The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, is ten years old. And while it may not be the biggest parade compared to New York, or the oldest in Boston, it is on the beach and that makes it the best. And let’s face it, warm weather, a beach, palm trees and a blue ocean beats cold, windy and gray. The celebration starts at 11:00 AM at Jose O’Shays Irish Bar, a short walk down the beach from Villa Taina, with the staff giving away green hats and leis. But it is not just a parade, it is entertainment. That begins with an Irish band and Irish Step Dancing. By the time the party ends at 4:00 AM the following morning, it will go through Blues, Jazz, and R & B with dancing barefoot in the sand. The parade starts at 2:00 PM led by a grand marshal. A local school band follows, then volunteers from the partying crowd carry Irish and Dominican flags along with lots of other flags and banners for a march down the beach.

Adding to the atmosphere guests can enjoy a special menu that includes Irish stew, O’Rueben Sandwiches, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Sheppard’s Pie, and Bangers and Mash. Guinness Stout is also featured on the day’s menu.

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on a beach on a tropical lagoon, how can you go wrong? Villa Taina is a 57 room and suite boutique hotel in the center of Cabarete beach famed for windsurfing, kite surfing and surfboarding. It has one of the oldest surfing schools on the island. The open-air bar and restaurant are next to the beach. The chef is imported from Italy, but the food is international. Through April 30, nightly room rates range from $96 for a standard double to $180 for a senior penthouse overlooking the ocean.

Villa Taina, www.villataina.com