman and current Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA). He hails from Cabrera.
- Jorge Cavoli: Served as mayor of Cabrera for two terms. Apparently, people keep electing him, which says more about the electorate than him, perhaps.
- El Prodigio: An accordion musician of some repute.
- Krency Garcia: Another musician.
- Juan Alcequiez (Juancito): A stage manager with 16 years of experience. Described as a "gentle person that contributes to the citizens." I suppose that's… something.
It's a list. Some have achieved things. Others are just… present.